Glaucoma Causes and Risk Factors

There are many factors you should be aware of that may increase your risk for glaucoma. Anyone over the age of 60 is at risk for developing glaucoma. African Americans over the age of 40 and a few other ethnic backgrounds are especially at risk. Family... Full Answer

Glaucoma is caused by an accumulation of aqueous humor, the fluid in the front of the eye. Normally, aqueous humor can leave the eye where the cornea and iris meet. Sometimes this drainage system is not working well, allowing the aqueous humor to... Full Answer

Glaucoma tends to run in families and it is five times more common in African-Americans than in Caucasians. However, the risk increases with age in all ethnicities. Chronic glaucoma, which affects 1 percent to 2 percent of Americans older than 40, is... Full Answer

Your eyes are a nice round shape, aren't they? That's partly thanks to the fluid tension or intraocular pressure inside your eyeballs. But if the fluid that flows throughout the interior spaces of your eyes gets blocked or drains too slowly, the... Full Answer

Both high and low thyroid function have been implicated as risk factors for glaucoma, though the evidence from large epidemiologic studies is not consistent. In states of excessive function of the thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism), the increase in thyroid... Full Answer

One of the primary risk factors for glaucoma is family history. Therefore, a genetic predisposition to glaucoma that runs in families is common. How glaucoma presents within a family, however, is quite variable among different individuals. How a... Full Answer

Glaucoma is NOT always caused by high eye pressure. Glaucoma can be caused by any of the following problems: fluid buildup in the eye; poor blood flow to the eye; or damage to the optic nerve. Full Answer

It is not scientifically proven yet, but glaucoma may be genetically inherited. The genetic inheritance wouldn't actually be the disease itself, but a higher susceptibility to it. If you have a family history of glaucoma then you have a higher risk of... Full Answer

Pigmentary glaucoma can run in families as an autosomal dominant trait. As such, it can occur to varying degrees in 50% of the offspring of an individual with this condition. There is no proven relationship between autoimmune disease, including... Full Answer

Changes in altitude do not significantly alter the eye pressure or have an effect on glaucoma.  Since the eye is filled with fluid instead of air, changes in pressure related to altitude have a negligible effect (including the increased pressure... Full Answer