Table 1.
An indication of the IOP elevation levels which have been recorded during activities known to cause such responses and which may contribute to glaucoma development or progression. (This is a supplemented version of a table16 which is reproduced here with the kind permission of John Wiley & Sons and Clinical and Experimental Optometry.).
| Activity | Associated IOP elevation |
|---|---|
| Light touch through adnexal skin or lids (e.g. gentle eye wiping) | Approximately doubles baseline IOP17 |
| Voluntary squeezing of lids (e.g. squinting) | Elevations up to 90 mmHg18 |
| Eye compression (e.g. massaging, rubbing, wiping, drying) | Up to 300 mmHg19 and 400 mmHg20 |
| Short duration (30 min) supine positions | A mean elevation of 4.4 mmHg21 |
| The dependent (lower) eye during side sleeping | A mean of 2 mmHg above supine IOP14 |
| Long duration prone sleeping | A mean elevation of 40 mmHg15 |
| Contact between the eye and bedding surfaces | A mean of 22 ± 5 mmHg (peak 40 ± 11 mmHg)22 |
| Inverted body position | A mean elevation of 36 mmHg23 |
| Wearing swimming goggles | Elevations up to 48 mmHg24 |
| A strenuous flexed muscle posture involving facial congestion | Elevations of 10–25 mmHg25 |
| Playing loud, high pitch notes on a trumpet | Elevations up to 44 mmHg26 |
| Wearing a tight necktie | Elevations of 2–4 mmHg27 |