Doctor's Notes on Ocular Hypertension
Ocular hypertension is pressure of greater than 21 mm Hg in one or both eyes on two or more occasions; it is not considered a disease but as a symptom of a tendency to develop open-angle glaucoma. Ocular hypertension has no signs or symptoms. If it is found, the patient should be regularly observed for development of glaucoma. Glaucoma is an eye disease where the optic nerve is damaged and accompanied by ocular hypertension.
The cause of ocular hypertension is an imbalance in the production and drainage of the fluid (aqueous humor) of the eye. In most individuals, the problem is with poor drainage, not over-production.
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Glaucoma FAQs
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Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma
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REFERENCE:
Kasper, D.L., et al., eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 19th Ed. United States: McGraw-Hill Education, 2015.