Intraocular pressure: symptoms and treatment, normal

Intraocular pressure is the pressure of a fluid that is localized inside the eyeball. In a healthy body, its indicators do not change, therefore, the conditions of functionality of all structures of the visual organ are stable. This ensures good microcirculation and metabolism in the tissues. A decrease or increase in indicators indicates the development of a serious eye disease, especially if it is persistent.

Pressure rate

Measurement of intraocular pressure is made 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 slightly. The fact is that by night the load on the visual organ is reduced.

Normally, intraocular pressure ranges from 10-23 mm Hg, if a person has not yet reached 60 years of age. After this, a value of up to 26 mm Hg 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.

Changes in indicators contribute to:

• Performing physical exercises.
• Playing the wind instruments.
• Drinking plenty of fluids.
• Respiratory rate, as well as heart rate.
• Caffeinated drinks.

If the body is healthy, then this increase in pressure quickly stabilizes. After 40 years, it is better to undergo a prophylactic measurement of indicators every 3 years.

Reasons for the 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, stay in stressful situations.
• Excessive nervous irritability.
• 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 choroid or iris.
• Problems with the functionality of the digestive tract.
• Hypothyroidism or other thyroid pathologies affecting the hormonal background and fluid circulation in the body.
• Chemical poisoning.
• Cardiovascular diseases.
• Farsightedness.
• Atherosclerosis.
• Glaucoma.
• Cataract.
• Reading fine print books.
• Increased production of intraocular fluid.

Caution should be given to those people who have a hereditary predisposition to eye pathologies. There are several types of increased intraocular pressure:

1. Transient. The change in indicators is single and short-term.
2. Labile. The increase occurs periodically, but it independently returns to normal.
3. Stable. Here the indicators change constantly, the symptoms increase. Without the use of drugs or other methods of therapy, such pressure cannot be brought down.

However, indicators can change in the other direction.

Reasons for the decline

The causes of intraocular pressure, its reduction are as follows:

• Acidosis.
• Dehydration or severe infections.
• Surgical intervention in the eyes.
• Massive blood loss in which blood pressure drops.
• Detachment of the choroid or retina.
• Underdevelopment of the eyeball.
• Eye injury.
• Inflammation of the eyeball.
• Liver problems.
• The presence of a foreign body in the organs of vision.
• Exacerbation of diabetes.

A decrease in intraocular pressure is extremely rare, but it leads to tissue necrosis. If you don’t ask for help in time, then you can completely lose your eyesight.

Symptoms of pathology

A change in intraocular pressure has the following symptoms:

With a decrease in indicators, the symptomatology is weakly expressed, therefore, a person can learn about the problem only after a few years. In children, the manifestations are more vivid than in adult patients. The baby has moodiness, pain and heaviness in his eyes. Lack of treatment can affect the physical and mental health of the child.

Features of measuring indicators

Measurement of intraocular pressure is performed using several methods:

At home, it is impossible to measure intraocular pressure. This should only be done by a qualified doctor.

Diagnosis of increased intraocular pressure or a decrease in its performance is carried out by an ophthalmologist. Often, consultations with a nephrologist, neurologist, neurosurgeon, general practitioner and even endocrinologist are additionally 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 physiotherapeutic procedures.

As for drug therapy, the following drugs are prescribed to the patient:

1. Prostaglandins: Xalatan, Tafluprost. These funds improve the outflow of intraocular fluid. Pressure reduction occurs within a few hours. Among the side effects there is an acceleration of eyelash growth, redness of the iris.
2. Cholinomimetics: Pilocarpine. Preparations of this group contribute to the contraction of the muscles of the organ, the narrowing of the pupil. It also allows you to slightly reduce the pressure.
3. Beta blockers: Occupress, Okumol. Medications of this type reduce the amount of intraocular fluid.
4. Improving metabolic processes: Taurine, Thiotriazolin.
5. Inhibitors of carbonic anhydrase: Azopt, Trusopt. They affect the production of ocular fluid, reducing it. They can not be used in patients with kidney disease.
6. Anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial drugs: "Cytoxan", "Toradex".
7. Osmotic diuretics: Mannitol. They help remove excess fluid from the body.

As for physiotherapeutic procedures, infrasound, vacuum massage, color-pulse or laser therapy are prescribed to a person.

If the situation is very serious, then the patient requires surgical intervention: microsurgical excision of the iris or laser stretching of the trabeculae.

With a decrease in intraocular pressure in adults, the following treatment is used:

• Oxygen therapy
• Vitamin B Injection
• Drops containing atropine sulfate.
• Subconjunctival injections of dexamethasone.

