A recent study has warned that lack of sleep may cause irreparable harm to the eyes, leading to glaucoma-related visual loss.
The research by the Chinese researchers was published in the journal BMJ (British Medical Journal) Open and showed that excessive or insufficient sleep, daytime drowsiness, insomnia, and even snoring can all raise the risk of developing glaucoma.
Glaucoma is a commonly diagnosed illness that damages the optic nerve and is a major cause of blindness. Because the optic nerve links the brain to the eye, an injured nerve can result in total blindness if not diagnosed and treated early.
The Chinese researchers examined 409,053 individuals using information from the UK Biobank. The participants in the study were between the ages of 40 and 69 when they were enrolled between 2006 and 2010. All respondents provided information on their sleeping habits.
Aside from their sleeping habits, the researchers considered each respondent’s age, gender, weight, lifestyle, education, and socioeconomic details.
The study’s participants were followed for nearly ten years, and researchers discovered 8,690 cases of glaucoma.
The majority of the subjects were elderly men and the link between glaucoma and smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes was also discovered.
People who slept for under seven hours or over nine hours were observed to be 8% more prone to developing glaucoma. Snorers were found to be 4% more likely, while daytime sleepers were 20% more likely to develop glaucoma.
The authors revealed in a statement to the media that the findings highlight the need for sleep intervention for those at high risk of glaucoma, as well as prospective ophthalmologic screening for people with persistent sleep disorders to help avoid glaucoma, as sleep behaviors can be altered and improved.
