What could high intraocular pressure lead to?

High intraocular pressure is a significant risk factor for glaucoma, a group of eye conditions that can lead to irreversible vision loss. In glaucoma, damage occurs to the optic nerve, often due to increased pressure within the eye. The optic nerve is crucial for transmitting visual information from the eye to the brain, and when it is damaged, vision can be impaired or lost entirely.

While other conditions like cataracts, retinal detachment, and conjunctivitis can affect the eye, they are not primarily caused by high intraocular pressure. Cataracts generally result from aging and changes in the lens of the eye, retinal detachment involves the separation of the retina from its underlying support tissue often due to various risk factors such as trauma or high myopia, and conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva typically caused by infections or allergens. Thus, elevated intraocular pressure is most closely linked to the development of glaucoma.