What Is High Eye Pressure, What Are Its Causes And Treatments?

To understand what this is about, it is necessary to know that the eye has a gelatinous substance known as vitreous humor and a more watery substance called aqueous humor. In a healthy eye, a small amount of new aqueous humor constantly enters the eye while an equal amount of said aqueous humor drains away.

Most of the aqueous humor leaves the eye through the drainage angle in front of the iris. This outflow of an equal amount of flow maintains a stable pressure. The video below explains more about this.

When measured, it is considered normal when it is between 10 and 20 millimeters of mercury; any higher or lower alteration could put vision at risk.

What does it mean to have high eye pressure?

Ophthalmologist Federico Hermes, from the Benemérito Comité Pro Ciegos y Sordos de Guatemala, explains that pressure could vary for different reasons but it is a symptom almost always related to glaucoma, that is, it is a condition that damages or leads to cell death of the optic nerve, in which the nerve is damaged and it is not possible to reverse the consequences that could even lead to loss of vision.

For her part, Mónica Rocío Bran, an ophthalmologist at the Doctors Ponce Ophthalmology Clinic, explains that any factor that blocks the flow of fluid causes a build-up of pressure in the eye. Sometimes it develops due to genetic inheritance, the use of non-prescribed medications such as steroids, as well as other diseases such as uveitis or poorly controlled diabetes. The truth is that any of these put eye health at risk.

The World Health Organization estimates that glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world, but the problem is that a large number of people do not know they have it because it is a silent disease, it does not cause pain and sometimes it is not recognized until peripheral vision begins to be lost.

One of the main recommendations is that from the age of 40, you should have an annual check-up to check your eye pressure levels. However, if you are at risk of glaucoma or have close relatives, it could be done earlier. This will allow you to detect any problems in time and provide treatment to prevent vision loss.

To measure it, a simple test called tonometry is used, which is painless and usually involves placing a device in front of the eye that measures it in seconds. It does not cause discomfort.

Diagnosis and treatment

Hermes explains that the diagnosis of glaucoma must be confirmed by other evaluations because if it is positive, the patient will need lifelong treatment.

You should know what type of glaucoma you have. There is open-angle glaucoma, which causes blind spots and can be passed down from parents to children.

There is also angle closure glaucoma when the fluid becomes blocked and cannot exit the eye, which is considered an emergency, and secondary glaucoma, related to drugs, diseases, or injuries.

There is also congenital glaucoma, which is hereditary and prevents the eye from developing normally.

Although age is a risk factor, there is also juvenile glaucoma, which can occur from the age of 10.

Treatment usually includes eye drops, oral medications, laser therapy, surgery, or a combination of the above.

The truth is that the treatment must be followed to the letter to avoid complications. “Sometimes patients feel better and because they have no other symptoms they abandon their treatment and put their visual health at risk,” adds Hermes.

The study also states that half of the population studied presented extensive optic nerve excavation and that people with glaucoma associated with high intraocular pressure are more likely to experience blindness.

Most of the population uses eye drop therapy for the treatment of glaucoma, and less than half of the population has required surgical interventions.

As part of care and prevention, Hermes suggests that no one should apply eye drops or eye drops that are not prescribed. “Sometimes the eye is red and a friend or acquaintance tells you what to apply or you buy medicines at the pharmacy that will not be beneficial,” says the ophthalmologist.

So for any discomfort, the first step is to visit a specialist.

To take care of your visual health, it is also recommended that you lead a healthy life, eat a balanced diet, exercise, not scratch your eyes, and sit in the correct position in front of the computer.