A study of more than 6,700 people in the United States over
age 40 who were previously diagnosed with glaucoma based on their optic nerve
damage and visual field loss, responded to a survey about their sleep that
revealed possible connections between glaucoma and sleep problems. Glaucoma is a disease of
the optic nerve. Damage to this nerve-which is responsible for
sending signals from the eye to the brain so you can see-often goes unnoticed
until an eye exam reveals the nerve damage and related vision
loss caused by glaucoma.
Patients were
asked and responded to questions about a) amount of time slept, b) difficulties
falling asleep, c) sleep disturbances specifically waking up during sleep, d) having
diagnosed sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, e) use of sleep medication and f) problems with
sleepiness during the day.
The results revealed the following interesting
information:
- People who
slept for 10 or more hours a night were three times more likely to have
glaucoma-related optic nerve damage than those who slept 7 hours a night.
- People who
fell asleep in 9 minutes or less, or those who needed 30 minutes or more
to fall asleep, were twice as likely to have glaucoma than those who took
10-29 minutes to fall asleep.
- The odds
of having missing vision were three times higher among people who got 3 or
fewer or 10 or more hours of sleep per night, compared with those who got
7 hours a night.
- People who
said they had trouble remembering things because of daytime sleepiness
were twice as likely to have visual field loss than those who said they
were not sleepy during the day and did not notice memory problems.
- People who said they had difficulty working on
a hobby because they were sleepy during the day were three times more
likely to have vision loss than people who reported no problems working on
hobbies and no daytime sleepiness.
While it is unclear whether the sleep problems are a
result of some glaucoma related phenomenon or perhaps whether these sleep
problems might be early risk factors for glaucoma, it is important to mention
to your eye doctor whether you experience sleep problems. Schedule an eye
health exam beginning at age 40 at Alabama Eye & Cataract Center in
Birmingham at 205-930-0930, visit Alabama Eye &
Cataract Center
or www.facebook.com/alabamaeyecataractcenter.
