When you’re faced with the news that you have a medical condition, whether it is an eye disease like glaucoma or something else, it’s natural to reflect on your lifestyle and see if there are any changes you can make to benefit your health. Our helpline sometimes receives calls asking about whether there are specific foods people can introduce into their diet to help with healthy vision.
What’s good for general health is also good for glaucoma patients: a balanced diet with the recommended five-a-day fruit and veg, regular exercise and not smoking. Drinking plenty of water is important to keep your body hydrated and can be especially beneficial for people who have dry eyes.
Lots of the minerals, vitamins and other chemicals in foods are thought to be beneficial for our vision. Here are some examples:
Please remember these will not improve the vision you have lost due to your glaucoma but consuming them might help you stay fit and healthy now and in the future. Also, proving the beneficial effects of certain chemicals is very difficult – research is ongoing, and we cannot say conclusively any food or chemical will prevent or protect against glaucoma or other vision loss. We have also listed a few herbs and spices which are recommended for good eye health. So, you can add them to your next shopping list!
As with everything in life the key is ‘moderation’. But, above all, there is no substitute for conventional treatments. Keep up with your drops and take your consultant’s advice on what treatments you need.
When you’re faced with the news that you have a medical condition, whether it is an eye disease like glaucoma or something else, it’s natural to reflect on your lifestyle and see if there are any changes you can make to benefit your health. Our helpline sometimes receives calls asking about whether there are specific […]
Nishani Amerasinghe completed the Everest in the Alps challenge, raising over £18,000 for Glaucoma UK so far! As a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon and Glaucoma Specialist at University Hospital Southampton, Nishani regularly sees the impact glaucoma can have on people. She’s also witnessed it in her own family, with her father having lived with the disease […]
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