What Researchers Did
Researchers measured the intraocular pressure (IOP) of 27 healthy volunteers under varying atmospheric pressures and temperatures, including conditions simulating underwater diving.
What They Found
They found that mean intraocular pressure significantly decreased from 11.8 mm Hg (right eye) and 11.7 mm Hg (left eye) at normal atmospheric pressure (1 Bar) to 10.7 mm Hg and 10.3 mm Hg, respectively, when atmospheric pressure increased to 2 Bar. This IOP reduction, observed during conditions simulating diving, was independent of temperature changes and remained stable for 40 minutes.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients who engage in underwater diving may experience a modest, temporary decrease in intraocular pressure due to increased atmospheric pressure. This finding could be relevant for individuals with ocular conditions, such as glaucoma, who participate in diving activities.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
A limitation of this study is its small sample size of healthy volunteers and the relatively short duration of observation under increased atmospheric pressure.