***Elevated Eye Pressure Help*****

[lDaks]

The eye doctor told me the other day I have elevated eye pressure, which is high risk for Glaucoma. BUT he told me that if nobody in my family on either side has never had Glaucoma, only 10% of patients that have elevated eye pressure get Glaucoma. Is this true or he did say that so I wouldn't get scared?

[JohnHaganMD]

It really is a great deal more complicated and exact "odds" of you getting glaucoma cannot be calculated. What was your intraocular pressure? (IOP)

The overall risk of glaucoma in the general population is 2% with the risk increasing as we get older. Some families with multiple generations and multiple individuals with glaucoma may have risk as high as 20%.  I would also be sure the "eye doctor" is a MD ophthalmologist eye doctor.  Normal IOP is 20 or less but pressure changes from hour to hour so a high reading doesn't mean its high all the time and vice versa.

[lDaks]

I was examined my examined by Dr David Bellows hes a ophthalmologist, i dont know my exact pressure but it was slightly over i want to 22-25 (rough guess)

[JohnHaganMD]

Okay so see your ophthalmologist ideally every 6 months, have some special glaucoma tests (visual field, optic nerve OCT, corneal thickness, gonioscopy). If all is stable for a couple of years yearly exam okay.