Updated July 16, 2020, 2:03 p.m.
The glaucoma is an insidious disease. It often remains unnoticed for a long time, so that the optic nerve continues to be damaged. A study gives an indication of how one could lower the risk.
Those who exercise regularly and are on the move may prevent glaucoma eye disease. The German Ophthalmological Society (DOG) reports referring to the results of a study in more than 9,500 women and men between the ages of 40 and 81.
From the perspective of the ophthalmologist Prof. Hagen Thieme, this effect is quite plausible. According to the DOG specialist, endurance sports such as cycling or running temporarily lowered the intraocular pressure. The optic nerve head is better supplied with blood in athletic people. These are factors that could explain why athletes are less likely to get glaucoma.
It is unclear whether exercise might also help to stop an existing illness. The specialist society emphasizes that this has not yet been sufficiently investigated.
Glaucoma: Risk increases with age
Too high intraocular pressure is one of the risk factors for glaucoma, as the glaucoma is also called. The disease is not curable and is often not noticed for a long time. The damage can only be limited by medication, therapy or surgery. The earlier the diagnosis is made, the more the optic nerve can save. The risk of illness increases with increasing age.
According to the DOG, around one million people in Germany have a glaucoma. It is one of the most common causes of blindness. (dpa / kad)
The World Health Organization recommends 10,000 steps a day – this should keep you healthy. But the origin of this myth is by no means a medical study. Rather, the blame is over 50 years of advertising.
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