BELGIAN GLAUCOMA SOCIETY BGS le glaucome peut rendre aveugle Information for the ophthalmologist
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Information pour le patient
Peut-on éviter le glaucome ?

Définition du glaucome

Facteurs prédisposants
Comment fonctionne l'oeil ?
Pression intra-oculaire et glaucome
Peut-on éviter le glaucome ?
Moyens de détection et de surveillance
Traitements
Glaucome de l'enfant
Glaucome aigu
Glaucomes secondaires
   
Eye pressure
 


Raised eye pressure, the main cause of glaucoma, is due to obstruction of fluid outflow. This local process inside the eye cannot be influenced by lifestyle or diet. Whether or not you strain your eyes during work or hobby does not impact glaucoma either. Further, eye pressure has nothing to do with blood pressure. Stress might increase eye pressure slightly, but never to the extent that this becomes an important factor in the aggravation of the glaucoma.
There are some rather exceptional situations where a person might induce harmful eye pressure increases. These comprise fervently playing high distance wind instruments (such as trumpet), and…Yoga! Assuming a head-down or inverted body position can increase eye pressure due to gravity. The drug cortisone is also known to be able to increase eye pressure.

Blood flow
 


The other important risk factor for glaucoma is reduced blood flow in the eye that makes the nerve cells more prone to raised eye pressure. Sometimes you can do something about that. It is for instance a good idea to stop smoking. Further, it is important to know that low blood pressure is more harmful than a high one. If you are being treated for high blood pressure, make sure it does not go down too much!

 
 
 
  What is glaucoma? | Who is at risk for glaucoma? | How the eye works
| How does glaucoma develop? | What can one do to avoid glaucoma? Tests for glaucoma | How glaucoma is treated | Congenital glaucoma | Acute glaucoma | Secondary glaucoma
 

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 Belgian Glaucoma Society
 Last revision : 25-07-2011

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