Let’s learn about glaucoma

When it comes to hardworking organs, your eyes definitely deserve some love! Your eyes are at work tirelessly, helping you to see, connect with, and experience the world.

As we age, much like the rest of our organs, the eyes also start to become affected by “wear and tear”. We can also blame genetics, lifestyle factors, and environmental factors for eye health problems.

Let’s understand a bit more about glaucoma and the steps we can take to protect our eye health for as long as possible.

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is caused by damage to the optic nerve in your eye. Over time, the condition can get worse, and it’s usually triggered by an increase in pressure inside your eye. The human eye is almost like a balloon filled with fluid. To keep the pressure balanced, fluid needs to drain out regularly, but with glaucoma, the fluid doesn’t drain properly. This leads to pressure build-up, which in turn, affects the optic nerve.

Generally, glaucoma runs in families, and it tends to develop later in life. Glaucoma is often thought of as a silent threat as it can evolve without any obvious symptoms at first, and so, many people may not realise they have the condition until their vision worsens. The danger is that if left untreated, glaucoma can lead to blindness.

Glaucoma symptoms

As glaucoma symptoms could be erratic and the condition could develop silently, the most important thing you can do is get regular eye check-ups. Even if you think your eyesight is perfect, try to do an eye test at least once a year. Common symptoms include intense eye pain, slowly losing peripheral vision, nausea and vomiting (for some), and seeing “rings” around lights.

Managing your eye health

Go to the doctor if you experience changes in colour on any part of your eyes, blurred vision even when something is close by, difficulty focusing on near or distant objects, or eye pain. Seeing dots and spots, eye infections, and headaches from bright lights, are also worth chatting to a doctor about.

While many eye health problems are natural effects of ageing, your diet can impact your eye health. Add more vitamin-rich foods to your diet, including spinach, broccoli, green peas, tangerines, and sweetcorn. Vitamin C is an excellent eye helper, and it's easy to find in oranges, tomatoes, naartjies and other citrus fruits. Stock up on foods rich in Vitamin E. These include sweet potatoes, vegetable oils, and nuts. Zinc is another nutrient that is beneficial for eye health. You can take a supplement or get your fill of red meat, nuts, seeds, and shellfish. Zinc is important as it carries Vitamin A from the liver to the retina. A Vitamin B12 deficiency might also be to blame for eyesight problems – mainly blurry vision. Get your Vitamin B12 levels tested at the doctor and add fortified cereals, fish, salmon, and eggs to your diet.

We can’t stress this enough: take regular breaks from your phone, computer, and TV screens! The always-on digital lifestyle, contributes to increased eye strain and if you want to stay sharp-eyed, make a conscious effort to step away from your screen at least every 30 minutes. While you’re at it, set a time limit on your late-night scrolling. Blue light from screens worsens sleep problems and stimulates your mind to stay awake. Plus, squinting at a tiny screen can lead to eye wrinkles and cause blurry vision.

Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only. Always check with your doctor or medical practitioner about any health concerns, before embarking on any fitness or nutrition programme, or using any medication.