Blood pressure and eye pressure vary independently. Controlling blood pressure does not mean IOP is controlled. But studies have shown that patients with high blood pressure have an increased risk for glaucoma. Very high blood pressure is not good for glaucoma.
Having high blood pressure ensures that there is good blood flow to the nerve tissues of the eye. However, according to new studies, long term high blood pressure increases one's risk for developing glaucoma. Other studies have shown that having high blood pressure may be a risk factor for glaucoma.
High BP could increase IOP by increased production of aqueous humor by means of elevated ciliary blood flow and capillary pressure and decrease of aqueous outflow as a result of increased episcleral venous pressure.
The cause of elevated eye pressure, known as ocular hypertension, is an imbalance in production and drainage of aqueous humor, the fluid inside your eye. Pressure builds as the eye creates new fluid and the channels which normally drain the aqueous humor become obstructed or damaged.
Normal eye pressure is usually considered to be between 10 and 20 millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Having eye pressure that's too low or too high can damage your vision. Elevated eye pressure with no other symptoms is ocular hypertension.
Without having your eye pressure tested by an eye care specialist, there's usually no way for you to feel or know that you have high eye pressure. It doesn't cause symptoms until it's damaged your optic nerve enough to affect your vision.
Drinking a quart of water in less than five minutes has been shown to increase intraocular pressure; instead, advise your patients to drink small amounts of water often to stay hydrated.
Is my blood pressure linked to my eye pressure (IOP)? Blood pressure and eye pressure vary independently. Controlling blood pressure does not mean IOP is controlled.
HBP can harm your eyesight in many ways
Blood vessel damage (retinopathy): A lack of blood flow to the retina leads to blurred vision or the complete loss of sight. People with diabetes and high blood pressure are at an even greater risk for developing this condition.
Changes of mean IOP according to age. For the cross-sectional study, we used seven age groups classified by decades. Average IOP increased from 12.7 mm Hg in subjects in their 20s to 14.0 mm Hg in those in their 40s. Then IOP decreased from 13.9 mm Hg in those in their 60s to 13.1 mm Hg in those in their 70s.
But not everyone with high eye pressure will develop glaucoma — and some people with normal eye pressure get glaucoma. Whether you develop glaucoma depends on the amount of pressure your optic nerve can handle — and this amount is different for each person. For most people, eye pressure above 21 is higher than normal.
In other words, having high or low blood pressure increased glaucoma incidence. Patients with diastolic blood pressure between 81 mmHg and 90 mmHg and systolic blood pressure between 111 mmHg and 120 mmHg were the least likely to develop glaucoma. This blood pressure range is referred to as the “Goldilocks scenario.”
Some eye doctors treat all elevated intraocular pressures of higher than 21 mmHg with topical medicines. Some do not medically treat unless there is evidence of optic nerve damage. Most eye doctors treat if pressures are consistently higher than 28-30 mmHg because of the high risk of optic nerve damage.
Normal levels of pressure range from 12 to 22 millimeters of Mercury (mm Hg) in your eye, so anything above that range signals that not enough fluid is escaping. This type of test is usually done in almost every eye doctor visit.
Health experts recommend people avoid added sugars and refined carbohydrates to help prevent glaucoma or vision loss. In addition, coffee may increase intraocular pressure, so it is best to avoid or limit drinking it.
That sounds simple enough, except for the fact that eye pressure varies – sometimes quite dramatically. “Pressure is highest typically in the morning, when you're just waking up, and lowest in the afternoon,” says Johnson.
iCare HOME Tonometer is the only FDA approved eye pressure device available to patients for measuring eye pressure (intraocular pressure) at home that does not require using prescription eye drops to take your own pressure.
Normal eye pressure ranges from 12-21 mm Hg, and eye pressure of greater than 21 mm Hg is considered higher than normal.
“Steroids are the main medicine that can raise eye pressure for patients with open-angle glaucoma,” Dr. McKinney says. Taking steroid drugs in any form – orally, topically, through an inhaler or IV – can worsen glaucoma for these patients. Steroids applied closest to the eye carry the highest risk.
The first step on the path to lowering your eye pressure naturally is to lower your insulin levels. Insulin can cause your eye pressure to increase. So it's wise to avoid sugary and carbohydrate-heavy foods such as sodas, starches, sweets, and bread.
Exercise for glaucoma patients may be beneficial. Research has shown that regular exercise may lower intraocular pressure (IOP) in glaucoma patients. It does not have to be rigorous exercise to have a beneficial effect, but rather a brisk walk every other day for 20 to 30 minutes.
The intraocular pressure-lowering effect of paracetamol (21%) is consistent with previous reports of the ocular hypotensive efficacy of alpha-2 selective adrenergic agonists (20%–25%), topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (20%–25%), and pilocarpine (20%–25%).