Dietary Guidelines for Management of Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a complex disease that destructs the optic nerve of the eye. The healthy optic nerve is necessary for a healthy vision and the glaucoma disease can lead to vision loss. There are no early symptoms of this disease but symptoms can be shown as the stage of this disease increases. Headache, eye pain, eye redness, halos around light and blurred vision are the most common signs that people notice at the higher stage of glaucoma. The dietary aspect can affect the expansion of glaucoma and hence it is important to take care of your diet.

Here are some dietary guidelines that you should definitely abide by to manage glaucoma.

• Add rainbow: Filling up your plate with rainbow coloured fruits can make you all fit and fine as it provides heart-healthy nutrients like vitamins A, C, antioxidants such as lutein and zeaxanthin. These help in reducing the oxidative stress and helps in maintaining good eye health. Do include fruits like berries, oranges, citrus fruits, apples in your diet to get effective results.
• Green leafy veggies: Leafy greens are a must-have for the ideal health. Leafy greens provide various essential nutrients that are quite beneficial for glaucoma patients. Leafy greens like spinach, broccoli, and kale contain antioxidants and nitrates which help in improving the flow of blood and control the compression inside your eye.
• Omega 3s is a must: Omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants are the most important nutrients to prevent or manage glaucoma. Nuts and seeds like almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds and fatty fishes provide high-quality omega 3s and Vitamin E that assist in keeping your cells and vision healthy.
• Reduce the consumption of unhealthy fats: Saturated fats are majorly found in fried and baked foods and limiting the consumption of such foods can be beneficial for glaucoma as it slows down the development of damage. Consumption of saturated fats and high sugars can cause inflammation which can further worsen the symptoms of glaucoma. Include good fats in your diet which is majorly found in avocados, tofu, nuts and seeds, fish and eggs.
• Green tea: Green tea is rich in antioxidants that can slow down the progression of glaucoma. Regular consumption of green tea also helps in preventing this condition as it stops the damage of free radical and decreases the risk by a good percentage.

Over to you
Proper nourishment can prevent glaucoma while protecting your vision. Healthy eating gives you the much-needed nutrients to fight this condition and can also ease out the symptoms of this disease. Apart from the above-written guidelines make sure to quit smoking and alcohol, limit your consumption of caffeine and slow down the consumption of salt as it can worsen the condition of glaucoma.