Feeling Pressure In Your Eyes? Common Causes and Treatments
Dr. Jonathan Woolfson
Sometimes our patients will say, “I feel like there’s pressure in my eyes or pressure behind my eyes!” or “Why does it feel like something in my eye?” Have you ever felt like this?
Many patients have, and we can help.
Ocular hypertension– What you need to know
Do you know that approximately 4.5% to 9.4% of Americans (age 40 or older) experience ocular hypertension?
Ocular hypertension refers to when the intraocular pressure inside the eye is higher than normal. If this condition is left untreated, the high eye pressure can cause glaucoma, leading to permanent vision loss.
There are no outward signs or symptoms that will indicate ocular hypertension. You must see your doctor, who can measure your intraocular pressure via various methods.
Why do patients feel pressure inside of the eyes?
Pressure inside of the eyes is part of a disease process called glaucoma. Glaucoma is when the pressure builds up in the eye and that causes gradual decline in the patient’s vision.
When patients have pressure in their eyes, it’s very rare that it would actually be pressure inside the eye. More typically that has to do with pressure around the eyes.
Let us explain.
The eyes are surrounded by a bony structure called the orbit, and surrounding the orbit is the sinuses. You have sinuses below your eyes and above your eyes.
When patients feel pressure in their eyes, it is typically radiating from the sinuses surrounding the eyes. At times, pressure around the eyes can also be caused by a tension headache or a migraine.
There are various different systemic conditions that can present this way; thus it is recommended to see an eye doctor to rule out any eye related causes, including extremely elevated eye pressures.
What causes eye pressure? What are the risks for elevated eye pressure?
The following list consists of factors that cause or are associated with ocular hypertension– they are virtually the same as the causes of glaucoma, as well.
- Excessive aqueous production: This is the clear fluid produced in the eye. With too much fluid production, a patient will feel pressure in the eye.
- Inadequate aqueous drainage: If the fluid drains slowly from the eye, this can cause increased eye pressure.
- Eye trauma
- Certain medications: Ocular hypertension can be a side effect of certain medications (i.e. steroids).
- Other eye conditions
Glaucoma and eye pressure
Glaucoma is when pressure builds up in the eye and causes slow gradual decline in the patient’s vision. Elevated eye pressure is a risk factor for developing glaucoma as it can push on the back of the eye causing irreversible damage to the optic nerve.
Glaucoma affects peripheral vision first and is considered a silent thief as a patient may be completely asymptomatic in the early stages of the disease.
Any kind of vision loss is irreversible, thus it’s imperative to follow the disease closely with a comprehensive eye exam and specialized testing, including a visual field test.
Other risk factors for developing glaucoma include; age, race, family history, thin corneas, high nearsightedness, etc.
What should you do when you’re feeling pressure behind the eyes?
- An easy way to look into this problem is to see your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
- Another way is to take a decongestant. If you have pressure in your eyes and you want to determine if it’s pressure around your eyes in your sinuses, a decongestant is a good way to resolve sinus pressure.
What should you do next? Seek treatment from qualified doctors.
How to treat elevated pressure inside the eye
In most cases, pressure lowering eye drops are prescribed to treat glaucoma and ocular hypertension. An in-office laser procedure called an SLT can be utilized as an alternative.
If eye drops are ineffective and the pressure is still too elevated and causing significant optic nerve damage, the eye doctor may recommend various kinds of glaucoma surgery to treat the high eye pressure.
What should you do when you’re feeling pressure behind the eyes?
- If you have pressure in your eyes and you want to determine if it’s pressure around your eyes in your sinuses, a decongestant is a good way to resolve sinus pressure.
- An easy way to look into this problem is to see your eye doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
What should you do next? Seek treatment from qualified doctors.
If you are experiencing high or elevated pressure behind or inside your eyes, call Woolfson Eye Institute to schedule your appointment.