Lifestyle Choices You Should Incorporate in Your Glaucoma Management
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is an eye disease where high eye pressure damages the optic nerve. The eye’s drainage system can become defective and prevent fluid from properly escaping the eye. The optic nerve is like an electric cable that is responsible for transmitting signals to the brain. At first, glaucoma can cause peripheral vision loss. If the patient does not treat their glaucoma, the optic nerve becomes further damaged, which can lead to blindness. Progressive neuron loss in glaucoma is irreversible, so it is important to abide by the recommendations the doctor provides, such as using pressure-lowering drops, receiving laser treatment, or for severe cases, surgery. While there is still much to learn about glaucoma, there are ongoing studies on the effects of lifestyle choices on glaucoma. Dr. Valentina Lozano, a glaucoma specialist, and Dr. Nancy Lin, a nutritionist, divide these healthy habits into categories: physical, nutritional, environmental, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Want to know more? Keep on reading!
Physical
Three main recommendations are keeping the head upright (above your heart), avoiding sustained Valsalva maneuvers, and integrating aerobic exercise into daily life. Eye pressure can fluctuate throughout the day, yet it usually increases at night when the body is laying down. Therefore, it is recommended that patients with advanced glaucoma sleep with their heads elevated with extra pillows or with the head of the bed raised.
Additionally, patients should avoid exercises where their head is turned upside down such as downward dog yoga poses and headstands. Recently, there was research done on a patient who did headstands regularly, and there was a noticeable increase in eye pressure (15 mmHg to 33 mmHg) from when he was upright to when he was in a headstand.
A Valsalva maneuver is a forceful exhalation against a closed airway. For example, plugging one’s nose and breathing out would be considered a Valsalva maneuver. These Valsalva maneuvers often occur when lifting heavy weights, playing wind instruments, or straining to defecate, which patients with advanced glaucoma should try to avoid. Lastly, aerobic exercise can help maintain eye health and overall health. Cardio such as running, hiking, and even pickleball are great options.
Nutritional
While nutrition affects a number of conditions, there are certain foods patients should consume and avoid in managing their glaucoma. Foods containing flavonoids help slow down the progression of glaucoma by increasing blood flow to the optic nerve. Flavonoids are found in red and purple fruits and vegetables, legumes, lentils, chickpeas, caffeinated teas, and dark chocolate. Foods containing nitric oxide also help regulate eye pressure by increasing drainage outflow. Nitric oxide can be found in dark, leafy green vegetables, celery, beets, citrus, eggplant, and dark chocolate. Lastly, it is recommended to consume foods containing Omega-3, specifically the docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids. These are found in walnuts, and seafood such as salmon, tuna, sardines, and sea algae.
While many foods are helpful for glaucoma, there are also some to avoid. Foods high in saturated fats, trans-saturated fats, and complex carbohydrates can decrease blood flow. Patients with glaucoma should monitor their intake of red meat, processed meats, dairy products, fried foods, potatoes, bread, rice, and pasta. Coffee can also increase eye pressure for short periods of time. Though one to two cups are all right to consume, patients with advanced glaucoma should limit their caffeine intake.
Environmental
The two main environmental factors that can affect glaucoma are smoking and long-term lead exposure. Nicotine in cigarettes, vapes, and chewing tobacco can increase eye pressure. Smoking can also affect patients’ dry eye symptoms. Many glaucoma patients already have dry eye as a side effect of pressure lowering drops, so smoking can further aggravate their dry eye. While studies have shown that marijuana can lower eye pressure, the effect only lasts for three to four hours, and CBD actually increases eye pressure. Ophthalmologists recommend that patients avoid using marijuana on the day of their appointment to avoid any interference with their eye pressure measurements.
Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual
While there is not much research done on the effects of stress on glaucoma, it has been shown that stress and anxiety can increase a patient’s heart rate and eye pressure, potentially mediated by the stress hormone cortisol. Yoga, breathing, and meditation are recommended to increase blood flow and decrease eye pressure. Any spiritual practice a patient wishes to adopt may help manage his or her glaucoma, by lowering stress levels and thereby lowering eye pressure.
Ultimately, various lifestyle practices can help glaucoma patients, yet the best way to treat glaucoma is to follow the doctor’s instructions. Lifestyle changes alone do not lower a patient’s eye pressure enough to control glaucoma. Since glaucoma is usually painless, irreversible, and initially asymptomatic, it is important for patients to establish a good relationship with their doctor to find the treatment most suitable to them.
References:
Boyd K. What is Glaucoma? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment. American Academy of Ophthalmology. December 2023. Available at: https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-is-glaucoma. Accessed March 18, 2024
Lozano V MD. Healthy Habits For Glaucoma Patients. Glaucoma Today. September/October 2023. Available at: https://glaucomatoday.com/articles/2023-sept-oct/healthy-habits-for-glaucoma-patients?c4src=se arch:feed. Accessed March 18, 2024
