High trans fats have been proven to cause damage to the optic nerve. Time to cut out fried foods, baked goods and any product with an ingredient list that includes hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. Saturated foods that include red meat, beef, lard, shortening and oils can also worsen glaucoma.
Maintaining a healthy weight, controlling your blood pressure, being physically active, and avoiding smoking will help you avoid vision loss from glaucoma. These healthy behaviors will also help prevent type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions.
As previously mentioned, vitamin A and vitamin C are beneficial to our eyes, but vitamin E has also been shown to boost vision. Vitamin E can be found in wheat and cereal, seafood, avocados, nuts, egg yolks, and more. Zinc, Lutein and Zeaxanthin are also great for your eyes and can reduce your risk of glaucoma.
That's the good news from a new UCLA study, which found a daily cup of hot tea may reduce your risk by up to 74 percent of developing glaucoma, one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide.
Dark Chocolate
Even if your Dove bar doesn't sharpen your vision, the flavonoids found in dark chocolate may help improve vision in people with glaucoma as well as reduce the risk for macular degeneration.
Evidence that Magnesium can help in the treatment of Glaucoma. Magnesium has been called “nature's calcium channel blocker”. Why might this be important in the treatment of glaucoma? Calcium channel blockers have been studied as a potential treatment of glaucoma.
Bananas, avocados, pumpkin seeds, and black beans are great sources to help you meet the recommended daily allowance of 300-400 magnesium. Though more research is needed, preliminary studies suggest that dietary magnesium may benefit people with glaucoma by improving blood flow to the eye.
Any type of activity that positions your head lower than your heart for prolonged periods of time should be avoided, as it could lead to a spike in intraocular pressure. This includes inverted yoga positions (and headstands) or using inversion tables.
“Steroids are the main medicine that can raise eye pressure for patients with open-angle glaucoma,” Dr. McKinney says. Taking steroid drugs in any form – orally, topically, through an inhaler or IV – can worsen glaucoma for these patients. Steroids applied closest to the eye carry the highest risk.
High trans fats have been proven to cause damage to the optic nerve. Time to cut out fried foods, baked goods and any product with an ingredient list that includes hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. Saturated foods that include red meat, beef, lard, shortening and oils can also worsen glaucoma.
If undetected and untreated, glaucoma first causes peripheral vision loss and eventually can lead to blindness. By the time you notice vision loss from glaucoma, it's too late.
Age. The major risk factor of primary open-angle glaucoma is age. As we get older, the drainage system no longer functions as well, and the eye pressure can gradually increase.
Absolutely. The aim of treating patients with glaucoma is for them to be able to maintain their quality of life and live as normally as possible. Patients with glaucoma have a normal life expectancy and, with treatment, can carry out activities as they did before diagnosis.
Here's the dish: Fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, and halibut contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which research suggests may help reduce the risk of developing eye disease later in life. Additionally, eating more omega-3s has been shown to decrease glaucoma-related pressure in the eye.
Drinking a quart of water in less than five minutes has been shown to increase intraocular pressure; instead, advise your patients to drink small amounts of water often to stay hydrated.
Eggs. Eggs are also a great source to protect from increased glaucoma. Egg yolks are rich in lutein, a type of carotenoid that helps fight the causes of legal blindness. Scientists believe that lutein is better absorbed by the body from eggs.
Studies found that IOP declined with vitamin D administration and that participants with glaucoma had lower serum 25(OH)D. However, other studies showed “conflicting results,” such as no IOP differences between participants with low vs. high serum 25(OH)D.
The most common treatment for glaucoma is prescription eye drops. They work by lowering the pressure in your eye and preventing damage to your optic nerve. These eye drops won't cure glaucoma or reverse vision loss, but they can keep glaucoma from getting worse.
Take 1,000 mg two to four times daily; reduce the dose if your stools loosen. The mineral magnesium was shown in one trial to mildly improve vision in people with glaucoma. The dose used in the study was 245 mg of magnesium per day, although I typically have patients take 200 mg twice daily.
Glaucoma often has no symptoms in its early stages and is considered to be a “silent thief” of vision. Do your part to help prevent vision loss due to glaucoma. Take care of your eyes by eating foods packed with vitamin D, such as milk, cheese and dark leafy greens.
Eating blueberries regularly can improve vision and strengthen blood vessels in the back of the eyes. Blueberries also contain anthocyanins, which help lower both high blood pressure and inflammation and also prevent blockages in the arteries that feed oxygen to the retina.