Glaucoma Treatment in Fort Collins

Glaucoma Treatment

Don’t Let Glaucoma Rob You of Your Sight

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What Is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness.

It's caused by fluid build-up and increased pressure within the eye that damages the optic nerve that progressively worsens your vision. This disease can cause severe, irreversible vision loss if left untreated.

In many cases, appropriate control and treatment can help prevent further damage to the eyes and protect your vision. Foothills Vision and Eye Care offers several treatments to help address glaucoma. Learn more about the treatments we provide and contact us to schedule an appointment.

Glaucoma diagnosis


The 2 Main Types of Glaucoma

grandfather wearing glasses holding his granddaughter

  • Open-angle glaucoma: the most common type. It is a lifelong condition that accounts for at least 90% of all glaucoma cases.
  • Angle-closure glaucoma: a rare form of the disease which requires immediate medical attention. It occurs when the angle is closed in many or most areas between the iris and cornea, which reduces fluid drainage and increases eye pressure.

Preserve Your Vision For Longer

Glaucoma: The Sneaky Thief of Sight

There is a reason glaucoma is called “the sneaky thief of sight”--half the people with glaucoma don’t even know they have it! Meaning, they may not have symptoms in the early stages.

Getting routine eye exams is crucial, as they can check for any eye diseases that may be lurking under the surface to prevent any problems from arising by catching them early on.

At Foothills Vision and Eye Care, we diagnose and help preserve your vision with cutting-edge glaucoma treatments that can slow the progression of the disease.

If you have a family history of glaucoma or have been diagnosed with glaucoma, contact us today.

optometrist in Fort Collins


What are the Signs of Glaucoma?

glaucoma signs

As mentioned earlier, glaucoma usually shows no symptoms in its early stages. When signs do manifest, it's usually loss of tunnel vision or peripheral vision. Unfortunately, by the time vision loss has occurred, it cannot be reversed.

That said, the less common angle-closure glaucoma does show a sudden onset of symptoms, including:

  • Extreme eye pain
  • Eye redness
  • Blurred vision
  • Nausea

If you experience any of these symptoms, seek prompt diagnosis and treatment by contacting Foothills Vision and Eye Care in Fort Collins or visiting your nearest emergency room.


Who's at Risk for Glaucoma?

  • Age 40 +

    The prevalence of glaucoma increases with age, with most glaucoma patients aged 40 and up. That said, there is a much rarer form of this disease (congenital glaucoma) that affects infants.

  • Family History & Ethnicity

    Your risk for developing glaucoma is higher if you have a family history of the disease. Those of African American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American and Indigenous Canadian descent have a higher risk of developing this disease.

  • Other Conditions

    High myopia, hypertension and diabetes can increase the risk of developing glaucoma.

  • Eye Injury or Trauma

    An eye injury, trauma or eye surgery can increase the likelihood of developing glaucoma.


Glaucoma Diagnosis & Treatment

Our optometry practice in Fort Collins

Photograph of Scott  Haugen
Hours
  • Monday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Tuesday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Wednesday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Thursday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Saturday Closed
  • Sunday Closed
Insurance Plans
  • VSP
  • Medicare
  • United Healthcare
  • Aetna
  • Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield

Common Glaucoma Treatments

There is currently no cure for glaucoma. However, several treatments are available to prevent the progression of this sight-robbing condition. With the right care, you have a higher chance of managing your glaucoma and preserving your vision.

Common treatments include:

Eye Drops

Your optometrist will prescribe eye drops to help regulate pressure inside the eye by decreasing fluid production and/or improving drainage.

Laser Surgery

If eye drops aren’t doing enough to reduce intraocular pressure or IOT in open-angle glaucoma, laser surgery may be an option. Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) opens up the drainage system in the eye to reduce pressure.

SLT is successful in 80% of cases and can reduce eye pressure by 20%.

Other Surgeries

If a laser procedure or eye drops do not lower eye pressure to the desired level, your eye doctor may recommend one of the following surgeries:

