LIFESTYLE CHANGES

LIFESTYLE CHANGES 1,2,3,4,5,6

Living with glaucoma? Don’t worry, here are a few lifestyles changes you can follow to protect your eyes and prevent further damage.

1. Exercise

Moderate aerobic exercise like walking, cycling, or swimming reduces eye pressure. Avoid heavy weightlifting, straining as these may increase the Intraocular Pressure.

  • Practice eye yoga which involves eye movements that may strengthen the muscles in your eyes.
  • Meditation helps in reducing stress
  • Deep breathing exercises help in stress management and reduces

Reference:

  1. National Eye How to put in eye drops [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Eye Institute; 2022 [cited 2025 Sep 2]. Available from: https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/ eye-conditions-and-diseases/glaucoma/glaucoma-medicines/how-put-eye-drops

2. DIET

A healthy diet plays a supportive role in managing glaucoma by promoting overall eye health and helping maintain stable intraocular pressure (IOP). While diet alone cannot cure or stop glaucoma, it can enhance the effectiveness of treatment and protect the optic nerve from further damage.

The foods rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids can help improve blood flow to the eyes and reduce oxidative stress.

  • Orange coloured vegetables and fruits with vitamin A
  • Fruits and veggies are rich in Vitamin C
  • Green leafy vegetables: rich in lutein and zeaxanthin
  • Meat, fish, milk, and eggs: rich in vitamin B3

3. Regular Eye Check-Ups

Staying consistent with follow-up appointments ensures that glaucoma is kept under control and your eye health is closely monitored over time.

Since glaucoma often progresses without noticeable symptoms in the early stages, routine eye exams allow your eye specialist to monitor intraocular pressure (IOP), assess optic nerve health, and detect any changes in your visual field

4. Protect Your Eyes

Staying consistent with follow-up appointments ensures that glaucoma is kept under control and your eye health is closely monitored over time.

Since glaucoma often progresses without noticeable symptoms in the early stages, routine eye exams allow your eye specialist to monitor intraocular pressure (IOP), assess optic nerve health, and detect any changes in your visual field

5. Avoid Cigarette Smoking

Avoiding cigarette smoking is crucial for people with or at risk of glaucoma. A study showed that individuals who smoked more cigarette packs per day had higher chances of developing glaucoma.

Quitting smoking not only helps protect your eyes but also improves overall health, including better blood circulation and lung function.

These habits don’t cure glaucoma, but they help preserve your remaining vision and prevent avoidable damage. 

Reference:

  1. Glaucoma Research Exercise, diet and other lifestyle changes for people living with glaucoma [Internet]. San Francisco (CA): Glaucoma Research Foundation; 2021 [cited 2025 Sep 2]. Available from: https://glaucoma.org/articles/exercise-diet-and-other-lifestyle-changes-for-people-living-with-glaucoma
  1. Chahal R, Jindal A, Parmar UPS, Singh RB, Bhartiya S, Ichhpujani Lifestyle Measures for Glaucoma Patients: An Objective Social Media Content Analysis. J Curr Glaucoma Pract. 2023 Jul-Sep;17(3):141-148. doi: 10.5005/jp-journals-10078-1412. PMID: 37920374; PMCID: PMC10618604.
  2. Glaucoma Research Managing glaucoma: effective lifestyle changes [Internet]. San Francisco (CA): Glaucoma Research Foundation; 2021 [cited 2025 Sep 2]. Available from: https://glaucoma.org/articles/managing-glaucoma-effective-lifestyle-changes
  3. Complete Eye The link between smoking and glaucoma [Internet]. Belmont (NC): Complete Eye Care; 2018 [cited 2025 Sep 2]. Available from: https://www.completeeyecare.net/eye-care-services/management-of-ocular-diseases/the-link-between-smoking-and-glaucoma/#:~:text=A%202018%20retrospective%20study%20found,is%20significantly%20  affected%20by%20smoking
  1. Merle BMJ, Moreau G, Masset H, Delyfer MN, Korobelnik JF, Rougier Cigarette smoking and risk for primary open-angle glaucoma: the Alienor Study. Ophthalmology. 2022 Oct;129(10):1132 -40. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2022.04.019. PMID: 35643242.
  2. Green Opticians. Smoking and eye health [Internet]. London: Green Opticians; 2020 [cited 2025 Sep 2]. Available from: https://greenopticians.co.uk/common-eye-conditions/smoking-and-eye-health/