Does increased IOP cause the eyeball to feel hardened?

The eye pressure typically must be very high for the eye to feel “hard.” Touching (palpating) the eyeball through the eyelid is called a “tactile” pressure and is not a very accurate way of determining eye pressure. You should never directly touch the surface of your eyeball because this can cause injury and infection. Most patients and physicians are not able to accurately determine the eye pressure by touching (palpating) the eye, so it always is best to see your ophthalmologist regularly to have your eye pressure accurately measured.