Normal eye pressure is 11 to 21 millimeters of mercury (written as mmHg). This is the same type of measurement used in taking your blood pressure. If your ocular pressure is higher than 21 mmHg in one or both eyes at two or more visits to your eye care specialist, then you may have ocular hypertension.
Interocular pressure which is the pressure in your eyes is greater than 22 mm Hg it is considered higher than normal. This can cause ocular hypertension. While ocular hypertension is not an eye disease in itself, it is an indication that you could develop glaucoma (see symptoms).
This is considered a medical emergency because the intraocular pressure spikes suddenly to anywhere from 30-70 mm or higher. This causes extremely sharp pain, nausea and vomiting, and cloudy vision.
While the average eye pressure is approximately 15 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury), the range of normal eye pressure is much larger. About 90 percent of people will fall between a pressure of 10 and 21. Even so, this does not mean that if you have a pressure of 22 or higher it is abnormal.
“Pressure is highest typically in the morning, when you're just waking up, and lowest in the afternoon,” says Johnson. “So if you have a 4:00 pm. appointment at the doctor's office, that particular pressure may be the lowest pressure you'll have that day.”
Eye pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Normal eye pressure ranges from 12-21 mm Hg, and eye pressure of greater than 21 mm Hg is considered higher than normal. When the IOP is higher than normal but the person does not show signs of glaucoma, this is referred to as ocular hypertension.
Ocular hypertension usually doesn't cause any symptoms. You probably won't know you have high eye pressure until an eye care specialist diagnosis it during your eye exam. 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.
Normal eye pressure is 11 to 21 millimeters of mercury (written as mmHg). This is the same type of measurement used in taking your blood pressure. If your ocular pressure is higher than 21 mmHg in one or both eyes at two or more visits to your eye care specialist, then you may have ocular hypertension.
Normal eye pressure ranges from 10 to 21 mmHg. Ocular hypertension is an eye pressure of greater than 21 mmHg. Ocular hypertension usually has these signs: An intraocular pressure of greater than 21 mmHg in one or both eyes at two or more office visits.
An eye pressure of 24 – 29 mm Hg without retinal nerve damage or an eye pressure of 22 – 25 mm Hg with central corneal thickness < 555 microns is considered moderate risk. Annual follow-ups are essential for patients who are at moderate risk of glaucoma.
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.
Dangerously High Eye Pressure
Eye pressure levels between 21-30 mmHg associated with glaucoma usually cause damage over a number of years. However, an IOP in the 40-50 mmHg range can lead to retinal vascular occlusion, a potentially serious condition in which blood vessels that serve the retina are blocked.
According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, normal intraocular pressure is 12 to 22 mm Hg. An IOP reading higher than 22 mm Hg is considered ocular hypertension. High eye pressure significantly increases your risk of damage to the optic nerve, causing glaucoma and permanent vision loss.
Your eyes undergo changes such as increased intraocular pressure (IOP) when you're stressed or anxious, whether for a short time or on a regular basis.
Healthy Diet – Eating dark leafy greens and foods with omega-3 fatty acids or including more vitamins C, E, and A into your diet will help with overall eye health, including balancing high eye pressure.
For most people, eye pressure above 21 is higher than normal. Getting regular dilated eye exams can help your eye doctor figure out what level of eye pressure is normal for you.
Normal eye pressure is usually considered 10 to 21 mmHg. Despite this being the “normal” range, there are many people with pressures of 22-28 that we describe as ocular hypertension who don't seem to manifest any glaucoma damage. Also, there are many people with pressures under 21 who develop glaucoma.
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.
Elevated eye pressure happens as the result of a buildup of fluid that flows throughout the inside of the eye. This fluid also is known as the aqueous humor. It usually drains through a tissue located at the angle where the iris and cornea meet. This tissue also is called the trabecular meshwork.
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.
Place the tips of both index fingers on the closed upper eyelid. Keeping both fingertips in contact with the upper eyelid, apply gentle pressure through the closed eyelid, first gently pressing on the eye with the right index finger, then with the left, and then with the right again (Figure 1). Repeat on the other eye.