Whether or not coughing can cause high IOP depends on the severity of the cough. A prolonged, violent cough can lead to increased intraocular pressure, while a cough with milder symptoms does not. During a prolonged, violent cough, there is a significant increase in the pressure in the chest cavity, which affects the return of blood to the brain, causing more blood to pool in the brain, which in turn has an effect on the eye pressure, leading to elevated IOP. However, severe coughing does not cause a permanent increase in IOP, which gradually returns to normal as the coughing symptoms subside. A mild cough does not have a significant impact on the pressure in the chest cavity, so a mild cough does not cause high IOP. In short, a strong cough can cause high IOP, and when the cough subsides, the symptoms of high IOP will gradually resolve themselves.