Which eye condition damages the optic nerve due to elevated fluid pressure and can cause blindness?

• A. Glaucoma
• B. Tension headaches
• C. Dementia
• D. Epilepsy

Answer: (A)

Damage to the optic nerve from high intraocular pressure is glaucoma. In glaucoma, fluid inside the eye (the aqueous humor) builds up or doesn’t drain properly, raising pressure. That elevated pressure damages the nerve fibers that carry visual information from the retina to the brain, and if this damage continues, vision loss can become permanent and eventually lead to blindness. Regular eye exams that check eye pressure are important because glaucoma often has few early symptoms. The other conditions listed don’t involve optic nerve damage from eye pressure: tension headaches are about headache pain, dementia is cognitive decline, and epilepsy is a seizure disorder.