What is glaucoma?

• A. Damage to the optic nerve due to increased intraocular pressure
• B. Infection of the cornea
• C. Degeneration of the macula
• D. Inflammation of the conjunctiva

Answer: (A)

Glaucoma is a condition in which the optic nerve is damaged, usually because of elevated intraocular pressure. The eye’s internal pressure can squeeze and injure the nerve fibers that carry visual information from the retina to the brain, leading to gradual, often painless loss of peripheral vision and, if not treated, irreversible blindness. Many people have high eye pressure without symptoms, so routine eye exams that measure intraocular pressure and examine the optic nerve are important for detection.

This option is the best because it directly describes glaucoma as optic nerve damage caused by increased intraocular pressure. The other choices describe different eye problems: infection of the cornea causes pain, redness, and discharge; degeneration of the macula leads to loss of central vision; inflammation of the conjunctiva causes redness and irritation.