What does it mean when the pressure in your eyes is high?
High pressure inside the eye is caused by an imbalance in the production and drainage of fluid in the eye (aqueous humor). The channels that normally drain the fluid from inside the eye do not function properly.
Can you go blind from ocular hypertension?
An IOP reading higher than 22 mm Hg is considered ocular hypertension. High eye pressure significantly increases your risk of damage to the optic nerve, causing glaucoma and permanent vision loss.
How serious is ocular hypertension?
Ocular hypertension can lead to damage of the optic nerve. Because of this, people who have ocular hypertension are at a higher risk for developing glaucoma. Ocular hypertension doesn’t usually have symptoms, so it’s likely that you won’t know that you have it.
Does high eye pressure always mean glaucoma?
High intraocular pressure doesn’t always lead directly to glaucoma. Along with other things, high IOP is considered an important risk factor for the disease.
Can ocular hypertension be cured?
There is no cure for ocular hypertension. However, with careful monitoring and treatment, when necessary, you can decrease the risk of damage to your eyes.
Is ocular hypertension an emergency?
Hypertensive retinopathy is a common complication of systemic hypertension. Hypertensive choroidopathy is a less-common complication of systemic hypertension but can be the harbinger of a potentially life-threatening hypertensive emergency with end-organ damage.
What are the symptoms of increased eye pressure?
A mildly high eye pressure does not cause any noticeable symptoms or pain, but a very high pressure (likely 35 or higher) can cause pain in and around the eye and nausea or vomiting. That’s one reason for you to see an ophthalmologist or optometrist regularly.
Can stress raise eye pressure?
Psychological stress can significantly elevate intraocular pressure (IOP), even in healthy individuals, according to a report published in Ophthalmology Glaucoma.
What causes high eye pressure?
High eye pressure occurs when your eye has enough input of aqueous humor but cannot drain it properly through the trabecular meshwork. ( Learn More) With routine eye exams, your optometrist or ophthalmologist can pressure test your eyes and monitor you for signs that your vision might be worsening.
What happens if intraocular pressure is too high?
With routine eye exams, your optometrist or ophthalmologist can pressure test your eyes and monitor you for signs that your vision might be worsening. (Learn More) The biggest risk for untreated elevated intraocular pressure is glaucoma, which can lead to significant vision loss or blindness.
What are the risks of ocular hypertension?
For the vast majority of people, ocular hypertension will not cause any problems, but around 10% will develop glaucoma over time. For those with a higher chance of developing glaucoma, daily eye drops can be prescribed to reduce the eye pressure and halve the risk of glaucoma occurring.
What happens if my eye pressure is too high with glaucoma?
However, your glaucoma continues to progress slowly. In that case, despite the initial eye pressure lowering, your ophthalmologist may determine that this new lower eye pressure is still “too high” and your eyes need to have even lower eye pressures.