What should your intraocular pressure be

However, your glaucoma continues to progress slowly. Finally, it is important to realize that most patients with the most common form of glaucoma, primary open-angle glaucoma , have elevated eye pressures but do not feel pain. Another form of glaucoma is called normal-tension glaucoma. If someone has normal-tension or normal-pressure glaucoma, their eye pressure has never been recorded above 21 mmHg, yet they still have optic nerve damage. Does this mean that their eye pressure has never been greater than 21 mmHg?

Patients who have normal-tension glaucoma are thought to have more susceptible optic nerves, such that even at normal eye pressures the optic nerve slowly degenerates. Lowering eye pressure in normal tension glaucoma patients was found to slow glaucoma progression in well-designed randomized clinical trials including the Collaborative Normal Tension Glaucoma Study CNTGS.

The CNTGS was the first study of its kind to show that a 30 percent decrease in eye pressure reduced disease progression in patients with normal-tension glaucoma. It is a good goal to have, but it is not the only factor to consider. And, even though you may have a target eye pressure, it is important to recognize that a single eye pressure measurement in the office is not truly reflective of what your eye pressure is on average, day to day, week to week, or month to month.

However, glaucoma can be managed if detected early. To monitor your eye health and prevent vision loss from glaucoma, visit the ophthalmologists and eye doctors at Hill Vision Services in Creve Coeur, Lake St. Louis, or Glen Carbon IL. Request an appointment with our eye care experts today!

How Much Eye Pressure is Normal? View Larger Image. Why Check Eye Pressure Whether or not you are diagnosed with glaucoma, you should have regular eye exams to get your eye pressure checked because early diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma is the key to preventing vision loss. Glaucoma Treatment in St. During your routine eye exams, be sure to mention to your doctor if you have experienced any recent or past eyew injuries.

Also, race, age and family history play a role in your risk for ocular hypertension and glaucoma. Though anyone can develop high eye pressure, the following groups are generally at greater risk:. If you have ocular hypertension, your eye doctor may prescribe eye drops to reduce your eye pressure. Because these medications can have side effects, some eye doctors choose to monitor your IOP and take action only if you show other signs of developing glaucoma.

In some cases or if eye drops are ineffective in reducing your IOP , your eye doctor might recommend other glaucoma treatment measures, including glaucoma surgery , to treat high eye pressure.

Because ocular hypertension increases your risk of glaucoma, be sure to follow your eye doctor's advice. Have your IOP checked at recommended intervals to monitor the condition. The Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study: A randomized trial determines that topical ocular hypotensive medication delays or prevents the onset of primary open-angle glaucoma.

JAMA Ophthalmology. June High eye pressure and glaucoma. The normal range for IOP is between 10 and 21 and it can vary throughout the day. High eye pressure, if left untreated, may damage the optic nerve and could result in vision loss or blindness, a condition known as glaucoma. Monitoring IOP is essential to the early detection of glaucoma which is the leading cause of blindness in the United States. Keep in mind that high eye pressure alone does not cause or indicate glaucoma; however, it is a risk factor.

So, what can cause one to have high eye pressure?