High Eye Pressure Treatment

High eye pressure (also known as ocular hypertension) is a condition that many people experience with increasing age. However, it's not a condition that makes itself known easily, which means that many people suffer from complications because they don't know that they have it. To prevent worsening vision, see your eye care professional for check-ups. If he or she finds that you have high eye pressure, there are several treatments that can successfully lower pressure inside the eye.

Definition

The eye isn't one solid mass of tissue. Instead, it is filled with fluid in the center. The body naturally produces this fluid, which is called intraocular fluid or aqueous humor. Sometimes extra fluid gets into the eye, either because too much fluid is being produced or because the drainage system in the eye is blocked. This extra fluid causes high eye pressure. High eye pressure is dangerous because, left untreated, it can lead to the eye disease glaucoma. African-Americans, people over 60, and people with a family history of glaucoma are at the most risk of developing the disease.

Examination

Before you can be treated for high eye pressure, you need an eye examination. High eye pressure usually doesn't cause noticeable symptoms, so it can only be detected during an examination by an eye care professional. If you've ever had an eye exam before, you've probably undergone a high eye pressure test without knowing it. The instrument with a blue circle on the tip that your eye doctor puts in your eye is a Goldmann tonometer. The instrument pushes on the front of the eye to measure the pressure within (which is why your doctor gives you numbing eyedrops before performing the test).

Treatments

High eye pressure doesn't necessarily mean that you will develop glaucoma. In some cases, if the eye care professional can't see any actual signs of developing glaucoma in the eye, he or she will advise you to wait. It's still important to keep future eye care appointments and to call if you notice any signs of worsening vision. If your eye care professional does see signs of damage, he or she may prescribe eyedrops or pills to reduce pressure in the eye. Surgery may be needed for cases that don't respond to medication or for people who can't tolerate medication.

References

• Glaucoma.org--High Eye Pressure and Glaucoma
• National Eye Institute--Glaucoma Treatment
• Mayo Clinic--Glaucoma: Treatments and Drugs