Eye pressures 26

Hi,

I have been monitored by an eye doctor when my pressures were 35-37 on an air puff tonometer, in the hospital I was measured by an appalation machine at 20 and 22.  I have been experiencing problems with my eyes, pain and redness and blurring so I went back to my eye doctor and my pressures were 37-39 on the air puff. She sent me to eye casulty and I was measured by the Goldman appalation machine at both eyes 26.  My first readings were Aoril 2009 and these were this weekend just 2 months later and 4-6 points higher.

I phoned my eye doctor who said I have healthy eyes and 26 is nothing to worry about!!  I am worried as 26 seems high when I read it on websites.  The other thing is I only have one functionally eye as a child I had a lazy eye which cannot be corrected through glasses or surgery so I have impaired vision in one.  

Should I have cause to worry. Can anyone offer some advice?

Thanks
Emma

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

The air puff and Goldman applanation IOP measuring machines are rarely used in the USA anymore. Anti-quated.

That much fluctuation and 26 is high enough to worry.

You need to see an Eye MD ophthalmologist for a complete glaucoma work-up: visual fields, gonioscopy, central corneal thickness measurements, stereo disk photos and optic nerve OCT plus followed by Eye MD every 6 months.

JCH MD

[Emma879]

Many thanks for your reply.

I am being given an appointment with an Opthamologist in 6 months as no signs of Glauoma damage in April where I had visual fields, corneal thickness and optic nerve pictures. But that was at pressures 20 and 22.

Surely 26 is cause for concern.

I dont want to upset my Opthamologist (my optician is the same lady I see at the Hospital - she is an opthamologist and eye surgeon) so I am able to pop and see her outside of the hospital too but also its my eye sight. but i believe 26 is high.

At what pressure should I insist on drops or meds to reduce it? I worry every night.

As all the tests came back fine in April - my only symptons are high eye pressures and red blood vessels in my eye and eye pain - when should I be treated? surely orevention is better than cure?

Thanks so much for your advice.
Emma

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

The answer is too complex to make simple. However anyone with IOP over 30 generally needs IOP lowering medications.

Many with much lower IOP need treatment.

JCH MD