Treatments

How is ocular hypertension treated?

As has already been mentioned, it is not appropriate to treat all cases of ocular hypertension, but if the risk of the development of glaucoma is considered to be significant, the ophthalmologist may decide that the balance of risks and benefits is such that treatment is appropriate. If this is the case, the most usual type of treatment to be prescribed is eye drops that control the pressure within the eye (these are the same drugs that are used to control glaucoma) by either reducing the amount of aqueous being produced by the eye (the ciliary body) or increasing the rate of drainage.

There have been major advances in these forms of treatments in recent years and eye drops are now more effective and have fewer side effects than those that were previously available.