Whats the difference between a glaucoma suspect and a glaucoma patient?
If your doctor tells you that your optic nerve cups are large, don’t panick. Not all large optic nerve cups are abnormal. This optic nerve head happens to be normal even though the cup is large. Telling the difference between a normal and abnormal large cup can be challenging and requires experience as well as attention to detail Glaucoma can be extremely difficult to diagnose, particularly in the early stages. An example of a glaucoma suspect would be a person who may have elevated pressures, but a normal optic nerve exam and visual fields. Elevated pressure alone does not mean glaucoma, although it is an important risk factor (see question 5). Such a person would be monitored on an appropriate basis, and even perhaps treated if the pressure were high enough to be a significant risk.
