A tonometry test estimates the pressure inside your eye, known as intraocular pressure (IOP), to check for glaucoma.
The disease is caused by the slow drainage of the fluid that normally bathes and nourishes the eye; causing a pressure build-up. If untreated, the pressure may damage the optic nerve causing blindness. As these eye changes are often painless and have no symptoms, they can persist for years undetected. Most health screening centers used air-puff tonometry to measure.
It does not touch your eye but uses a puff of air to flatten your cornea. The patient is seated with the chin resting on the device. The operator activates the air puff mechanism while aligning the focus to the patient’s eye through the tonometer monitor.
Air puff tonometer is a preliminary way to measure IOP. If high pressure is detected using this method, it is advisable to consult a specialist to check further.
