Eye pressure, medically known as intraocular pressure, is the pressure of the fluid inside your eyes. It is measured in millimeters of mercury, the same measurement unit that doctors use to check your blood pressure.
A healthy amount of intraocular pressure ranges between 10mmHg and 20mmHg. An intraocular pressure higher than 20mmHg can damage your optic nerve and, if left untreated, can cause glaucoma (a severe eye disease that can cause vision loss).
Let’s talk about what eye pressure is and how an ophthalmologist can help with high eye pressure.
Eye Pressure: What Is It?
Naturally, our eyes are filled with fluid that keeps them inflated. The area at the back of the eye is filled with vitreous humor, which is a thick, gel-like fluid, while the area at the front of the eyes is filled with aqueous humor, which is a thin, watery fluid. As the new aqueous humor flows into the eyes, the same amount of the aqueous humor drains out of the eyes. This helps keep the eye pressure under the normal range.
Specific changes can affect intraocular pressure, including rapid production of aqueous humor, blockage in the drainage angle (the spot where the sclera meets the iris), eye injury or trauma, and medications like corticosteroids.
Ocular hypertension does not cause symptoms until it damages the optic nerve and affects vision. That is why many people do not know they have high eye pressure until it is diagnosed during their regular eye exam.
What Ophthalmologist Can Do?
An ophthalmologist is a medical professional with advanced training and experience in diagnosing and treating various eye conditions and injuries with surgical and non-surgical treatment methods. An ophthalmologist can:
Diagnose High Eye Pressure
Generally, an ophthalmologist can check your eye pressure during an eye exam with a tonometry test. This test measures the pressure inside of your eye by flattening the cornea. The more force required to flatten the cornea, the higher your eye pressure is.
Non-contact tonometry or air puff tonometry is the most common type of tonometry in which a machine shoots a brief puff of air against your eyes and measures how much your cornea moves in response to the air puff.
Another good way to measure eye pressure is to numb the eye with special drops and then press a tool against the cornea of the eye.
Treat high eye pressure
An ophthalmologist can utilize several treatments to treat your intraocular pressure depending on how high your intraocular pressure is and what is the cause of your high intraocular pressure. These treatments include:
Medications
Your eye doctor can prescribe you medicated eye drops to lower your increased intraocular pressure. The eyedrops work by decreasing the production of fluid and increasing drainage in your eyes.
Laser Treatments
If a blocked drainage angle is the cause of your intraocular hypertension, your ophthalmologist will use laser treatment to clear the blockage.
Surgery
Surgery is another good way to help reduce eye pressure without the need for drops or lasers. Surgery to lower intraocular pressure is commonly performed in people with glaucoma.
Ongoing Management
As mentioned in the above section, untreated intraocular hypertension can lead to glaucoma. This is why your ophthalmologist will regularly check your intraocular pressure and monitor you for signs of glaucoma. They will tell you how often you need your intraocular pressure checked.
Eye Pressure Treatment in Miramar, South Florida
Whether you need a comprehensive eye exam or the treatment of vision or other eye problems, our highly trained and skilled eye doctors at Miramar Eye Institute have you covered. Our team of exceptionally professional, board-certified ophthalmologists and optometrists will work with you to ensure that your vision and eye health remain at their best.
If you would like to know more about the services we offer or to schedule a consultation with our eye specialists, call us today at (954) 437-4316 or alternatively request an appointment online now.