Intraocular Pressure and Your Eye Health: What to Know

Normal intraocular pressure helps support the shape of the eye, which in turn supports the 2 million parts of the eye that help you see. High ... MenuNewsReferenceSlideshowsQuizzesBlogsVideosFindanOphthalmologistEyeTests&ExamsWhatHappensatanEyeExam?DilatedEyesDilatedEyesandDrivingSlitLampExamEyePressureTestOnlineVisionTestsVideo:HomeVisionTestsVisionProblemsCommonEyeProblemsPinkeye-ConjunctivitisGlaucomaStyesPupil&IrisProblemsCataractsMacularDegenerationEyelidProblemsChildren'sEyeHealthOcularMigrainesMoreRelatedTopicsEyeHealthReferenceMenuMedicallyReviewedbyWhitneySeltman, ODonSeptember09,2021ArticlesOnEye&VisionTestsEyeTests&ExamsWhatHappensatanEyeExam?DilatedEyesDilatedEyesandDrivingSlitLampExamEyePressureTestOnlineVisionTestsVideo:HomeVisionTestsAtyourregulareyeexam,onethingyoureyedoctoralwayschecksisyourintraocularpressure.Itgivesanimportantpictureofyoureyehealthandcanfindsignsofopticnervedamagethatmightaffectyoureyesight.Youreyesarefilledwithfluidthathelpskeeptheminflatedlikeaball.The“normal”pressureintheeyescanchangeduringthedayanddifferfrompersontoperson.Inhealthyeyes,thefluidsdrainfreelytokeeptheeyepressuresteady.Ifyoureyepressureisconsistentlytoohighortoolow,itcouldbeawarningthatyoumayhaveproblemswithyourvision.EyePressureCheckAtonometrytestmeasuresyourintraocularpressure.It’slikepressingaballoontocheckforair.Itshowshowfirmyoureyeballiswiththesamemeasurementunitsusedtocheckbloodpressure.Thenormalrangeforintraocularpressureisabout10-20mmHG.Thetestisdoneinacoupleofways.Yourdoctormaytouchyoureyewiththetipofatool.Youmaygetnumbingeyedropsfirst.Rarely,yourdoctormightgiveyouaquickpuffofairontotheeye.WhyEyePressureMattersNormalintraocularpressurehelpssupporttheshapeoftheeye,whichinturnsupportsthe2millionpartsoftheeyethathelpyousee.Highpressure.Whenthefluidinthefrontofyoureyedoesn’tdrainaswellasitshould,oryoureyeisproducingtoomuchfluid,pressurecangettoohigh.Yourdoctormaycallthisocularhypertension.Itcanleadtoglaucoma,agroupofeyediseasesthatcausesblindness.Higheyepressureisoneofthetopreasonspeoplegetit.Glaucomadoesn'tcausepain,andyoucanhaveitforyearswithoutnoticinganychangesinyourvision.Socheckingforhigheyepressurecanhelpyoucatchitearly.Youmightgetocularhypertensionafteraneyeinjuryordisease.Somemedications,suchassteroids,alsocanraiseyoureyepressure.Itmightalsohappenaftercertainmedicalprocedures,suchaswhenyougetatubeputintoyourthroat.Ifyoursisalreadyhigh,aspikemaydamageyourvision.Lowpressure.Thisisalesscommonconcernthanhigheyepressure.Often,peoplegetlowpressurebecauseofaleakintheeyeaftersurgery.Forsomepeople,verylowpressurecanbringonblurryvisionorotherproblems.Otherscanseejustfinewithit.Whenthepressureisbelow5mmHG,doctorscallitocularhypotony.Itcanmakeyoumorelikelytogetseveraleyeproblems,including:Swellinginthecornea,theclearouterdomeofyoureyesCataractsDamagetothemacula,thelight-sensingpartoftheretinathatallowsyoutoseeDiscomfortUnlikewithbloodpressure,thedangerzonesforeyepressurecanbetrickytopindown.Peoplecanhavedifferentrangesforwhat’snormal.Onein3peoplewithglaucomaneverhave“high”eyepressure,whileotherscanhavehigher-than-normalpressurewithoutdamagingtheiropticnerves.Amildlyhigheyepressuredoesnotcauseanynoticeablesymptomsorpain,butaveryhighpressure(likely35orhigher)cancausepaininandaroundtheeyeandnauseaorvomiting. That’sonereasonforyouto seeanophthalmologistoroptometrist regularly.NextInEye&VisionTestsOnlineVisionTests13ReasonstoCareAboutYourEyeHealthWhatCausesEyeFloaters?WhatIsCornealCross-Linking?WhatIsanIntraocularLensImplant?AreAllergiesAffectingYourEyes?ShouldYouSqueezeaSty?AllAboutPinkeyeLearnaboutcauses,symptoms,andtreatments.WhyYourEyesTwitchSimpleannoyanceorthesignofaproblem?EyeAllergiesSymptoms,triggers,andtreatments.IsYourVisionGettingWorse?Warningsigns,myths,andfacts.ArticleWhatIsaStye?ArticleDryEyes?MeibomianGlandDysfunctionIsaLikelyCulpritArticleSpotsandShadows:WhatAreBenignEyeFloaters?VideoImportanceofRoutineEyeExamsToolHowEyeProblemsAffectYourSightArticleIsVisionCorrectionSurgeryforYou?ArticleFindtheRightContactLensesArticleOpticDiscSwelling:WhatIsPapilledema?AreEyeFrecklesDangerous?13TipsforTiredEyesCornealDystrophiesTop10FoodsforEyeHealthHowGlaucomaAffectsVisionWhyIsThereGunkInMyEye?HealthSolutionsPenisCurvedWhenErect?CouldIhaveCAD?TreatBentFingersTreatHR+,HER2-MBCTiredofDandruff?BenefitsofCBDRethinkMSTreatmentAFib-RelatedStrokesRiskofaFutureDVT/PEIsMyPenisNormal?RelapsingMSOptionsLiverTransplantsSaveLivesFinancePlasticSurgeryBentFingerCausesLivingWithPsoriasis?MissingTeeth?MorefromWebMD5TipstoHelpWithRelapsingMSHowtoThriveWithNarcolepsyReliefforBlockedHairFolliclesPsoriaticArthritisandYourSleepWhatPsoriasisFeelsLikeFirstPsoriaticArthritisFlareTalkingtoYourDoctorAboutRACrohn's:A'Full-Body'DiseaseAvoidingCrohn’sFlaresHealthBenefitsofHempSeedOilLiveBetterWithPsoriaticDiseaseTypesofB-CellTherapyforMS5HealthBenefitsofHempWhyProstateCancerSpreadsLivingwithAdvancedBreastCancerWhereBreastCancerSpreads