Kissimmee & Lake Nona Eye Care; Vision Health vs Poor Sleep

The newest research has found a link between poor sleep and eye health. This new eye opening study found Glaucoma, a disease having to do with the optic nerve, has a connection with poor sleep. Published in the Journal of Glaucoma, the study of over 6,700 people over the age of 40 and the results can aid in the advancement in treatment. 

Glaucoma is known as the silent thief because it often goes unnoticed.

Typically, the vision loss and nerve damage aren’t revealed until an eye exam is performed. According to an article in the American Academy of Ophthalmology;

The study found an association between having glaucoma and having various sleep problems. Among the findings:

• People who slept for 10 or more hours a night were three times more likely to have glaucoma-related optic nerve damage than those who slept 7 hours a night.
• People who fell asleep in 9 minutes or less, or those who needed 30 minutes or more to fall asleep, were twice as likely to have glaucoma than those who took 10-29 minutes to fall asleep.
• The odds of having missing vision were three times higher among people who got 3 or fewer or 10 or more hours of sleep per night, compared with those who got 7 hours a night.
• People who said they had trouble remembering things because of daytime sleepiness were twice as likely to have visual field loss than those who said they were not sleepy during the day and did not notice memory problems.
• People who said they had difficulty working on a hobby because they were sleepy during the day were three times more likely to have vision loss than people who reported no problems working on hobbies and no daytime sleepiness.

“This study is interesting in that it adds to other research looking at the association between glaucoma and sleep problems,” says Michael Boland, MD, PhD, one of the study’s authors and a glaucoma specialist at the Wilmer Eye Institute of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD.

“We already know that doctors should talk with their patients about the importance of healthy sleep for good overall health. With studies like this, we can add that glaucoma may be related to sleep health issues,” says Dr. Boland.

The first defense against any type of vision loss is an eye exam

It is important to take preventive measures. When was the last time you or your family had a comprehensive eye exam? After all, it is the best defense in catching eye issues in the early stages. Contact Lake Nona for an appointment today.

The post Kissimmee & Lake Nona Eye Care; Vision Health vs Poor Sleep appeared first on Lake Nona Eye Care.