What you do from the morning to sleep affects your eyes – Life style in relation to glaucoma management

Abstract

Glaucoma is a common chronic eye disease that can result in blindness. Apart from intraocular pressure control with medications, laser and surgery, glaucoma patients often ask about how they can achieve better glaucoma control in their daily life, whether any diets or habits they should adopt or avoid. There are literatures showing that calories restriction, low salt diet and green tea (anti-oxidant) intake, and use of food supplements such as wolfberry may help with glaucoma control, while coffee should be avoided as it may cause intraocular pressure elevation. Smoking which induces vasoconstriction also adversely affect glaucoma control. Even during sleep, head posture is shown to affect intraocular pressure, and glaucoma tends to be more severe on the side which patients lay. Physical exercise was found to lower intraocular pressure, so regular exercise should be advised for glaucoma subjects. Apart from controlling intraocular pressure, management of systemic diseases including hypertension, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea is essential to achieve optimal glaucoma control. The talk will include literature review of how the above life styles may contribute to glaucoma management. Ophthalmologists can then offer suggestions to how patients may help managing the diseases in their daily life, in addition to ensuring compliance to glaucoma medications.