A holistic perspective on health means that we recognize the interrelated nature of the body’s systems. It also means that we understand the connection between the eyes and seemingly unrelated conditions like sleep apnea and circulatory problems.
People who have sleep apnea are 75% more likely to have glaucoma than those without sleep conditions.
Glaucoma is a disease that has a lot to do with blood flow. According to an interview with professor of optometry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Dr. Leo Semes, people who have peripheral vascular deregulation (often signaled by chronically cold hands) might mean people are more likely to develop glaucoma.
Source: Modern Medicine
Dr. Semes also cautions people about using beta blockers (drugs often prescribed for high blood pressure or to previous heart attack victims) because “Low blood pressure at night, coupled with high IOP in the supine position, can compromise ocular perfusion pressure.” Several population-based studies have suggested that low diastolic perfusion pressure is associated with an increased incidence of open-angle glaucoma (OAG). For information on drugs that can harm the eyes, have a look at this page.
