The Importance & Purpose Of Eye Pressure Test
Early diagnosis of fluctuations in eye pressure can be helpful in detecting conditions such as Ocular Hypertension and Glaucoma. Glaucoma is one of the leading threats that can cause irreversible, permanent blindness in people of all age groups. It has a prevalence of 2.4% in older people with or without showing early symptoms.
Therefore, early detection is extremely important to protect your eyesight, and it can be done with an eye pressure test at an eye clinic or at home. These tests have become standard for early diagnosis of eye diseases and a turning point in their treatment to avoid vision loss.
This comprehensive article will discuss various tests that measure your eye pressure and can be a major step in detecting disease progression. So, let’s go into the details and learn more about these eye pressure measuring tests.
How do you measure eye pressure
A constant high eye pressure can damage the optic nerves and increase the risk of developing Glaucoma.
Therefore, it is crucial to get a complete eye check-up, where the doctor will examine your eye pressure through a test called Tonometry to detect the eye condition.
Here are some of the eye pressure tests that a doctor can conduct to check your eye pressure fluctuations:
Goldmann Applanation Tonometry (GAT)
This test is often painless and considered a “gold standard” eye pressure measurement. Applanate means “to flatten,” and this is how it measures the pressure inside your eyes:
- Firstly, your eyes will be anesthetized with anesthetic drops and non-toxic dye
- Your eye specialist will adjust the beam of blue light to see the clearer rings
- Now, you will look straight at the slit, and it will gently move toward the center of your cornea
- A small tip will touch your eye, and the pressure will be measured
- The eye pressure is measured depending on the force required to flatten a given (fixed) area of your cornea.
Pneumatonometry
Goldmann Applanation Tonometry requires anesthesia, which can be difficult in people with corneal scars. Therefore, an alternative method called pneumatonometry helps to measure eye pressure. This method is based on the principle of GAT application.
It consists of a hollow tube and senses the air pressure. During the corneal applanation (flattening), the pressure inside the tubes increases to match the pressure generated by the eye. This pressure gets traced to the strip of paper.
Here’s how the IOP is measured using a pneumatonometer:
- The pneumatonometer is positioned over the eye, and a column of air is emitted to flatten the cornea
- The pressure required to achieve this flattening is measured and recorded
- The measurement is taken by analyzing the waveform of the reflected light that is detected by the sensor
Air-puff tonometry or Non-contact Tonometry (NCT)
NCT is another type of test to measure eye pressure range. This test uses a pulse air to flatten the cornea and measures the force used at the moment to flatten the cornea.
As the testing device does not come in contact with your cornea, it does not require anesthesia or non-toxic dye to apply. However, there are some discussions about this test’s accuracy and safety, as it requires managing the risk of airborne infections.
Eye pressure test at home
The eye pressure tests mentioned can measure your eye pressure at a specific moment, providing a snapshot, but it’s important to note that eye pressure can fluctuate throughout the day. Therefore, more novel and reliable tests are introduced to keep track of your eye pressure throughout the day.
Now, just like a blood pressure monitoring device, you can track fluctuations in your eye pressure in one day. Some of the 24-hour eye pressure tests include:
Rebound tonometry or iCare rebound tonometer
This type of tonometry is more reliable and does not need anesthesia. It is one of the widely used methods to test eye pressure.
This test is versatile and favorable due to the following reasons:
- The test is rapid
- Easy to use
- Smaller surface area
- Effective with children
- Efficient for people with surgeries and damaged cornea
This test works as the plastic tip or probe of the tonometer bounces back from the eyes with a different velocity depending on the eye pressure.
Sensimed triggerfish contact lens
This type of eye pressure monitoring works differently. A sensimed triggerfish is a miniaturized system with a microprocessor-embedded silicon contact lens. It has a built-in sensor that can record the changes in the curvature (shape) of the cornea due to fluctuations in eye pressure in a day.
A symptom of elevated eye pressure is a severe headache. If you have recurrent headaches or any eye pain, taking painkillers can temporarily relieve the pain.
Conclusion
Regular eye examination and measuring eye pressure are crucial for the health of your eyes. There are various tests to check the pressure. However, Goldmann Applanation Tonometry is a gold standard test.
Your optician can also check your eyes with pneumatonometry and air-puff tonometry with and without anesthesia. Some eye pressure tests can also be done at home. These tests are helpful in keeping information on 24-hour eye pressure fluctuations.
Although these tests can be done at home, you should consult your doctor to seek medical supervision when facing serious issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is normal eye pressure?
Normal eye pressure is typically considered to be between 10 and 21 millimeters of mercury (mmHg). However, the pressure at which eye damage develops can vary from person to person.
How can I reduce eye pressure?
To reduce eye pressure, incorporate low-impact exercises, maintain a healthy diet with lean protein and vegetables, and manage stress through deep breathing, yoga, or other relaxation techniques.
What is an eye pressure test for?
The eye pressure test helps measure the eye pressure, or Intraocular Pressure of your eyes, exerted by aqueous humor. By checking your eye pressure regularly, you can detect the progression of Glaucoma and seek early medical treatment to prevent its progression.
How do you know if your eye pressure is high?
You can’t determine high eye pressure by yourself, as there are no outward symptoms in most cases. It can only be detected by an eye doctor during a comprehensive eye exam, where they measure your Intraocular Pressure (IOP) and compare it to normal levels.
How can I check my own eye pressure?
The sensimed triggerfish contact lens is a silicone contact lens with an in-built sensor that can record the changes in your eye pressure over a day. It is easy to use and measures the changes in the shape of the cornea that are supposed to occur due to fluctuations in eye pressure.
Is an eye pressure test necessary?
Yes, an eye pressure test is necessary to record your eye condition and early diagnosis of eye diseases. You can consult your eye care specialist and get a routine eye checkup to detect any abnormality in your eye pressure and seek early treatments.
How does an eye pressure test work?
Different eye pressure tests work with different methods. Goldmann Applanation Tonometry requires anesthesia and non-toxic dye before applying flattening pressure on the cornea. Pneumatonometry needs only anesthesia, whereas the non-contact method requires none of them to record the eye pressure.
What are eye pressure test options at home?
Rebound tonometry (RT) and sensimed triggerfish contact lenses are two eye pressure test options at home. RT is easy to use, even in people with surgeries and damaged cornea. On the other hand, the sensimed triggerfish test can help get a close record of 24-hour eye pressure fluctuations at home
WowRx uses only high-quality sources while writing our articles. Please read our content information policy to know more about how we keep our content reliable and trustworthy.
