Ocular Perfusion Pressure

ocular perfusion pressure

Ocular perfusion pressure is the difference between the pressure pushing blood into the eye’s tissues and the pressure inside the eye that opposes that flow. It is commonly thought of as the blood pressure reaching the retina and optic nerve after subtracting intraocular pressure. This value helps determine how well oxygen and nutrients are delivered to the delicate cells that sense light. If perfusion pressure is too low, those cells can be starved and begin to malfunction or die, which can lead to vision loss. Conditions that lower perfusion pressure include low systemic blood pressure, particularly at night, and high pressure inside the eye. People with narrowing of blood vessels, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease can also have reduced blood flow to the eye. Clinicians consider this pressure when evaluating risks for eye diseases like glaucoma, where both eye pressure and blood flow affect outcomes. It can change with posture, medication, and lifestyle, so maintaining healthy blood pressure and eye pressure is important. Measuring it directly is not done in every clinic, but understanding the factors that influence it helps guide treatment decisions. In short, adequate ocular perfusion pressure is essential for keeping eye tissues healthy and preserving vision.