January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month. Glaucoma is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness in the United States. It is a condition in which elevated eye pressure may damage the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain. There are many different types of glaucoma, but the most common type in the United States is open-angle glaucoma. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 50% of people with glaucoma do not know they have the disease because there are often no early symptoms.
Although anyone can get glaucoma, some people are at higher risk. You are at higher risk if you:
- Are over 60 years old, especially if you are Hispanic or Latino.
- Are African American and over 40 years old.
- Have a family history of glaucoma.
- Have diabetes.
When thinking about keeping your muscles toned, you don’t usually think about your eyes, but the eye is the most active and fastest working muscle in your entire body. And they’re extremely tough muscles at that. While you need to warm up your body’s muscles to get them prepped, your eyes are ready to rumble 24/7. While we’re not telling you to try to strap on mini weights to your eyelids and do a few reps in the mornings (no really, please don’t), it turns out regular exercise for your BODY can also reap benefits to your peepers.
Researchers have found that moderate intensity, low-impact exercise, like walking two to three times a week, may lower pressure on your optic nerves. Increasing pressure within the eyeball, or Glaucoma, causes irreparable damage to this nerve, so relieving that pressure with exercise could have a significant impact on your eye health.
As for other conditions that can negatively affect your eye health, recent studies have discovered that not only do those brisk walks or runs decrease your risk of getting age-related cataracts, but a LACK of physical activity may actually increase the likelihood of you getting them. And still another 15-year study of over 4,000 older adults revealed that active people who exercised three or more times a week were less apt to get age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is no joke. That’s when abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the retina and leak fluid and blood into the eye. Yeah, gross. And what’s even more upsetting is that AMD is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in adults over 60. So get moving and you’ll see clearly, better and longer!
Currently, there is no cure for glaucoma, but you can help preserve your vision health and prevent vision loss by taking the actions below:
- Get a comprehensive dilated eye exam to catch glaucoma early and start treatment. Prescription eye drops can stop glaucoma from progressing. Your eye care specialist will recommend how often to return for follow-up exams.
- Maintain a healthy weight, control your blood pressure, stay physically active, and avoid smoking. These healthy behaviors will also help you avoid vision loss from glaucoma and will help prevent other chronic conditions as well.
- Get immediate medical help if you have severe eye pain or a sudden loss of vision.
For more information and resources about glaucoma, visit the CDC’s Don’t Let Glaucoma Steal Your Sight webpage.
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