Glaucoma, an eye disease that affects about 3 million people in the United States, can slowly rob you of vision as it progresses. People with glaucoma -- or those at risk of the condition -- should eat a healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fat. However, there's no medical evidence that high sodium intake can cause glaucoma or contribute to your risk of the condition.
Background
If you have glaucoma, your eyes cannot drain fluid properly. This causes the fluid to build up behind the eye, leading to high intraocular pressure. Once that occurs, the pressure can damage your optic nerve and lead to loss of vision. People with glaucoma usually don't have symptoms initially, but as the condition progresses, they'll notice blurred vision and some pain. Treatments involve prescription eye drops and other medications, plus laser surgery in some severe cases.
Association
No medical evidence shows that high sodium can cause or even serve as a risk factor for glaucoma. However, people who have high blood pressure -- a condition definitely linked to sodium intake -- also carry a higher risk of glaucoma. It's possible that having high blood pressure might raise your risk of glaucoma, but there's no medical evidence definitively proving such a link. If you have both glaucoma and high blood pressure, talk to your doctor about how much sodium you should consume each day.
Recommendations
According to the National Institutes of Health, you shouldn't consume more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day if you're completely healthy. People with high blood pressure need to limit their sodium even more -- preferably, you should consume no more than 1,500 mg per day if you have hypertension. Processed foods often contain lots of salt, so read labels carefully to make sure you're not getting too much.
Considerations
To reduce your risk of glaucoma or to slow the condition if you've been diagnosed with it, consider asking your physician to test you for food allergies, especially to dairy products, gluten-containing foods, corn and soy. According to University of Maryland Medical Center, food allergies and sensitivities can increase your risk of glaucoma. Focus on eating a very healthy diet high in antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables such as berries, peppers and leafy greens, and low in processed foods, red meats and fried food. Such a diet likely will be naturally low in sodium.
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