A glaucoma diagnosis can be scary, leaving you worried about your eyesight and feeling uncertain about your future. At Clarity Eye Group, we understand your concerns, and our goal is to give you effective treatments and actionable advice that improve your eye health, vision, and life.
Our patients often ask about nutrition and whether it can help manage glaucoma. The answer is an emphatic yes. In this blog, our doctors explain how to boost your nutrition and improve your glaucoma.
Add Amazing Antioxidants
Antioxidants help protect against free radicals, unstable molecules that can worsen optic nerve damage and glaucoma.
Increase the number of leafy greens, berries, and citrus fruits you eat to add antioxidants to your diet.
Grab Some Good Fats: Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are the “good” fats. They help reduce intraocular pressure (IOP), the major factor in most cases of glaucoma.
Omega-3s are found in fatty fish like tuna and salmon. Flaxseeds, walnuts, and chia seeds are other sources of omega-3s. You can also purchase fortified foods with extra omega-3s, such as eggs, yogurt, and milk.
Help Your Eyes with Healthy Hydration
Hydration becomes more important than ever when you have glaucoma.
Drinking at least eight glasses of water, spaced throughout the day, can maintain fluid balance in your eyes and help stabilize your eye pressure, not to mention avoid IOP spikes.
Avoiding substances that cause dehydration is also important, so we recommend limiting caffeine and alcohol.
Explore Essential Eye Nutrients
Certain vitamins and minerals play a crucial role in eye health. For example, vitamins A, C, and E can particularly benefit eye health and may be important in glaucoma prevention when taken together.
Carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, and almonds are excellent sources of these nutrients. In some cases, our doctors might also recommend taking supplements.
Blast These Bad Foods Out of Your Diet
Foods high in trans and saturated fats (“bad” fats), sugar, and sodium can cause eye inflammation, increased IOP, and other damaging effects. Controlling these foods can improve your eye and whole-body health.
Get Expert Glaucoma Care in Huntington and Newport Beach
At Clarity Eye Group, we offer comprehensive care for glaucoma. We take a multipronged approach to glaucoma management. Often, glaucoma management plans start with a combination of lifestyle changes (like the good nutrition we discussed above) and medical treatments.
We offer comprehensive glaucoma treatments, including eye drops to lower IOP and advanced surgical procedures like trabeculoplasty and iridotomy. With many decades of collective experience, our surgeons focus on optimal outcomes for every patient.
Need expert glaucoma care? You’re not alone, and we’re ready to help. Trust your vision and eye health to our experts. Call us at (714) 842-0651 to make an appointment today.