Intraocular pressure, or IOP, is the level of pressure within the eye caused by renewal of the fluids the move from the back portion of the eye to the front. IOP naturally varies slightly throughout the day, lowering at night as the fluid renewal also slows with sleep. However, unnaturally high IOP levels can lead to serious eye conditions. Ocular hypertension, an increased IOP level without any other significant eye damage, is the first telltale sign that you may be at higher risk than the average person for developing glaucoma. Individuals who already have glaucoma also exhibit a high IOP level in their eyes.

High eye pressure is believed to be a contributing factor to the development of glaucoma, because the pressure can damage your optic nerve. Therefore, lowering your IOP levels can help you to protect your vision. Because high IOP levels and even ocular hypertension have no noticeable symptoms, you will need to see your eye doctor to determine if your eyes’ pressure is too high. The most common treatment for ocular hypertension is eye drops; there are several options available, but all have adverse effects such as muscle spasms, tingling, loss of appetite, wheezing and difficulty breathing, slowed heart rate, and even a permanent darkening of your eye color.

That last side effect alone might be enough to discourage a person from using the prescription eye drops. While not all treatments have all of the side effects listed, no medication used to treat high IOP levels has no side effects at all. If you want to try a more natural alternative, you may want to invest in a Neti pot. Invented to flush out the nasal passages with saltwater, the practice of Neti has been practiced in India for centuries, and came to the West decades ago. It is used to treat hay fever, colds and mild sinus infections…and has been found to help lower eye pressure, likely because relieving sinus pressure lowers pressure in the head in general. Using a Neti pot is simple, and they are inexpensive–it’s certainly worth trying Neti as a self-treatment before resorting to medication.

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