Glaucoma affects nearly 70 million people worldwide and is one of the leading causes of vision loss, according to the National Eye Institute. Regular aerobic exercise can help reduce the risk factors for the disease and may even be able to prevent it. Although exercise is often a useful part of a comprehensive treatment program, only your doctor can determine if it's appropriate in your case.
Identification
Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that lead to unusually high pressure inside your eye, known as intraocular pressure, which results in damage to your optic nerve. The two main types of glaucoma are the primary open-angle form that causes a gradual loss of peripheral vision and acute angle-closure glaucoma, which has a sudden onset with pain and blurred vision. Both types can be of unknown cause or the result of an eye injury, inflammation, tumor, cataracts or diabetes.
Benefits
Regular exercise can reduce intraocular eye pressure in open-angle glaucoma, as well as improve blood flow to the retina and optic nerve, according to Johns Hopkins Health Alerts. Jogging for 20 minutes can lower your IOP by 1 to 8 mm Hg, and weightlifting can decrease IOP by 14.5 percent. Exercise benefits even apply to sedentary individuals who begin an exercise program with improvements in as little as three months. Unlike open-angle glaucoma, however, exercise has no effect on closed-angle glaucoma and may increase eye pressure in some patients.
Potential
A seven-year study investigated the effects of exercise on glaucoma risk in 29,854 non-diabetic male runners. After adjusting for age, cigarette use, diet and heart disease, the researchers' results, published in "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise" in August 2009, found that vigorous activity may help prevent or delay glaucoma, especially in those with the greatest cardiovascular fitness.
Exercise Types
The University of Illinois Eye & Ear Infirmary recommends isokinetic and aerobic exercise to help reduce intraocular pressure. Isokinetic exercises use movements at a controlled rate of speed, such as a stationary bicycle set at 90 revolutions per minute or special types of weight-training machines. Aerobic exercises include anything that raises your pulse rate 20 percent to 25 percent, which the UI Eye & Ear Infirmary recommends you perform for 20 minutes at least four times a week. Yoga or other exercises that use a head-down or inverted position may increase IOP and be harmful for glaucoma patients. Avoid holding your breath while weight-lifting, as this can also increase IOP.
Considerations
Exercise benefits for glaucoma only last as long as you keep exercising regularly. Intraocular pressure increases again if you stop exercising for more than two weeks. If you are exercising and experience a severe headache or pain near your eye, or have blurred vision or rainbow halos around lights, seek immediate medical care from your doctor or an emergency room.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Glaucoma
- Johns Hopkins Health Alerts: Exercise and Glaucoma: Staying Fit Benefits Your Eyes
- The Eye Digest: Drug Treatment for Glaucoma
- "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise"; Relationship of Incident Glaucoma versus Physical Activity and Fitness in Male Runners; Paul T. Williams; August 2010
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Glaucoma - Lifestyle Changes
