My Eyes Feel Softer Than They Used To
DEC 11, 2013
Question:
When I press on my eyes when they're closed they feel abnormally soft and squishy. It feels like my finger is sinking into my eye. Is this normal? I'm pretty sure my eyes felt a lot more firm in the past.
Answer:
The way the eye feels when pressed from the outside is dependent upon the intraocular pressure of the eye and the structures within the orbit (the area behind the eye). The intraocular pressure can be checked by your ophthalmologist.
Atrophy of fat within the orbit is a common natural change that occurs with aging. This accounts for less resistance when pressing on the eye and the shrunken appearance of the eyes that may occur over time. In addition, prostaglandin analogs, a class of medications used in glaucoma treatment, have been shown to increase the rate of fat atrophy.