Benefits of Eye Pressure Testing During an Eye Exam

Comprehensive eye exams may be just as essential for your health as sufficient nightly sleep and a nutritious diet. 

These routine appointments allow medical professionals to keep your eye health as strong as possible while protecting you from increasingly common problems, such as glaucoma and total blindness. For most people, eye pressure tests are a crucial part of the exams. 

At our optometry office in Riverside, California, Dr. Richard Bozner and his expert team provide comprehensive eye exams using the latest technology, which includes eye pressure tests.

Let’s delve into eye pressure tests, including key benefits and what you can expect from one.

Benefits of your eye pressure test

Your eyes perpetually produce a clear fluid called aqueous humor, which keeps your eyes moisturized, nourished, and inflated. As new fluid flows into your eyes, the same amount empties out through a drainage area. 

If that drainage is disrupted, fluid accumulates and creates pressure within your eyes. Such pressure can lead to serious problems, like vision problems and optic nerve damage. Optic nerve damage commonly causes glaucoma, the leading cause of irreversible blindness.

Routine eye pressure tests benefit your eye health by:

• Detecting optic nerve damage early on
• Detecting diabetes-related eye pressure
• Allowing for early diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma and diabetic eye disease
• Allowing for treatment to help preserve your vision
• Helping to delay or prevent age-related blindness

Eye pressure tests also allow your eye doctor to assess ongoing eye conditions to determine if your treatment works well or needs adjustments. 

What to expect during your eye pressure test

If you’ve had eye exams for years, you might recall a test in which your provider puffed air in your eyes. If you dreaded that flinch-producing test, you can rest easy. Today’s eye pressure tests use updated technology for a breezier experience and more accurate results.

Before your eye pressure test begins, your provider places numbing eye drops into your eyes for comfort. Then they gently touch the front surface of your eyes with a hand-held device that applies various amounts of pressure to each of your eyes. 

Eye pressure treatments

While eye pressure varies from person to person, normal pressure readings typically fall between 10 and 21 millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Higher eye pressure readings could indicate glaucoma.

Treatment for glaucoma often involves prescription eye drops. You might also benefit from oral medication, laser therapy, or minimally invasive glaucoma surgery. Treatment for diabetic eye disease may involve monitoring, injected medication, laser therapy, or surgery.

To learn more about eye pressure tests or schedule a comprehensive eye exam, call Dr. Bozner's Vision Lab Optometry today.