Glaucoma is considered a multi-pressure disease, according to Ben Casella, OD, FAAO, and chief optometric editor of Optometry Times.* Monitoring and treating intraocular pressure (IOP) is important, but people with normal-tension glaucoma do not have high eye pressure so there are other important factors to monitor.

Intracranial pressure, cerebrospinal fluid pressure, ocular perfusion pressure, and elevated episcleral venous pressure are other forms of pressure to check, shares John Berdahl, MD, founder and CMO of Equinox. He recommends IOP being the first among the pressures to consider and intracranial pressure being the second.

An Innovation to Balance Glaucoma-Related Pressures

Berdahl’s company, Equinox, which focuses on innovations for the treatment of glaucoma, has released new goggles that focus on adjusting the eye’s many affected pressures to help treat glaucoma 

Prior to the founding of the company, Dr. Berdahl explains that he once read an article on astronauts suffering from papilledema, which is the swelling of the optic nerve, in which intracranial pressure is elevated. After thinking this through, he made the connection between intracranial pressure and eye pressure, which he sought to test in the form of an innovative device.

“It led me to think why can’t we…lower the pressure in the goggles, release some of the atmospheric pressure weight off the eye and off the body, and release it off the eye and lower eye pressure?” he discusses.

Through the pressurized capability of the goggles, eye pressure can be lowered. Research data confirming this capability has been shared with the FDA [U.S. Food and Drug Administration], shares Dr. Berdahl, who hopes for FDA approval soon.

Specifics on the Goggles 

The pressurized goggles are worn at nighttime when eye pressure tends to be elevated and when the optic nerve is vulnerable to damage. Getting nocturnal pressure under control is especially important, because research shows that sleeping longer increases the risk of damage to the optic nerve. Dr. Berdahl explains that a study out of Johns Hopkins University found that sleeping for 10 hours or longer comes with a threefold risk of glaucoma progression.

There are no side effects to the goggles, other than potential puffiness around the eyes from goggle wear, side effects that may be considered much less adverse than current available glaucoma treatments.

“We’re trying to figure out how we can help vulnerable patients [who] deserve the trust they put in us as individual doctors and as a profession,” Dr. Berdahl concludes. 

*Casella, B.P. & Berdahl, J. (2021, June 14). Look beyond IOP in treating glaucoma patients [Video file]. Optometry Times. https://www.optometrytimes.com/view/look-beyond-iop-in-treating-glaucoma-patients 

Any sources from outside of Prevent Blindness do not imply an endorsement from Prevent Blindness. The contents of the material used are the responsibility of the authoring organization, Responsum Health.

The treatment discussed in this article is experimental and has not been approved by the FDA or any regulatory authorities for any use outside of clinical trials. Its safety and efficacy have not been evaluated by the U.S. federal government. If you are considering participating in a clinical trial, learn more about the risks and potential benefits of clinical studies and talk to your healthcare provider before joining.