Glaucoma is a condition that occurs when there is increased pressure in the eye. Over time, this eye disease can lead to permanent vision loss. And glaucoma is more common than you think. About 6 million people in the world have been diagnosed with this progressive eye disease and are blind because of it. The early stages of glaucoma do not show visible symptoms, so many people find out that they have the disease much later.
What Are the Risk Factors for Glaucoma?
While no one is immune from glaucoma, there are a few risk factors that make some people more vulnerable. People with a family history of glaucoma, for example, are more likely to develop the disease than those who are not genetically predisposed. Older people are also more likely to get diagnosed with glaucoma. In fact, individuals who are older than 60 are six times more likely to develop glaucoma.
African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians are also more likely to develop glaucoma than Caucasians. In fact, those of African descent are six to eight times more likely to get diagnosed with glaucoma than Caucasian people.
Another risk factor for glaucoma is an eye injury. When there is trauma to the eye, it can hurt the eye's drainage system and result in traumatic glaucoma. Individuals who participate in sports, such as boxing and baseball, are more likely to get injured in the eye.
How Can You Prevent Glaucoma?
The thought of developing glaucoma is definitely scary, so you should do everything you can to reduce your risk. Here are a few different ways you can reduce your chances of developing glaucoma in the future:
Exercise Regularly: Regular exercise does not just help you maintain a healthy weight and boost your mood; it can also reduce your risk of glaucoma. This is because exercise decreases pressure in your eyes. It is not necessary to participate in strenuous exercise to prevent glaucoma. If you walk, jog, swim, or do another form of moderate exercise a few times a week, you can keep your eyes healthy.
Protect Your Eyes: Because eye injuries can lead to glaucoma, it is important to protect your eyes when you are playing sports or doing home improvement projects. If you put eye goggles on, you can reduce their risk of getting hurt.
Eat the Right Foods: A nutritious diet can benefit many parts of your body, including your eyes. There are certain nutrients that are good for your vision and protect against glaucoma and other eye diseases. Dark leafy greens, such as spinach and kale, for example, are great for your eyes because they contain the nutrients lutein and zeaxanthin. Other foods that benefit your eyes include eggs, carrots, strawberries, bell peppers, nut, and salmon.
Reduce Your Blood Pressure: High blood pressure is another risk factor of glaucoma because it can increase pressure in your eyes. There are a few things you can do to lower your blood pressure, such as reducing sodium in your diet, limiting the amount of alcohol you drink, reducing your stress and drinking fewer caffeinated beverages.
Visit Your Eye Doctor: Whether you are at risk of glaucoma or not, it is very important to visit your eye doctor once a year for an eye exam. He or she can check your eyes for glaucoma and other eye diseases. If glaucoma is found in its early stages, your doctor can give you medication to slow down the progression. If you go years without visiting an eye doctor and glaucoma is detected in the later stages, it will be a lot more difficult to treat.
For more information about glaucoma and how to prevent or treat it, visit an optometrist at a local clinic, such as Montgomery Eye Center.
