Expert warns glaucoma is the leading cause of elevated intraocular pressure

Ophthalmology specialist Dr. Shahlu Mahkamova said intraocular pressure is frequently overlooked even when blood pressure is measured regularly. According to the specialist, the main cause of elevated intraocular pressure is glaucoma. Mahkamova said the exact causes of glaucoma are not fully known and that it is considered a multifactorial disease influenced by several factors. She listed the primary risk factors as genetic predisposition, age-related structural changes, and an imbalance between the production and outflow of aqueous humor in the eye. A family history of glaucoma in a close relative significantly raises the risk of developing the disease, Mahkamova noted. With advancing age, structural changes in the drainage system at the anterior chamber angle can obstruct fluid outflow, she added. When aqueous humor continuously produced by the eye cannot drain normally through the trabecular meshwork, pressure rises and damage to the optic nerve can continue even when measurements show normal values, according to Mahkamova. She stressed that diagnosis is difficult in the early stages and underlined the importance of regular eye examinations.