by EBSCO Medical Review Board

A risk factor is something that raises the chances of getting a health problem. A person can get glaucoma with or without the ones listed below. The chances of getting it are greater in people who have many.

Glaucoma is more common in adults over 40 years of age. It is also more common in people who are Black, Hispanic, or Asian. Other things that may raise the risk are:

A person has a higher risk of getting glaucoma if there are other people in the family who have it.

People with these eye problems have a higher risk:

  • High eye pressure
  • A thin cornea
  • Being nearsighted
  • A prior eye injury

These health problems may also raise the risk:

References

Angle-closure glaucoma. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:  https://www.dynamed.com/condition/angle-closure-glaucoma  . Updated October 24, 2016. Accessed April 29, 2020.

Facts about glaucoma. National Eye Institute website. Available at: https://nei.nih.gov/health/glaucoma/glaucoma%5Ffacts. Updated March 11, 2020. Accessed April 29, 2020.

Primary open-angle glaucoma. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:  https://www.dynamed.com/condition/primary-open-angle-glaucoma  . Updated February 7, 2020. Accessed April 29, 2020.

Prum BE Jr, Rosenberg LF, et al; American Academy of Ophthalmology. Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma Preferred Practice Pattern Guidelines. Ophthalmology. 2016 Jan;123(1):P41-P111.

What is glaucoma? American Academy of Ophthalmology website. Available at: http://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-is-glaucoma. Updated August 28, 2019. Accessed April 29, 2020.

What is glaucoma? Glaucoma Research Foundation website. Available at: http://www.glaucoma.org/glaucoma. Accessed April 29, 2020.

Revision Information