eye health

[Cobblers12]

Hi

Am new to this, so pls excuse any ignorance !

Want to gain info re my glaucoma problems, and if i'm doing anything wrong/could do anything better....

[pinks223]

hi cobbers12

Could you provide more information on what u think u might be doing wrong ect ? My specialist says my glaucoma is complex ( high pressures had lazer on both eyes ( thankfully at the moment pressure has dropped) I hope mine stays that way I’m on 2 lots of drops lanoprast & timodol ( I’m apparently on the highest dose available ) my pressures were very high last pressure check in left eye was 35 massive it’s very scary as when I was first diagnosed it was 29 it has skyrocketed during the many long covid lockdown we had in Australia and was only allowed back to see dr this year I imagine this has not helped things at all the no access to health care providers. Try to take each day as it comes it’s the only advice I can give , eat a healthy diet , exercise & try to live every day fully & happily focus on the now and not the what ifs

[Cobblers12 in reply to pinks223]

Thanks very much for this, Pinks....yes, i do try and be healthy (exercising vegan non smoker, very occasional drinker, etc ). Just not sure -as so many conflicting answers - re activities like jogging : is it ok after or better before adding drops ? If i add drops before, sometimes i can taste them during the run; if after, is it too late as i've increased the eye pressures now ?

[pinks223 in reply to Cobblers12]

hi cobbers12

The taste from eye drops means they may not be fully absorbed ( you need to put your finger or a tissue on your tear duct for 2 minutes each drop application to stop it from coming out- I only found this out by contacting glaucoma Australia & found out last week one lot of drops I use has to be kept in the fridge:/ after nearly a year of use ooops, :/) I don’t know about running I doubt running would increase your eye pressure it’s caused by too much fluid in the eye that doesn’t drain properly out . I walk a lot the only thing I heard was bad is swimming under water , weight lifting and a few other things ) running is especially good at making u feel good and good for your overall health . Definitely ask ur specialist for more info on what u can/ cannot do & contact your county glaucoma foundation they can be extremely helpful with information and advise . But try to live your life too don’t get bogged down in it as hard as it is not to worry I certainly do worry about it and absolutely dread eye pressure checks but I try to keep busy and active

[Cobblers12 in reply to pinks223]

Thanks again, Pinks. Yes, do the finger thing , but wasn't aware re the fridge ( is that just so you can definitely tell if you've dropped 'on target' ?). Try to wash face before (or at least 1/2 hour after) eye dropping, and will have to check my specialist re weight lifting ( i only do small amounts). Hope you can overcome your worries....

[pinks223 in reply to Cobblers12]

nah fridge thing is to keep the active ingredient in the eye drops from going bad ( apparently this can increase eye pressure by incorrectly storing eye drops in humid or hot conditions)

[NewSh0e]

hi Cobblers, as Pinks has said, please tell us more eg. what type of glaucoma do you have? That determines not only the important things mentioned above, but also, for example, OTC medication that should be avoided, or changes to your sleeping position that might help.

Have you been given drops to take?

[Cobblers12 in reply to NewSh0e]

yes, thanks, Newshoe; i'm on brinzolamide(2x Daily) & ganfort (1x Daily) at moment. I think my Glauc is called "O A " , but Wow ! ~ even sleep position can make a difference ?! I've never heard of that.....

[Alprof]

There is no specific things to do really however the most important advice is to make perodic checks to your IOP, take your medicine relgiously as presribed by your consultant and exercise regularly.

[Cobblers12 in reply to Alprof]

That's what's happening at moment; thanks Alprof ...will keep it up.

[praying4cure]

First professional advice I was given: Avoid caffeine, no head-down activities (headstands, etc.), no lifting heavy weights above your head, or otherwise straining to the degree that you close off your throat. Do activities that increase your heart rate and blood flow. Take your prescribed medications as directed. These organizations provide many resources for learning more about glaucoma and its treatment: glaucoma.org/learn-about-gl... These videos offer a wealth of information, also: glaucoma.org/learn-about-gl...

[Cobblers12 in reply to praying4cure]

That's helpful advice; thankyou...will check those videos. I wondered about caffeine, after reading that somewhere, but my specialist said there was conclusive proof yet. And it looks like some of my backache exercises will have to be dropped then .

[praying4cure in reply to Cobblers12]

There are many exercises for back pain that don't involve head-down or face-down positions. (Try a YouTube search for physical therapy for back pain.) When I was diagnosed, I gave up yoga and pilates classes entirely. My fitness routine today consists mostly of long walks, stretches, and balance exercises. I do miss the classes, but feel it's a small price to pay to preserve my vision.

[Cobblers12 in reply to praying4cure]

yes, agreed, Thanks.

[Alprof in reply to praying4cure]

Hi. I am always dying for a cup of coffee in the morning. I have spoken to my consultant about the caffeine. She said there is No problem taking coffee in moderation e.g one cup a day may be. Excessive drinking of caffeine is not adviciable and may raise the IOP.

[praying4cure in reply to Alprof]

Yes, I should have been more precise. I was initially told to avoid caffeine altogether, but a few years later, I was at a glaucoma conference, and was surprised to see coffee offered as a refreshment. I questioned that, and was told that more recent research has shown that a single cup of regular coffee (not high-caffeine espresso), is safe and may even offer a benefit. Personally, I've avoided it so long, I don't intend to begin now unless it can be shown conclusively to be beneficial.

[Alprof in reply to praying4cure]

That is very wis. As we say:Leave what makes you doubtful , for what does not.

[Cobblers12 in reply to praying4cure]

ok, good advice, thanks. Would love to give it up, but suppose there are worse things to be addicted to...

[muddledme]

Hello Cobblers12,

You have been given some helpful suggestions , and I would add the Glaucoma UK Digital Webinars available on You Tube. They are all excellent talks covering many aspects of Glaucoma.

New talks are ongoing and can be found on the Glaucoma UK website.

[Cobblers12 in reply to muddledme]

Thanks Muddledme, i'll have a look for some of those...

[Trish_GlaucomaUK Partner]

Hello. I can see you have had lots of helpful info to your post.

The most importance thing is compliance. Take the drops at the same time each day as prescribed by your consultant. Brinzolamide 12 hours apart and the Ganfort at the same time each night. Choose a time that suits you, and stick with it.

Closing your eyes and pressing on your tearduct for up to 2 minutes after putting your drops in can help reduce the amount of drops getting to the back of your throat and into your blood stream, which can encourage side effects. You will also notice that you dont taste the drops, or at least not as much as you did.

It doesnt matter whether you jog before or after the drops, just make sure the times you go jogging doesnt interfere with the time that you put your drops in.

Also, if you have any concerns regarding your treatment, have a chat with your consultant,and make them aware.

[Cobblers12 in reply to Trish_GlaucomaUK]

Thanks very much, Trish; very helpful. Yes, i do all these, but glad to know the jogging doesn't matter, as long as timings not affected