Understanding Glaucoma Test Results

You Have Questions About Your Glaucoma Test Results. We’re Here to Help.

At ICON Eyecare, the top eye doctors in Colorado help you protect and improve your vision. During our patients’ regular eye exams, we check for signs of glaucoma and other risks. Glaucoma rarely leads to blindness these days, but loss of sight is one of the first things that comes to mind for many patients when they hear about any issues with test results. We want our patients to be informed so below is some information about glaucoma tests.

Inner Eye Pressure (IOP)

This is a routine test called tonometry, performed at regular eye exams with a puff of air or light touch of an instrument. Normal pressure values are in the range of 12-20 mmHg. Eye pressure is a risk factor for glaucoma, but the condition can arise even without high IOP.

Shape and Color of Optic Nerve

Opththalmoscopy checks the interior of the eye during a dilated eye exam. “Cupping” in the optic nerve, with or without high eye pressure, indicates that glaucoma may be a concern.

Field of Vision

The perimetry test, often called the Humphrey visual field test, maps the areas that you can see to the side while you’re looking straight ahead. It measures vision loss that may be a result of glaucoma.

Angle where the Iris Meets the Cornea

Gonioscopy checks the angle between the iris, the colorful part of the eye, and the cornea on the front of the eye. If differentiates between two types of glaucoma, closed and open angle, or acute and chronic glaucoma.

Thickness of the Cornea

Cornea thickness measured by pachymetry helps determine if your eye pressure reading is affected by a thick cornea. It’s a brief, painless test using an instrument that performs the measurement by touching your cornea surface. The results can help plan eye pressure treatments.

What Comes Next if Test Results are a Concern?

If your eye pressure or internal eye exam suggest glaucoma concerns, your doctor will proceed with further tests. Many of these will be repeated over time, usually every six months to a year, to make sure your treatment is helping to protect you against additional vision damage.

Treatment Strategies

Basic treatments for glaucoma include pressure reduction eye drops, simple surgery to relieve eye pressure, and laser eye surgery. When you visit the top eye doctors in Colorado at ICON Eyecare, we can talk with you about ways that you could change your lifestyle to reduce the effects of eye pressure on glaucoma. There are new medications available for this currently irreversible condition, and the future may hold stem cell-based treatments.

Let Us Help You Protect Your Vision

Regular eye exams with the top eye doctors in Colorado can help you protect your vision against risks such as glaucoma. If test results are a concern, you’ll already be working with the right practitioners, rather than waiting for a referral. Call for an appointment.