Glaucoma is the name of a group of eye disorders characterised by damage to the optical nerve that leads to progressive loss of eyesight and, ultimately, to blindness. The disease is asymptomatic until the sufferer begins to note a reduction in their field of view. It is estimated that half of those with glaucoma do not know it. Glaucoma is normally associated with high intraocular pressure (IOP). Excessive pressure inside the eyball damages the optical nerve and compromises the field of view seriously and irreversibly.

Glaucoma is one of the main causes of blindness. Over 67 million people worldwide have glaucoma, and the figure is expected to reach 80 million by 2020. In Spain there are approximately one million glaucoma patients at present. There is no cure for the disease, and medicine has only managed to slow its progress.