Glaucoma is a complicated disease that affects one in every 50 adults over the age of 40. This slow-moving condition involves damage to the optic nerve that causes progressive and irreversible vision loss, eventually leading to blindness. Glaucoma can be difficult to diagnose, since the most common type, open-angle glaucoma, usually has no other symptoms besides slow vision loss. Open-angle glaucoma has a wide and open angle between the iris and cornea, and is caused by the slow clogging of the drainage canals, resulting in increased eye pressure.

The disease’s symptoms often resemble those of macular degeneration, cataracts, migraine headache, stroke, etc. You may be at a higher risk for glaucoma if:

• You have family members with glaucoma
• You have a history of diabetes
• You have high blood pressure
• You are African-American

A diagnosis for the disease is easy to miss, since many individuals show no symptoms of open-angle glaucoma in the early stages. To prevent blindness and other serious complications, make sure you are receiving regular eye care to catch the disease in its early development. Best Doctors can offer a specialized analysis of your health records to give you answers or counsel for these medical conditions lacking a straightforward diagnosis.

Read the full Best Doctors article to learn more.