Skip to main content
Clear
  • Find a store
  • Menu
Specsavers logo
  • My account Sign in
    • Favourites
    • Express re-order
    • Orders
    • My details
    • Payment methods
    • Sign out
  • Re-order contact lenses
    • Glasses
        • Glasses
        • Type
        • Glasses
        • Sunglasses
        • Designer glasses
        • Guides
        • Buyer's guide
        • Lens options
        • Lens guide
        • #LoveGlasses blog
        • FAQs
    • Contact lenses
        • Contact lenses
        • Type
        • Fortnightly lenses
        • Daily lenses
        • Monthly
        • View all
        • Tips for contact lens wearers
        • Buyer's guide
        • Buying contact lenses
        • Subscribe and save
        • Express re-order
    • Eye health
        • Eye health
        • Information
        • Your eye health
        • Eye test information
        • What are your eyes worth?
        • Services
        • Book an eye test
        • Eye care at work
        • Help
        • View all FAQs
    • Offers
    • Audiology
        • Audiology
        • Products and prices
        • Using and maintaining
        • Hearing aids
        • Accessories
        • Batteries
        • Buyer's guide
        • About hearing
        • Understanding an Audiogram
        • Funding
        • How do hearing aids work?
        • Ear conditions
        • Hearing loss and telltale signs
        • Our services
        • Book an appointment
        • Customer guarantee
        • What to expect
        • Why choose Specsavers Audiology?
    • Book appointment
    • Find a store
    • Re-order contact lenses
    • Sign in
    • My account
    • Favourites
    • Sign out
  • Book appointment Book appointment
Type
  • Glasses
  • Sunglasses
  • Designer glasses
Age & gender
  • Women
  • Men
  • Teens
  • Kids
Guides
  • Buyer's guide
  • Lens guide
  • Lens options
  • #LoveGlasses blog
  • FAQs
Buy glasses online
Buy Glasses Online
Did you know you can now enter your prescription and buy online?
Buy now
Type
  • Monthly
  • Toric
  • Daily lenses
  • Fortnightly lenses
  • Progressive
Brand
  • Acuvue
  • easyvision
  • Focus Dailies
  • Air Optix
  • CooperVision
  • View all
Guides
  • Buyer's guide
  • Tips for contact lens wearers
  • Buying contact lenses
  • Subscribe and save
  • FAQs
Specsavers express re-order
Express re-order
Already have an account?
Reorder your lenses here
Re-order now
Services
  • Book an eye test
  • Eye care at work
Information
  • Your eye health
  • Eye test information
  • Do I need an eye test?
  • Eye conditions
  • Your prescription explained
  • What are your eyes worth?
Help
  • Contact lenses and sport
  • Progressive lenses
  • What is 20/20 vision?
  • Testing for colour vision
  • View all FAQs
Got a question?
Help & FAQs
Got a question? Find the answer here
Let’s go
Our services
  • Why choose Specsavers Audiology?
  • What to expect
  • Customer guarantee
  • Book an appointment
Products and prices
  • Hearing aids
  • Accessories
  • Batteries
  • Buyer's guide
  • Using and maintaining
About hearing
  • Hearing loss and telltale signs
  • Ear conditions
  • How do hearing aids work?
  • Funding
  • Understanding an Audiogram
  1. Home

Ocular hypertension

Also known as high eye pressure, this condition means the pressure in your eye is higher than normal. There’s usually no damage to vision, but it does increase your risk of developing glaucoma.

Also known as high eye pressure, this condition means the pressure in your eye is higher than normal. There’s usually no damage to vision, but it does increase your risk of developing glaucoma.

Did you know?

AA Members are entitled to a free eye test (valued at $60), once every two years. Remember to present your AA Membership card in store *.

Book an appointment

What are the symptoms of ocular hypertension?

Usually, you won’t experience any symptoms with ocular hypertension and it’s unlikely that it will have any damage to your vision. But the risks of developing glaucoma are much greater, which poses a risk to your sight. The only way to detect ocular hypertension is during an eye test – so it’s important to have one regularly.

A healthy eye pressure usually measures somewhere between 10mmHg and 21mmHg – anything above that indicates ocular hypertension.

See more eye conditions
Book an appointment
See FAQs

What causes ocular hypertension?

The fluid at the front of the eye is called aqueous humour, which supplies nutrients as well as taking away any waste. Eye pressure (intraocular pressure) is controlled by a balance between the amount of this fluid produced, and its drainage out of the eye.

Most cases of ocular hypertension are caused by a restriction or blockage in the drainage channels. So the fluid continues to replenish but is unable to properly drain away, causing the pressure to build up within the eye.

Risk factors of ocular hypertension

Anyone can develop ocular hypertension, but there are several factors that could increase the risk of getting the condition:

  • A family history of ocular hypertension or glaucoma
  • Age – chances are greater as we get older
  • Ethnicity – you’re more likely to develop this condition if you are from African-Caribbean descent
  • Very high myopia (short-sightedness)
  • Certain medications have side effects that raise eye pressure in some people
  • Eye injuries, even years after they happen, can affect your intraocular pressure

What help is available?

Unfortunately, ocular hypertension cannot be prevented, but it can be treated. The most common treatment is the use of eye drops to help reduce eye pressure.

For the vast majority of people, ocular hypertension will not cause any problems, but around 10% will develop glaucoma over time. For those with a higher chance of developing glaucoma, daily eye drops can be prescribed to reduce the eye pressure and halve the risk of glaucoma occurring.

It’s important that you have regular eye tests so that we can monitor your eye pressure and spot the signs of glaucoma starting to develop. Treatment for glaucoma is most effective when it is caught early.

See more eye conditions Book an appointment
Book an appointment

Why do I need an eye test?

Find out more

Your store visit explained

Find out more

Eye test information

Find out more

*Free exam for AA Members applies to standard eye examinations only, normally valued at $60. Excludes contact lens examination and visual field checks. Limited to one per AA Member every two years. Available to current AA Members upon presentation of AA Membership card.

  • Shop
    • Glasses
    • Sunglasses
    • Designer glasses
    • Contact lenses
    • Hearing aids
    • Offers
    • #LoveGlasses blog
  • Services
    • Eye tests
    • Corporate eyecare
    • Hearing tests
  • Health
    • Your eye health
    • Eye test information
    • Your hearing health
    • Hearing check information
    • FAQs
  • About
    • Customer service
    • Community Program
    • Contact lenses FAQ
    • About Specsavers
    • Annual review 2018-19
    • News
    • Careers
  • © Specsavers 2020
  • International sites
  • Legal policy
  • Sitemap
  • 20.12.0