The Jugular Eye Connection

The Jugular Eye Connection

When cartoon characters are throttled by other cartoon characters or by giant rubber bands ordered from ACME, tradition calls for their eyes to bulge from their skulls.

Many men may be familiar with that feeling, even if they’ve never tried to catch a roadrunner using a giant slingshot.

I was combing through old files and found some information about a 2003 study that tested the effect tight neckties might have on intraocular pressure (IOP), which increases the risk of developing glaucoma.

Researchers at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary recruited 20 men with glaucoma and 20 men with healthy eyesight. IOP was tested on each subject three times: once while wearing an open-neck shirt, once while wearing a tight necktie, and once after removing the tie. The majority of both groups had higher IOP after wearing the tie.

Researchers believe that when the jugular vein is constricted by snug neckwear, blood pressure and IOP increase. The New York team also noted that wearing a tight necktie during an eye exam might result in a false glaucoma diagnosis.

About three million people in the U.S. have glaucoma, and most of them are elderly.