Glaucoma Treatment at The Eye Institute of Utah

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve. The nerve connects the eye to the brain. If the nerve is damaged, transmission of information to the brain is affected resulting in eventual vision loss.

How do I know if I have glaucoma?

With rare exceptions, glaucoma has no symptoms. There is no pain or discomfort to the eye, only a gradual loss of vision. This change may occur over weeks, months, or even years before you realize you are losing vision. But take heart, The Eye Institute of Utah utilizes several sophisticated instruments that can detect glaucoma before symptoms even occur.

Who gets glaucoma?

Those most at risk for the disease include people over 40 years old, African-Americans aged 35 years and older, people with a family history of glaucoma, diabetics, long-term steroid users and very near-sighted people.

What causes glaucoma?

In most cases, glaucoma is caused by elevated pressure inside the eye. Yet pressure is not the only risk factor. There are many patients with normal pressures who still have the disease. That’s why it’s important to visit The Eye Institute of Utah on a regular basis to determine if you have glaucoma.

How do doctors detect glaucoma?

Measurement of eye pressure, optic nerve health and side vision testing all provide valuable information in establishing a diagnosis of glaucoma. The Eye Institute uses an infrared laser to measure the thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer, which is the tissue directly affected by glaucoma. The screening is comfortable and convenient. A computer maps the nerve fibers and instantly compares them to a database of normal readings. Thin nerve fiber readings indicate the onset of glaucoma and the need for further testing.

How is glaucoma treated?