Caffeine is a stimulant that affects the central nervous system. If you drink coffee, tea or soda, or if you eat chocolate, you likely consume some amount of caffeine. Many people have a high intake of caffeine through food and drink, and in healthy individuals, this may not cause any complications. If you have glaucoma, however, drinking caffeine could increase your risk for damaging your optic nerve due to high eye pressure.
Glaucoma
Aqueous fluid flows into the front of your eye as some of the aqueous leaves through the drainage canal. If the fluid cannot drain properly, the excess aqueous will cause your eye pressure to increase. Short, infrequent occurrences will not typically result in complications, but a consistently high eye pressure will damage the optic nerve, the nerve fibers that transmit visual information to your brain. This damage, a condition called glaucoma, will lead to progressive, permanent loss of vision.
Caffeine Effects
Consuming high quantities of caffeine in a relatively short period of time could increase intraocular pressure, explains the Glaucoma Research Foundation. These pressure spikes could last one to three hours, but the duration will depend on the amount of caffeine you consume. If you drink coffee or caffeinated sodas throughout the day, this could raise your risk for damage.
Alternatives
If you have glaucoma, you may decide to take every precaution to prevent damage to your eyes and vision. You may switch to decaffeinated coffee and sodas. Simply limiting your caffeine intake may help reduce the risk of intraocular pressure spikes.
Prognosis
Optic nerve damage from high eye pressure occurs slowly, and you will not typically experience signs or symptoms until damage reaches an advanced stage of vision loss. To prevent damage and loss of vision, your eye doctor will prescribe medicated eye drops to reduce eye pressure. If you have concerns regarding pressure spikes from caffeine, inform your eye doctor. He can help you determine a plan for your caffeine intake, basing recommendations on the health of your eyes and whether you have advanced damage.
Considerations
Most people with glaucoma take prescription eye drops to help reduce intraocular pressure. Use these drops as directed by your eye doctor. Do not stop the drops unless directed by your doctor and do not increase or decrease the number of times you use your drops each day. If you have concerns about your medication use, inform your eye doctor so she can change your medications or adjust your dose schedule.
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