  • Incision Surgery
  • Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS)
  • Glaucoma Drainage Implants
Patient Reviews
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129 Reviews
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- Mar. 14, 2023
I have been a patient of Dr. Skrdla for many years. I ALWAYS get exceptional, professional, friendl... y service every visit.
- Feb. 25, 2023
Dr. Skrdla is truly the BEST! He’s extremely knowledgeable -not just about everything related to e... ye and vision health but also so much more. I’ve been his patient for 15+ years and I trust him more than any other doctor I’ve seen in that time. I have some complex medical issues (mostly unrelated to my eyes/vision) that he somehow knows more about than most of the specialists I see who are supposed to be experts in those issues… I wish he was a primary care physician. Everyone I’ve ever recommended him to have become longtime patients of his and all feel the same way. Make an appointment with him and you’ll see :-).
- Feb. 24, 2023
Dr Haugen and staff are great! They are friendly and courteous and answered all my questions. Felt... very comfortable during the appointment.
- Feb. 24, 2023
Dr Skrdla is awesome highly recommend him.
- Feb. 22, 2023
Everyone was extremely friendly, helpful and professional. A great experience!
- Feb. 21, 2023
Everyone is super friendly and informative.
- Feb. 13, 2023
Very professional and friendly Dr McClelland was great
- Jan. 23, 2023
Dr Skrdla is fantastic. I enjoy seeing him each year ! He is thorough, on time, personable and sma... rt. Our whole family sees him for our eye exams. Definitely the best there is!
- Jan. 21, 2023
Great eye care
- Jan. 20, 2023
Dr. Skrdla and his staff are wonderful! Great customer service and extremely knowledgeable!
- Jan. 10, 2023
Dr. Haugen has seen me since I was really little. I had complex issues with my eyes and I always fel... t seen at his office. Highly recommend for parents of bespectacled littles 🙂 I have a recent great story though- I live in Chicago but had seen him for a check up while I was in Colorado for a while last winter. But when I switched insurance and needed another pair of glasses, I found an in-network clinic who required a re-exam to give me new glasses. They ended up giving me the wrong prescription! One eye far sighted and the other nearsighted- I think they accidentally typed a plus sign. I bought glasses through a third party because ironically that clinic was too expensive, and of course when I received them they were totally wrong. I called them and they basically brushed me off, and the third party also couldn’t do anything because they had followed the prescription I handed them. So I decided to try and call Dr. Haugen (whose problem this definitely wasn’t!) just a bit before his office closed. He answered himself, sent the correct prescription, and got it fixed for me- when I was all the way in Chicago!
- Jan. 07, 2023
Absolutely fantastic place. I have been going there with my family for 12 years with 4 family memb... ers who need their services and they have always met or exceeded any expectations I would have.
- Dec. 30, 2022
Dr. Skrdla is very knowledgeable and the rest of the staff is extremely friendly and understanding. ... I highly recommend this place!
- Dec. 22, 2022
Happy to be a patient of theirs for many years.
- Dec. 18, 2022
Turnaround was only one week for my new glasses. The lab they use is quite good.
- Dec. 14, 2022
Wonderful staff, great care, and takes their time to make you feel you got individualized care.
- Dec. 08, 2022
Love Dr. Haugen and staff! Always friendly and never pushy. My whole family are patients. Glad we fo... und them. Would recommend to everyone!
- Dec. 07, 2022
Annual eye exam is professional and extremely competent. Would highly recommend Dr. Haugen and his s... taff.
- Dec. 05, 2022
I love the whole team. Always friendly. I am a geek, so I love the technology used to get the best d... iagnosis. And when things don't go perfectly, the team is always eager to help. Always impressed!
- Nov. 29, 2022
Dr. Skrdla is an excellent optometrist. Our family has gone to him for years. He is very thorough, c... ompetent, personable and the appointments are timely. In and out very quickly. Highly recommend he and his staff.

View All 129 Reviews

Glaucoma Testing Treatment FAQs

How does an eye doctor diagnose glaucoma?

Since glaucoma has no side effects early on, it is essential for people with a family history of risk factors for glaucoma to get tested. The following tests diagnose glaucoma:

  • Tonometry: measures the pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure or IOP)
  • Ophthalmoscopy (dilated eye exam): examines the shape and color of the optic nerve
  • Perimetry: measures your field of vision
  • Gonioscopy: checks the angle where the iris meets the cornea
  • Pachymetry: determines the thickness of the cornea to better evaluate eye pressure.
What foods should you avoid if you have glaucoma?

The following are the foods every glaucoma patient should consider avoiding immediately. It should help keep your optic nerve healthy and minimize eye pressure.

  • Caffeine - certain studies show that caffeine contributes to increased intraocular pressure.
  • Saturated fats - a diet high in saturated fats can lead to weight gain, which not only increases intraocular pressure but also cholesterol levels.
  • Trans fats - try to limit your consumption of trans fats because as they can also raise cholesterol levels
  • Salt - make sure to consume salt sparingly, as increased blood pressure can indirectly lead to intraocular pressure.
What percentage of glaucoma patients go blind?

About 60% of patients diagnosed with glaucoma will eventually lose some vision.

However, the rate of legal blindness among glaucoma patients is 5%. Getting effective treatment early on will greatly increase your ability to preserve and maximize your vision.


glaucoma surgery

Don’t lose sight of your future.

With early detection and treatment, glaucoma can be controlled.

Schedule Eye Exam