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There aren’t many more precious things to each and every individual out there than our sight. Everything we do during every day depends on our vision. Because of this, the most feared medical condition among people of all age groups is blindness. So for all people in the world suffering from diabetes, it is essential to know that they’re at a higher risk of glaucoma. The worst thing about glaucoma is that it shows no signs until there is nothing we can do to reverse it. The only way to ensure our eyesight isn’t damaged is early detection followed by immediate treatment.

What Is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is an eye disease that takes your eyesight without warning. The leading cause behind it is the buildup of fluid in our eyes. The fluid creates pressure on the optic nerve, which will, with time, cause nerve damage and eventually blindness. In the United States, glaucoma is the primary reason behind vision loss. The bad news is that 10% of people who get an early diagnosis of glaucoma and undergo treatment will go blind regardless. In situations where glaucoma hasn’t fully progressed, you can stop it from expanding with treatment. For those who have lost their vision, there’s no going back.

Open-angle glaucoma is the most common type of this disease. It is caused by inefficient fluid drainage in the eye. If discovered in time, it can be treated with great success. Many eye diseases have a connection with diabetes, and open-angle glaucoma is one of them. Neovascular glaucoma is another one.

Reducing Diabetic Risks for Glaucoma 1
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Risk Factors for Glaucoma

According to a study conducted by the Michigan Kellogg Eye Center, people who have diabetes have 35% more chance than others to suffer from glaucoma. But the risk factors don’t stop there. Other notable ones include being over the age of 60, having glaucoma run in your family, having other eye injuries or conditions, using corticosteroids for a long time, having estrogen deficiency, or having other issues with your eyesight, heart, or high blood pressure.

While these risk factors point in the direction of those who are at the greatest risk, this condition can happen to anyone. There are even recorded cases of glaucoma in infants. What makes this disease even more threatening is that it has almost no symptoms. When glaucoma appears, our vision starts to deteriorate. The first part of our vision that suffers is the peripheral vision. Most people compensate for the loss of peripheral vision by turning their head, which results in late detection of glaucoma. Because of this, the real damage has already been done.

Beating Glaucoma

According to statistics, there are 3 million people in the United States alone who have this disease. The staggering fact is that 50% of them are not even aware that they have it. As we mentioned, glaucoma doesn’t have any symptoms besides apparent vision loss. To detect this condition without losing your eyesight completely, you should schedule regular eye exams. If you do this, you will give yourself a higher chance of detecting glaucoma early in its development. There are types of glaucoma that are relatively easy to treat, but only if you find out that you have this condition in time. It is essential to discover it before it spreads, as this is the only way to preserve your vision. If you found yourself in the risk factors we named above, you shouldn’t waste any time—schedule a visit to an eye doctor straight away.

Vision Foods to Include in Your Diet

Foods that are recommended for glaucoma patients are those that are good for our vision. They include fruits and vegetables rich in carotenoids, lutein, and zeaxanthin such as spinach, collard greens, and kale. Additionally, yellow corn, okra, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, mangoes, green beans, sweet potatoes, lima beans, squash, bell peppers of any color, and egg yolks.

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