Background: Glaucoma is a disease of the eye in which the level of intraocular pressure (IOP) determines the rate of disease progression to an important extent. A less well known cause of IOP elevation is playing a wind instrument.
Case description: In a 49-year-old man with only one functional eye suffering from advanced glaucoma in the other eye, IOP appeared to double when he played the saxophone. He was advised to stop playing; this advice had serious consequences as the patient was a professional musician.
Conclusion: Despite limited scientific evidence this advice seems justifiable on account of the patient's relatively young age and the advanced glaucoma .