Regular eye examinations with an ophthalmologist are important to screen for ocular hypertension and primary open-angle glaucoma. In particular, regular eye examinations are critical for those people who are at high risk, such as blacks and elderly persons.
Your initial visit to the ophthalmologist is extremely important in the evaluation of ocular hypertension to detect glaucoma or other ocular diseases that could be causing elevated intraocular hypertension (called secondary glaucoma).
During this visit, the ophthalmologist will ask you about the following:
Past surgeries or illnesses
Current medications (Some medications may indirectly cause changes in intraocular pressure.)
Strong risk factors for optic nerve damage due to glaucoma
Possible risk factors for optic nerve damage due to glaucoma
Other possible risk factors
If your ophthalmologist prescribes medicines (see Medical Treatment and medications) to help in lowering the pressure inside your eye, properly applying the medication and complying with your doctor’s instructions are very important. Not doing so could result in a further increase in intraocular pressure that can lead to optic nerve damage and permanent vision loss (i.e., glaucoma).
Depending on the amount of optic nerve damage and the level of intraocular pressure control, people with ocular hypertension may need to be seen from every 2 months to yearly, even sooner if the pressures are not being adequately controlled.
Glaucoma should still be a concern in people who have elevated intraocular pressure with normal-looking optic nerves and normal visual field testing results or in people who have normal intraocular pressure with suspicious-looking optic nerves and visual field testing results. These people should be observed closely because they are at an increased risk for glaucoma.
Ocular hypertension cannot be prevented, but through regular eye examinations with an ophthalmologist, its progression to glaucoma can be prevented
The prognosis is very good for people with ocular hypertension.