You can deal with the problem not only traditional, but also folk remedies. It is important to cope with the underlying disease.

Non-drug treatment

In order to reduce the number of drugs used and their negative impact on the body, you can additionally use non-medication. You can apply the following recommendations:

1. Sleep on a high pillow. A raised head will help normalize intraocular fluid pressure.
2. Adequate indoor lighting. In a darkened room a person has to strain his eyesight more. You cannot read, write or engage in other similar activities in such a room.
3. When doing physical work, you should not take a position with your head bowed.
4. If a person has to constantly work at a computer, then it is necessary to use safety glasses, as well as periodically moisturize the eyes with the help of preparations based on an "artificial tear".
5. It is better to wear clothes without a collar. If he is present, then do not tighten his button. In this case, the cervical blood vessels are not crushed.
6. Do not lift things too heavy.
7. Monitor blood pressure with medication (if necessary).
8. Do not overwork mentally and physically.
9. Stop smoking completely, since it negatively affects the blood vessels, accelerates the development of hypertension.

Such recommendations will help reduce the amount of medication used. Also, these simple recommendations will help keep pressure under control.

Folk recipes

Non-traditional drugs can also help stabilize intraocular pressure, but their use must be agreed with the doctor. Such recipes will be useful:

1. Kefir with a small amount of cinnamon.
2. Raw potatoes. Vegetable slices must be applied twice a day to the eyelids.
3. Meadow clover. To prepare the broth take 1 tbsp. dry herbs and pour 150 ml of boiling water. Next, the liquid is filtered and taken once a day before bedtime. The duration of treatment is 1 month.
4. 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.
5. Wheatgrass. A decoction is made from the grass and consumed three times a day for a month.
6. A decoction of nettles and wild pears. Such drugs help stabilize blood pressure and keep it under control.
7. Tincture of a golden mustache. For preparation, 20 antennae and half a liter of vodka are required. Insist in a dark and cool place, the remedy should be 12 days. To use the infusion is necessary for 1 dessert spoon. This should be done in the morning before eating.
8. Celandine juice. It must be mixed with honey and cook until the mixture reaches a thick consistency. Such a tool is used as lotions that are applied to the upper eyelid.
9. Honey ointment. The product in the same proportion combines with boiled chilled water. Daily with such a tool, it is necessary to lubricate the upper eyelids 2-3 times. This tool is suitable for those patients who are not allergic to bee products.
10. Lice juice. It is necessary to mix 1 liter of this liquid and 100 ml of alcohol. A medicine of 50 ml is taken twice a day before meals.
11. Blueberries These berries contain a huge amount of beneficial substances that improve the functioning of the blood vessels of the retina. 3 tablespoons should be consumed daily. fresh product.
12. A decoction of eyebright. To prepare the broth, 25 g of herb and 0.5 l of boiling water are taken. The finished liquid is filtered and used as lotions on the eyes. The temperature of the broth should be acceptable.
13. Aloe. Rinse thoroughly 5-6 sheets of plants and grind. Next, the resulting mixture is poured into a glass of boiling water. In addition, it needs to be boiled over low heat for 5 minutes. An eye wash medicine is used. The procedure is repeated up to 5 times a day.

All these recipes can give a positive effect only in combination with drugs.

Possible complications

Any change in intraocular pressure is fraught with the development of complications. With increased rates in humans, glaucoma is diagnosed. Lack of therapy causes death of the optic nerve and irreversible blindness.

With a decrease in pressure, there is a risk of atrophy of the eyeball. The regulatory function of the vitreous is impaired, and vision deteriorates. Regardless of why the pressure inside the eyes has changed, it must be stabilized. Doing it yourself is not worth it, since you can only worsen your own condition.

Prevention of the appearance of pathology

It is better to know the intraocular pressure, symptoms and treatment of pathology for those who often have hard eyes, if you follow the simple rules of prevention:

• Do not overwork the organ of vision. Moreover, you need 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 the person has office work.
• Do eye exercises daily.
• Strengthen immunity with multivitamin preparations.
• Try to avoid or treat in time any infectious processes that contribute to an increase or decrease in arterial, intraocular pressure.
• Spend more time outdoors.
• Annually do a routine examination of the organs of vision by an ophthalmologist.
• Refuse alcohol, coffee, strong tea (it also contains caffeine), cigarettes.
• Eat properly and rationally.
• Less nervous.
• Wear hats that do not crush your head.

Following 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, their health. In the presence of deviations, self-medication is strictly forbidden.