This document discusses glaucoma, a group of eye diseases involving damage to the optic nerve that can cause vision loss and blindness if not treated. It defines glaucoma as having characteristic optic nerve damage and visual field loss. While potentially blinding, glaucoma is largely manageable when detected early. The document outlines various mechanisms contributing to optic nerve cell death in glaucoma, including elevated intraocular pressure, loss of neurotrophic factors, glutamate excitotoxicity, impaired blood flow, and immune system involvement. It emphasizes that glaucoma has many contributing factors and can develop at any intraocular pressure, making an early, accurate diagnosis critical.