High eye pressure

[ElsieD]

My recent eye pressure was 30 in both eyes.  All tests showed not sign of damage or vision loss.  My opthamoligist told me I don't have glaucoma..."no damage".  I'm taking drops now & will report back to him in a few weeks.  "30" sounds like any minute I may have an "event"!  What caused the high pressure?  Food related? High salt intake maybe?

[Michael J Kutryb, MD]

People ask me this all the time and usually my general answer is "that is the way God made you."  In some cases the high pressure can be due to corticosteroid use (shots, pills, nasal spray, eyedrops, creams."  In other cases, it can be due to previous eye trauma causing damage to drainage system, or to an expanding cataract and narrowing of the drainage angle.  In real chronic open ange glaucoma - the elevated pressure is usually due to genetic and other multifactorial influences (diabetes, hypothyroidism, family history, race - especially African American just to name a few.)  As far as trying to make your pressure better on your own through natural methods - about all I've even seen is a few studies showing exercise might help a small amount and possibly weight loss might have a very small impact as well.  By the way 30 is very treatable - I've seen it many times and no "events" but it can cause damage over time and needs to be controlled.  Good Luck.

Michael Kutryb, MD

Michael Kutryb, MD

[ElsieD]

Thanks so much for the encouraging words!