Blog
The Background
Over the last several years, research has indicated a strong correlation between the presence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and glaucoma. Information from some of these pivotal studies is presented below.
Did you know
- Glaucoma affects over 60 million people worldwide and almost 3 million people in the U.S.
- There are many people who have glaucoma but have not yet had it diagnosed.
- Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the United States.
- If glaucoma is not detected and goes untreated, it can result in peripheral vision loss and irreversible blindness.
- Sleep apnea is a condition that obstructs breathing during sleep.
- It affects 100 million people around the globe and around 25 million people in the U.S.
- A blocked airway can cause loud snoring, gasping, or choking because breathing stops for up to two minutes.
- Poor sleep due to sleep apnea results in morning headaches and chronic daytime sleepiness.
The Studies
In January 2016, a meta-analysis by Liu et. al., reviewed studies that collectively encompassed 2,288,701 individuals over six studies. Review of the data showed that if an individual has OSA there is an increased risk of glaucoma that ranged anywhere from 21% to 450% depending on the study.
Later in 2016, a study by Shinmei et al. measured the intraocular pressure in subjects with OSA while they slept and had episodes of apnea. Somewhat surprisingly, they found that when the subjects were demonstrating apnea during sleep, their eye pressures were actually lower than when the events were not happening.
This does not
There are many options available to adults and children for corrective lenses (glasses and contacts) when engaged in physical activities.
Here is a look at the different modalities and the pros and cons of each:
Prescription Sports Goggles (e.g., Rec Specs)
The main benefits of goggles while playing sports are vision stability and eye protection. When playing fast-moving sports--like basketball, soccer, and rugby--elbows, wrists, and heads fly around at high speed, increasing the risk of eye injury. The eyes and eye sockets can be protected when covered by shatter-proof lenses. Additionally, there is no worry over having a contact lens pop out of the eye, which can be a debilitating experience for some people. The main drawback to goggles is that they can be cumbersome, decrease peripheral vision, and fog up. Additionally, very high prescriptions might not be available due to frame limitations. On the whole, this is a very good option for many people. One additional advantage to sports goggles is that they can often be made with Transitions lenses, providing automatic sun protection in bright light.
Contact Lenses
For many people, the best visual option is contact lenses, particularly soft contact lenses. The main benefits include no decrease in visual field, no fogging of lenses, and no unsightly, heavy glasses. But where sports goggles shine, contact lenses fall short--there is a higher risk of injury, the possibility of less stable vision (especially when wearing multifocal or astigmatic lenses), and the potential of a lens falling
