Just diagnosed this week

[Eyespy1]

Hi Glaucoma community,I have been diagnosed with early stage glaucoma this week, in one eye. I'm 46 years old, female. My eye pressures in both eyes were 21 - so borderline from what I understand. I had a central retinal vein occlusion in my right eye in 2016 and saw a consultant for18 months until it improved. I'm not sure if that is relevant but this diagnosis just feels like another thing wrong with my right eye!

My grandad and both my parents have glaucoma.

I have loads of questions but the first one is can I still do CrossFit? It's a mixture of olympic weightlifting and gymnastics that I've been doing since the summer, which I love! My eye pressures are not that high, it's very early stages and only in one eye. I'm not lifting excessive weights or doing handstands for over a minute. Does anyone else do this type of exercise with glaucoma?

Thanks

[Beecalmed]

Hi! I don’t know much about CrossFit but I think in the first instance I would be lead by the advice of my consultant. If it is very early days in your diagnosis and if they get your glaucoma stable with drops or SLT then your consultant may consider maintaining your fitness is a good thing and worth any small risk.

However, I was advised to avoid any head below heart activities, any breath holding activities or physical straining activities where positions were held for several minutes as they can raise your eye pressure. Moving through positions swiftly might have less risk but holding a handstand position for several minutes in that position daily might be a small risk of raising eye pressure.

You don’t say what type of glaucoma you have, narrow, open angle or normal tension? Your particular diagnosis may make a difference too. When are you due for your next check? I would put this question on a list and ask my consultant for advice if you are due to be visiting soon. If not a call or email to your consultants secretary might be worthwhile if this y it a causing you anxiety. 👍🏻

[Eyespy1 in reply to Beecalmed]

Thank you for your reply. I'm not seeing my doctor again until the end of January and I want to get to training before then, so I will contact the Dr as you suggested. I don't know what sort I have, I was referred for narrow but it's not that. It's really early stage glaucoma and also a new diagnosis so I'm pretty unclear on loads really! Hopefully things will be clearer over time...

[Beecalmed in reply to Eyespy1]

Yes we’re always blindsided (excuse the pun!) on diagnosis and are usually left with lots of unanswered questions. I do wonder why the consultant doesn’t just hand us a sheet with answers to commonly asked questions but I guess that’s what Glaucoma UK are here for as their website has lots of useful info.

I’m all for balance and moderation in life and if your CrossFit keeps you healthy and you feel good mentally doing it then I’d continue. Just maybe be mindful that you are sure you are breathing steadily through it with no breath holding or too much straining if there’s weights. At least until you can ask your consultant for advice in January anyway.

[Eyespy1 in reply to Beecalmed]

There's a whole world of new puns opened up to me now!😆I've booked to go and see the coaches at CrossFit this evening to update them and look at exactly what you have suggested - how to train whilst being mindful of breathing steadily and not straining or increasing my IOP too much or for too long. I'll review it with the consultant in Jan.

Thank you 😊

[Cornwalleyes]

Hi, I don’t do CrossFit but have done full body workouts throughout my glaucoma, very similar, maybe not quite so hardcore! As everyone else has said you shouldn’t put your head below your heart for longer than a minute so some things are a no - for example if I do burpees or mountain climbers just to be on the safe side I do them with my hands on a low step, maybe 6ins off the floor. That way your head stays slightly higher. The only time I have stopped is after operations on my eyes. Your CrossFit trainers should know how to adapt any exercises for you. Also as everyone has said take a list of questions to your next consultant appt just to be sure. 💪💪😊

[Eyespy1 in reply to Cornwalleyes]

Thank you, that's really reassuring to hear you've done full body exercise throughout your glaucoma and also thanks for some helpful practical suggestions of how to adapt exercises 😊