Nourishing the eye and maintaining its shape ensures normal eye pressure. With the occurrence of various diseases or as a result of overwork, eye pressure may change. At the same time, a person experiences discomfort, he is tormented by headaches. In order to detect violations in time, tonometry should be done regularly. In this case, you can see deviations in time, prescribe treatment and prevent the occurrence of irreversible dysfunction of the most important sensory organ - the eye.
What is tonometry?
Tonometry is a test that measures intraocular pressure (IOP). This test is done to check for the presence of eye diseases, such as glaucoma, which occurs due to damage to the optic nerve and can cause blindness. The optic nerve can be damaged due to a buildup of fluid that does not circulate properly.
To measure intraocular pressure, a tonometer is used, which shows the resistance of the cornea to pressure.
Tonometry Methods
At the moment, the measurement of intraocular pressure is one of the three most commonways:
- contactless tonometry;
- finger tonometry;
- Maklakov tonometry.
Some tonometry methods are quite simple, while others, in turn, require the use of expensive equipment.
Eye tonometry according to Maklakov is considered a more accurate method of measuring eye pressure. But often other methods have to be used. For example, with a large flow of patients or in cases where direct contact with the eye is prohibited by indications, non-contact tonometry of the eye is performed.
Non-contact tonometry
This method is based on the reaction of the cornea of the eye. It is pressurized with air. Non-contact tonometry is carried out only by specialists - an optometrist or an ophthalmologist. Since this method is painless, there is no need to use local anesthesia drops during the procedure.
Non-contact eye tonometry is a quick and easy process for measuring eye pressure. First, the patient puts his chin on a special stand and looks into the slit lamp. A doctor sits in front of him and shines a bright light. He, using special equipment, inflicts a small air blow to the patient's eye. In this case, the tonometer records the eye pressure measurements associated with the impact of light on the cornea of the eye, which changes its shape during this procedure. The duration of the procedure is only a few seconds.
If necessary, the doctor may repeat this procedure several times for each eye.
Non-contact tonometry is often used to check intraocular pressure in children and LASIK operated patients. At the same time, it should be recalled that this method has no complications and is easily tolerated by patients.
Why do we need tonometry?
Non-contact tonometry is not used to detect glaucoma, but only to monitor the effectiveness of its treatment. That is, such a regular procedure gives specific information about whether the intraocular pressure corresponds to the threshold set by the doctor or not.
During regular check-ups, the ophthalmologist also checks intraocular pressure. This makes it possible, if elevated indicators are detected, to prescribe treatment in time and prevent glaucoma.
How to prepare for tonometry
Please remove your contact lenses before the procedure. It must be remembered that you can wear contact lenses only 2 hours after tonometry. It is recommended to bring glasses with you.
Doctors must be informed about whether relatives had glaucoma. You should also find out from your doctor what risk factors that contribute to the development of this disease exist, and inform yourself if you have any.
Before the procedure, it is better to relax, remove tight clothing from the neck. For tonometry data to be as accurate as possible, you must:
- Do not drink more than 0.5 liters of liquid 4 hours before the procedure.
- Do not drink alcohol in the last 12 hours.
- Do not smoke marijuana onthroughout the day before testing.
The following factors can also affect the accuracy of results:
- Eye surgery in the past or laser vision correction.
- Irregularly shaped cornea.
- Blink during testing.
- Eye pain or eye infection.
Tonometry results
Each person's normal eye pressure is different. It usually gets higher immediately after the person wakes up. Frequent changes in intraocular pressure are common in people who have glaucoma.
Experts have noticed that women have slightly higher eye pressure than men. But in almost all people, it increases with age.
Intraocular pressure is considered normal if the tonometry values are in the range of 10-21 hectogram-millimeters. If it rises above 21 millimeters per hectogram, you should immediately consult a doctor. Such people are at risk, because these indicators may indicate the development of glaucoma.
Tests using various blood pressure monitors can be done several times a year, during regular examinations by a specialist. If the tonometry of the eye showed high pressure, you should not worry prematurely. It is better to do some more tests using other methods of examining the condition of the eye.
