Intraocular pressure is the pressure of the fluid that is localized inside the eyeball. In a he althy body, its indicators do not change, therefore, the conditions for the functionality of all structures of the visual organ are stable. This ensures good microcirculation and metabolism in tissues. A decrease or increase in indicators indicates the development of a serious eye disease, especially if it is persistent.
Pressure rate
Intraocular pressure is measured in mmHg. During the day, the value may fluctuate slightly, but not more than 3 mm. In the daytime it is higher, and in the evening it drops a little. The fact is that by night the load on the visual organ decreases.
Normally, intraocular pressure ranges from 10-23 mm Hg if a person has not yet reached 60 years of age. After that, a value of up to 26 mmHg is considered good. In children, this parameter is calculated in the same way as in adults. This property ensures normal metabolism inside the eyeball, and also preserves its optical properties.
Changeindicators contribute to:
- Performing exercise.
- Playing wind instruments.
- Drinking plenty of fluids.
- Breathing rate as well as heart rate.
- Caffeinated drinks.
If the body is he althy, then such an increase in pressure will quickly stabilize. After 40 years, it is better to undergo a preventive measurement of indicators every 3 years.
Reason for increase
In some cases, there is a violation of the norm of intraocular pressure, and it rises. The reasons for this pathological condition are as follows:
- Constant emotional outbursts, being in stressful situations.
- Excessive nervous excitability.
- Overwork of the organs of vision due to prolonged work with documents, at the computer.
- Hypertension.
- Chronic pathologies of the kidneys, in which excess fluid is poorly excreted from the body.
- Inflammation of the vascular or iris of the eye.
- Problems with the functionality of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Hypothyroidism or other pathologies of the thyroid gland that affect the hormonal background and fluid circulation in the body.
- Chemical poisoning.
- Cardiovascular disease.
- Hyperopia.
- Atherosclerosis.
- Glaucoma.
- Cataract.
- Reading books with small print.
- Increased production of intraocular fluid.
You need to be carefulpeople who have a hereditary predisposition to eye pathologies. There are several types of increased intraocular pressure:
- Transient. The change in indicators is single and short-term.
- Labile. The increase occurs periodically, but it returns to normal on its own.
- Stable. Here the indicators are constantly changing, the symptoms are growing. Without the use of drugs or other therapies, it will not be possible to bring down such pressure.
However, indicators can change in the other direction.
Reason for decline
The causes of intraocular pressure, its decrease are as follows:
- Acidosis.
- Dehydration or severe infections.
- Eye surgery.
- Massive blood loss resulting in a drop in blood pressure.
- A detachment of the choroid or retina of an organ.
- Underdevelopment of the eyeball.
- Eye injury.
- Inflammation of the eyeball.
- Liver problems.
- Presence of a foreign body in the organs of vision.
- Exacerbation of diabetes.
Decrease in intraocular pressure is extremely rare, but it leads to tissue necrosis. If you do not seek help in time, you can lose your vision completely.
Symptoms of pathology
Change in intraocular pressure has the following symptoms:
| Increase | Decrease |
|
|
When the indicators decrease, the symptoms are mild, so a person can find out about the problem only after a few years. In children, the manifestations are more pronounced than in adult patients. The baby has moodiness, pain and heaviness in the eyes. Lack of treatment can affect the child's physical and mental he alth.
Features of measuring indicators
Intraocular pressure is measured using several methods:
| Method | Characteristic |
| Electrotonography | Thanks to it, the rate of production and outflow of intraocular fluid is determined. This method is considered modern |
| Maklakov intraocular pressure tonometer | The procedure involves the instillation of an anesthetic into the organ and the installation of a weight on the cornea. Indications are determineddepending on the degree of coloring of the device. Special preparation for the procedure is not required, but the lenses, if any, must be removed. Manipulations are carried out twice with each eye. The dye is quickly washed off with tear fluid |
| Pneumotonometer | It consists in directing the flow of air into the organ. The procedure does not give discomfort, but its accuracy is not very high. The norm in this case is 15-16 mmHg |
| Goldman Tonometry | It is done with a slit lamp |
It is impossible to measure intraocular pressure at home. This should only be done by a qualified physician.
Diagnosis of increased intraocular pressure or a decrease in its indicators is carried out by an ophthalmologist. Often additional consultations of a nephrologist, neurologist, neurosurgeon, therapist and even an endocrinologist are required. In addition to the use of instrumental techniques, the doctor records in detail the sensations and symptoms of intraocular pressure in humans.
Traditional and surgical treatment
Treatment of intraocular pressure should be comprehensive and timely. It provides for the use of medicines, folk recipes and physiotherapy.
As for drug therapy, the patient is prescribed the following drugs:
- Prostaglandins: Xalatan, Tafluprost. These funds improve the outflow of intraocular fluid. pressure drophappens within a few hours. Among the side effects, there is an acceleration of eyelash growth, redness of the iris.
- Cholinomimetics: "Pilocarpine". The drugs of this group contribute to the contraction of the muscles of the organ, the narrowing of the pupil. It also allows some pressure relief.
- Beta-blockers: "Okupress", "Okumol". These types of drugs reduce the amount of intraocular fluid.
- Improving metabolic processes: "Taurine", "Thiotriazoline".
- Carboanhydrase inhibitors: Azopt, Trusopt. They affect the production of eye fluid, reducing it. They should not be used in patients with kidney disease.
- Anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial drugs: Cytoxan, Tobradex.
- Osmotic diuretics: "Mannitol". They help to remove excess fluid from the body.
As for physiotherapeutic procedures, a person is prescribed infrasound, vacuum massage, color pulse or laser therapy.
If the situation is very serious, then the patient needs surgery: microsurgical excision of the iris or laser stretching of the trabecula.
With a decrease in the norm of intraocular pressure in adults, the following treatment is used:
- Oxygen therapy.
- Vitamin B injections.
- Atropine sulfate drops.
- Subconjunctival dexamethasone injections.
You can fight the problem not only with traditional, but also folkmeans. It is important to cope with the underlying disease.
Non-drug treatment
In order to reduce the amount of drugs used and their negative impact on the body, you can additionally use non-drug means. You can apply the following recommendations:
- Sleep on a high pillow. An elevated headboard will help normalize intraocular fluid pressure.
- Sufficient lighting in the room. In a semi-dark room, a person has to strain his eyesight more. You cannot read, write or engage in other similar activities in such a room.
- When performing physical work, do not take a position with your head down.
- If a person has to constantly work at a computer, then it is necessary to use protective glasses, as well as periodically moisten the eyes with drugs based on "artificial tears".
- It is better to wear clothes without a collar. If it is present, then do not fasten it tightly. In this case, the cervical blood vessels are not squeezed.
- Don't lift things that are too heavy.
- Control blood pressure with medication (if necessary).
- Do not overwork mentally and physically.
- Completely stop smoking, as it negatively affects blood vessels, accelerates the development of hypertension.
Such recommendations will help reduce the amount of medication used. Also thesesimple recommendations will help keep the pressure under control.
Folk recipes
Unconventional remedies can also help stabilize intraocular pressure, but their use must be agreed with the doctor. The following recipes will be useful:
- Kefir with a small amount of cinnamon.
- Raw potatoes. Circles of vegetable should be applied twice a day to the eyelids.
- Meadow clover. To prepare a decoction, take 1 tbsp. dry grass and pour 150 ml of boiling water. Then the liquid is filtered and taken once a day before bedtime. The duration of treatment is 1 month.
- Fresh tomato juice. It has a positive effect on the entire body. You need to use it up to 4 times a day for 1/4 cup.
- Wheatgrass. A decoction is made from the herb and consumed three times a day for a month.
- Decoction of nettle and wild pear. Such drugs help to stabilize blood pressure and keep it under control.
- Golden mustache tincture. For cooking, you need 20 antennae and half a liter of vodka. It is necessary to insist in a dark and cool place for 12 days. It is necessary to use the infusion for 1 dessert spoon. This should be done in the morning before meals.
- Celandine juice. It must be mixed with honey and boiled until the mixture reaches a thick consistency. Such a tool is used as lotions that are applied to the upper eyelid.
- Honey ointment. The product in the same proportion is combined with boiled chilled water. Daily with such a tool it is necessary to lubricate the upper eyelids 2-3 times. Suchthe product is suitable for those patients who are not allergic to bee products.
- Juice woodlice. It is necessary to mix 1 liter of the specified liquid and 100 ml of alcohol. The medicine is used 50 ml twice a day before meals.
- Blueberries. These berries contain a huge amount of useful substances that improve the functioning of the blood vessels of the retina. Daily should be consumed 3 tbsp. fresh product.
- Decoction of eyebright. To prepare a decoction, take 25 g of grass and 0.5 l of boiling water. The finished liquid is filtered and used as lotions on the eyes. The temperature of the broth must be acceptable.
- Aloe. It is necessary to thoroughly rinse 5-6 leaves of the plant and chop. Next, the resulting mixture is poured into a glass of boiling water. Additionally, it must be boiled over low heat for 5 minutes. Eye wash medicine is used. The procedure is repeated up to 5 times a day.
All these recipes can only give a positive effect in combination with medicines.
Possible Complications
Any change in intraocular pressure is fraught with the development of complications. With elevated levels, a person is diagnosed with glaucoma. Lack of therapy causes death of the optic nerve and permanent blindness.
When pressure decreases, there is a danger of atrophy of the eyeball. The regulatory function of the vitreous body is disturbed, vision deteriorates. Regardless of why the pressure inside the eyes has changed, it must be stabilized. Do it yourselfnot worth it, as you can only worsen your own condition.
Prevention of pathology
Intraocular pressure, symptoms and treatment of pathology are best known to those who often strain their eyes, can be kept normal if you follow simple prevention rules:
- Do not overwork the organ of vision. Moreover, it is necessary to dose not only mental, but also physical activity, so as not to raise blood pressure.
- Every hour you need to move away from the computer monitor if a person has an office job.
- Do eye exercises daily.
- Strengthen immunity with multivitamin preparations.
- Try to avoid or treat in time any infectious processes that increase or decrease blood pressure, intraocular pressure.
- Spend more time outdoors.
- Do an annual preventive examination of the organs of vision by an ophthalmologist.
- Refuse alcohol, coffee, strong tea (it also contains caffeine), cigarettes.
- Eat properly and rationally.
- Be less nervous.
- Wear hats that don't squeeze your head.
Compliance with simple rules will help to avoid changes in intraocular pressure. Its stable indicators are the key to the normal functionality of the organs of vision and their he alth. If there are deviations, self-treatment is strictly prohibited.
