In general people are concerned about their blood pressure. But a lot of us are not aware of eye pressure known as intra-ocular pressure. It usually varies between 10 and 21 mmHg. If the optic nerve comes under high pressure then it can be injured. This injury will depend on the pressure level and how long it has lasted. Sometimes a lower level of pressure can also cause damage more slowly, and eventually the vision would be affected if not properly treated.

Glaucoma is a serious eye disease in which the optic nerve is damaged with loss of vision. As a general rule the damaging pressure is greater than 21 mmHg; but there are some patients who may have damage at lower eye pressures.

In addition to high pressure, risk factors for glaucoma include family history, age, diabetes and ethnicity. Eye specialists are interested to look at other risk factors for glaucoma. Most important among these appear related to blood flow to the eye.

Evidence suggests that ocular perfusion pressure is a strong risk factor for glaucoma. Ocular perfusion pressure is the relationship between the eye pressure and the blood pressure. In fact, blood pressure has an effect on glaucoma, but perhaps not in the way you might think. If the blood pressure is low and especially if the eye pressure is high, blood has difficulty getting into the eye to supply oxygen and important nutrients, and to remove waste products.

Glaucoma does not typically cause pain and many cases of glaucoma go undiagnosed. That is why checking eye pressure is an important part of a complete eye exam and one good reason to get regular check-ups by an experienced and qualified ophthalmologist.

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