When you visit your eye doctor, one of the first things he will check is the intraocular pressure (IOP). IOP is a measure of pressure inside the eyeball. Eyeballs aren’t empty, they have fluid in them.

Your body creates different kinds of fluids and gels that maintain your eyes to be nourished and keep their shape.

But unfortunately, high pressure in the eyes occurs sometimes when your eye has a sufficient load of aqueous humor (fluid present in the eye) but is unable to drain it well through the trabecular meshwork.

This kind of high eye pressure can happen without symptoms and is as risky to your eyes as high blood pressure is to your body organs.

What this tells, is that you may be starting to develop glaucoma – a leading cause of blindness.

Below are some prevention and treatment strategies for this serious eye condition:

Elevated Danger

The reason for elevated eye pressure, also known as ocular hypertension, is a lack of balance in the production and drainage of aqueous humor.

The pressure rises as the eye produces more and more fluid and the channels which typically drain the fluid becomes blocked or even damaged in some cases.

And after that occurs, internal pressure increases and significant damage to the optic nerve can result.

In many instances, damage to the release channels is not observable, yet the natural arrangement of drainage unexpectedly stops functioning.

This arrangement can likewise be harmed by an injury to the eye which further damages the essential drainage channels, leading to increased eye pressure.

Other Reasons For Ocular Hypertension

If you are above 40 years of age and have thin corneas or a family history of glaucoma, then you are likely of developing ocular hypertension.

While studies have shown that African Americans have a statistically higher risk to it.

Whereas the use of steroids, as well as steroid eye drops that are many times prescribed after eye surgery, is also connected to increased pressure within the eyes.

Besides, ocular hypertension may
unexpectedly appear with the onset of other eye conditions, like pseudoexfoliation syndrome, a condition linked to age and genetics in which tiny protein fibers gather, stick together, and obstruct the normal flow of fluid within the eyes.

Treating Eye Pressure

The objective of treatment is to decrease the eye pressure before it causes glaucomatous loss of vision. You should start medical treatment as soon as you find out that you are at high risk for developing glaucoma or signs of optic nerve damage.

Treatment of elevated eye pressure may primarily include eye drops. There are several kinds of non-prescription eye drops like lumigan eye drops, isotine plus eye drops, and osmodrops that can treat the high pressure in the eyes.

And your eye doctor may schedule your follow-up visits suited to the specific drug you are taking, because some medications may take weeks to be fully effective.

Overall, frequent eye exams are the best method to preserve your vision from developing glaucoma.