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Home Other Services Glaucoma

We Are A Glaucoma Center of Excellence

Glaucoma has been called “the silent thief of sight.” It is a complicated eye disease characterized by increased intraocular pressure (IOP), or pressure inside the eye, and subsequent damage to the optic nerve. Today, glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the United States and worldwide. Glaucoma affects over 3 million Americans, but only half of them are aware they even have the disease.

Glaucoma is a condition that develops due to abnormal pressure behind the eye due to a fluid buildup (aqueous humor) throughout the inside of your eye, leading to optic nerve damage. Fluid usually drains out through a tissue called a trabecular meshwork, located around the base of the cornea. If fluid drainage doesn’t work properly or is overproduced, eye pressure increases as fluid can’t flow out at a normal rate. When the optic nerve suffers damage, blind spots develop in your visual field as the nerve deteriorates.

Glaucoma is a condition that often progresses without leading to any symptoms in the beginning. As a result, this is a condition that can progress unchecked. This is also the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in the elderly. Millions of people likely have this condition and don’t even realize it. This is what makes it so dangerous and why early detection is important.

A glaucoma specialist can use a tool to check the pressure behind each eye individually and help glaucoma patients treat it. In glaucoma, the optic nerve is damaged. This is a nerve that connects the brain to the eyes, enabling the brain to interpret signals that come from the eyes. This damage usually comes from elevated eye pressure caused by increased fluid production or reduced drainage. The team at ICON Eyecare in Grand Junction can help diagnose this condition and provide treatment quickly. Our goal is to detect and treat this condition before it compromises someone’s vision. Even though there might not be a cure for this condition, we have ways to control it.

We Are A Glaucoma Center of Excellence

Glaucoma has been called “the silent thief of sight.” It is a complicated eye disease characterized by increased intraocular pressure (IOP), or pressure inside the eye, and subsequent damage to the optic nerve. Today, glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the United States and worldwide. Glaucoma affects over 3 million Americans, but only half of them are aware they even have the disease.

Glaucoma is a condition that develops due to abnormal pressure behind the eye due to a fluid buildup (aqueous humor) throughout the inside of your eye, leading to optic nerve damage. Fluid usually drains out through a tissue called a trabecular meshwork, located around the base of the cornea. If fluid drainage doesn’t work properly or is overproduced, eye pressure increases as fluid can’t flow out at a normal rate. When the optic nerve suffers damage, blind spots develop in your visual field as the nerve deteriorates.

Glaucoma is a condition that often progresses without leading to any symptoms in the beginning. As a result, this is a condition that can progress unchecked. This is also the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in the elderly. Millions of people likely have this condition and don’t even realize it. This is what makes it so dangerous and why early detection is important.

A glaucoma specialist can use a tool to check the pressure behind each eye individually and help glaucoma patients treat it. In glaucoma, the optic nerve is damaged. This is a nerve that connects the brain to the eyes, enabling the brain to interpret signals that come from the eyes. This damage usually comes from elevated eye pressure caused by increased fluid production or reduced drainage. The team at ICON Eyecare in Grand Junction can help diagnose this condition and provide treatment quickly. Our goal is to detect and treat this condition before it compromises someone’s vision. Even though there might not be a cure for this condition, we have ways to control it.

Glaucoma Symptoms

In the beginning, there might not be any symptoms at all. Over time, the symptoms may start to appear. Some of the most common symptoms of glaucoma include:

  • Gradual loss of peripheral vision
  • Mild aching in the eyes
  • Sudden, severe eye pain
  • Eye pain accompanied by nausea and vomiting in some cases
  • Seeing halos around lights
  • Reduced visual acuity (especially at night) that is not correctable with glasses
  • Blurred vision

Anyone with these symptoms needs to see a doctor as quickly as possible.

Are You at Risk for Glaucoma?

The following factors increase your risk of developing glaucoma:

  • advanced age: glaucoma is most common over age 60
  • having a family history of glaucoma: you may be at higher risk if your parents or siblings have been diagnosed with the disease
  • having a history of eye trauma
  • certain anatomical issues in the eye, such as a thin corneas or a narrow drainage angle
  • history of long-term use of prednisone or other corticosteroids
  • certain medical conditions such as sleep apnea, diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), and heart disease

If you have more than one risk factor for glaucoma, be sure to share that with your eye doctor.

Can Glaucoma Be Cured?

Although there is no cure for glaucoma, early detection from our Grand Junction glaucoma treatment experts can slow or stop progression and prevent vision loss and blindness. Regular eye exams are important to assess eye health and treat vision problems properly.

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How is glaucoma treated?

Treatment options vary substantially depending on the type of glaucoma and the stage the disease is in. For many glaucoma patients, prescription eye drops are sufficient, but some patients will need systemic medications and/or glaucoma surgery. Our Grand Junction glaucoma treatment doctors have extensive surgical experience with glaucoma patients of all types, and we are experts in minimally invasive glaucoma surgery.

ICON Eyecare glaucoma treatments include:

  • LPI (Laser Peripheral Iridotomy): Laser Peripheral Iridotomy (LPI) is a laser treatment for narrow angles, narrow angle glaucoma, and acute angle closure glaucoma. During LPI treatment, a laser is used to target the narrow angles between the iris and cornea in an attempt to widen them and increase fluid flow. This allows the eye to better regulate intraocular pressure.
  • SLT (Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty): Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) is a laser-enabled procedure to treat intraocular pressure (IOP) caused by open-angle glaucoma. Successful SLT treatment typically lasts anywhere from 1 to 5 years. Patients can undergo SLT surgery multiple times as needed. SLT may replace the need for glaucoma medication in some patients, but additional medications may still be needed in some cases.
  • iStent®: If you’ve been managing your glaucoma symptoms with medication, and also need cataract surgery, iStent Trabecular Micro-Bypass may be an ideal option for you. iStent is a tiny implant that’s helped thousands of people with glaucoma successfully manage their intraocular pressure and reduce or eliminate their need for hypotensive eyedrops. By taking advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity during cataract surgery, you can address both conditions at the same time.
  • CPC/ECP (Cyclophotocoagulation/Endoscopic Cyclophotocoagulation): Cyclophotocoagulation (cyclo-photocoagulation; CPC; or ECP if performed endoscopically) is an alternative glaucoma treatment most often used when glaucoma medication and other surgical treatment options do not lower intraocular pressure (IOP) as much as desired or required. These glaucoma cases are often referred to as ‘refractory,’ or stubborn and resistant to treatment.

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