How do prescription eye drops for glaucoma primarily reduce intraocular pressure?

Prescription eye drops for glaucoma are designed to primarily lower intraocular pressure (IOP) by either decreasing the production of aqueous humor or improving its outflow. In glaucoma, the elevated IOP can damage the optic nerve, potentially leading to vision loss.

Some medications work by reducing the production of aqueous humor, which is the fluid in the eye that maintains intraocular pressure. By decreasing the amount of fluid produced, the overall pressure within the eye can be lowered. Other medications aim to enhance the drainage of aqueous humor from the eye, allowing more fluid to exit through the trabecular meshwork or uveoscleral pathways, thereby reducing IOP.

This dual mechanism—either decreasing production or enhancing outflow—makes these eye drops effective in managing glaucoma and preventing progression of the disease. Other options provided, such as increasing aqueous humor production, numbing the eye surface, or dilating the pupil, do not contribute to pressure reduction in the same way and are therefore irrelevant to the primary function of glaucoma medications.