INSUFFICIENT SLEEP APPEARS TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH GLAUCOMA, a leading cause of blindness. That is the conclusion of researchers examining more than 400,000 individuals. Today we explore the relationship between sleep and eye health.
Glaucoma is a group of optic nerve-damaging eye conditions. The optic nerve transmits visual information from your eye to the brain. Optic nerve damage is often associated with high pressure in the eye (as is often the case with glaucoma). Still, glaucoma can occur even if you have normal eye pressure.
While glaucoma can occur at any age, it is more common among older adults. The disease is a leading cause of blindness for people over age 60.
Today we explore a United Kingdom study that explores the relationship between insufficient sleep and glaucoma risk.
Glaucoma basics
Glaucoma worsens over time and tends to run in families. Glaucoma can lead to permanent vision loss or blindness within a few years if the damage worsens.
Most individuals have no early symptoms (such as pain or visual loss). By regularly visiting your eye doctor, you are more likely to diagnose and manage glaucoma before you have a long-term visual loss.
Once the vision is lost, you cannot recover it. However, lowering eye pressure may help you keep the vision you have. Fortunately, most individuals with glaucoma who are diligent about regular eye examinations and follow their treatment plan will retain their vision.
Glaucoma causes
Normally, our eye’s fluid (or aqueous humor) flows out of the eye through a mesh-like channel. The fluid can build up if the channel is blocked (or if the eye produces too much fluid). Unfortunately, we don’t know the cause of the blockage, but one can inherit risk.
Less common causes of glaucoma include:
- Eye injury (such as from a chemical or blunt trauma; uncommonly from eye surgery for another condition)
- Eye infection, severe
- Blood vessel blockage in the eye
- Inflammatory conditions
- Steroid medicines
Glaucoma typically affects both eyes but may be worse in one than the other.
Glaucoma types
According to WebMD, there are two main forms of the condition: open-angle and angle-closure glaucoma. Open-angle (wide-angle) glaucoma is the most common type. The eye’s drain structure (trabecular meshwork) looks normal, but the fluid doesn’t flow out as it should.
With acute or chronic angle-closure (narrow-angle) glaucoma, the eye doesn’t drain properly because the drainage space between your iris and cornea is too narrow. The result? A sudden buildup of pressure within the eye. Angle-closure glaucoma is associated with cataracts and farsightedness.
Less common types include normal-tension glaucoma, a condition with visual blind spots. Alternatively, the optic nerve is damaged, even though the intraocular pressure is normal. Some view it as a form of open-angle glaucoma.
Finally, pigmentary glaucoma involves very small pigment pieces from your iris (the colored portion of your eye) getting into the eye fluid and clogging the drainage canals.
Glaucoma risk factors
While glaucoma most commonly affects adults over 40, one can suffer from the disease at any age. African-Americans are more likely to suffer from the condition at a younger age and with more vision loss.
After cataracts, glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in African Americans. The Glaucoma Research Foundation explains that many people are unaware that:
Glaucoma strikes earlier and progresses faster in African Americans. The glaucoma risk is 1.2-times higher if the condition runs in the family. Other factors putting African Americans at even greater risk include age over 40, extreme nearsightedness, high blood pressure, diabetes, and prolonged steroid use.
Glaucoma is five times more common among African Americans. Glaucoma-related blindness is roughly six times more common. Glaucoma often occurs at an earlier age in African Americans — on average, about ten years earlier than in other ethnic populations.
We don’t know why African Americans have a higher risk, but inherited genetics plays a role.
Other glaucoma risk factors include:
- African American, Russian, Irish, Japanese, Hispanic, Scandanavian, or Inuit ancestry
- Age over 40
- A family history of glaucoma
- You are nearsighted or farsighted.
- Poor vision
- Diabetes
- Steroid medications such as prednisone
- Certain bladder control or seizure drugs. Select over-the-counter cold medicines may raise the risk.
- Eye injury
- Corneas that are thinner than usual
- Hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, or sickle cell anemia
- High eye pressure
Glaucoma symptoms and diagnosis
Most individuals who have open-angle glaucoma do not have symptoms (unless the disease is late in its progression). The primary symptom is a loss of peripheral (side) vision.
Angle-closure glaucoma symptoms typically come on more rapidly and are more apparent. Because damage can quickly occur, if you have any of the following symptoms, please seek medical care: Visual loss; seeing halos around lights; eye redness; eye pain; an upset stomach or vomiting; a hazy-appearing eye (especially in infants).
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