Eye Pressure — what it is and why it matters

Eye pressure (intraocular pressure or IOP) is the fluid pressure inside your eye. It helps keep the eye’s shape, but when it stays too high it can damage the optic nerve and lead to glaucoma. Normal IOP usually sits between about 10 and 21 mmHg. High numbers alone don’t always mean damage, but they do raise the risk — which is why checking pressure is a routine part of eye care.

How eye pressure is checked and what it feels like

Eye doctors measure IOP with a tonometer. Tests range from a quick puff of air to gentle contact with the eye using numbing drops. Most people feel little to nothing. High eye pressure usually has no early symptoms. That’s the tricky part — many people don’t notice anything until vision loss occurs. One exception is acute angle-closure glaucoma, which comes on fast with severe eye pain, headache, nausea, red eye, and blurred vision. If that happens, get urgent care.

What raises eye pressure and who’s at risk

Risk factors include being older, having a family history of glaucoma, very high nearsightedness, previous eye injury, and long-term steroid use (eyedrops or pills). Medical conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure can also play a role. Some people naturally have higher pressure without damage — that’s called ocular hypertension and it still needs follow-up.

Lowering eye pressure slows or prevents optic nerve damage. The main tools are eye drops, laser procedures, and surgery. First-line therapy is usually eye drops: prostaglandin analogs (like latanoprost) increase fluid outflow, beta-blockers (like timolol) reduce fluid production, and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors lower production too. There are also alpha agonists and newer agents such as Rho kinase inhibitors. If drops don’t do enough, your doctor may suggest SLT laser to improve drainage or surgical options like trabeculectomy or MIGS.

How you use drops matters. Tilt your head back, pull the lower lid, place a drop, close your eye for 1–2 minutes, and gently press the inner corner (punctal occlusion) for 30–60 seconds to reduce drainage into the nose. Keep to the schedule — missing doses is the most common reason treatment fails.

Simple lifestyle steps can help too: stay active with regular moderate exercise, avoid heavy caffeine spikes, don’t smoke, and talk to your doctor before using steroid medications. Elevating your head slightly during sleep can give a small pressure benefit for some people.

Get your eyes checked regularly if you’re over 40 or have risk factors. Seek immediate care for sudden eye pain, vision changes, halos around lights, or severe redness. High eye pressure is manageable when caught early — stay on top of checks, use treatments correctly, and work with your eye doctor to protect your vision.