This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Correction  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on Web of Science (44)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in JAMA  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Thomas R. Friberg, MD; Robert N. Weinreb, MD

JAMA. 1985;253(12):1755-1757.

Abstract
To determine the ocular manifestations of inverting the human body into a head-down vertical position, we evaluated normal volunteers with applanation tonometry, fundus photography, fluorescein angiography, and ophthalmodynamometry. Compared with data obtained in the sitting position, the intraocular pressure more than doubled on inversion (35.6 ±4 v 14.1±2.8 mm Hg, n=16), increasing to levels well within the glaucomatous range. Pressures in the central retinal artery underwent similar increases, while the caliber of the retinal arterioles decreased substantially. External ocular findings associated with gravity inversion included orbital congestion, conjunctival hyperemia, petechiae of the eyelids, excessive tearing (epiphora), and subconjunctival hemorrhage. We suggest that patients with retinal vascular abnormalities, macular degeneration, ocular hypertension, glaucoma, and similar disorders refrain from inversion altogether. Whether normal individuals will suffer irreversible damage from inversion is uncertain, but it seems prudent to recommend that prolonged periods of inverted posturing be avoided.

(JAMA 1985;253:1755-1757)

Author Affiliations
From the Departments of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas (Dr Friberg) and University of California at Davis (Dr Weinreb).

Footnotes
Reprint requests to Department of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Health Science Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75235 (Dr Friberg).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Effect of Posture on Blood and Intraocular Pressures in Multiple System Atrophy, Pure Autonomic Failure, and Baroreflex Failure
Singleton et al.
Circulation 2003;108:2349-2354.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Twenty-Four-Hour Pattern of Intraocular Pressure in the Aging Population
Liu et al.
IOVS 1999;40:2912-2917.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Branch Retinal-Vein Occlusion Following Body Inversion
Witteman
Arch Ophthalmol 1987;105:752-752.
ABSTRACT  

Optic Nerve Dysfunction During Gravity Inversion: Visual Field Abnormalities
Sanborn et al.
Arch Ophthalmol 1987;105:774-776.
ABSTRACT