What Fruits Should I Eat to Lower High Eye Pressure?

Update Date: 2024-05-16 Source: Network

If the intraocular pressure is relatively high, discomfort symptoms may appear in the eyes. In daily life, avoid drinking coffee and strong tea, as these can stimulate the intraocular pressure to rise again. Although there is no clinical evidence that any specific fruit can lower or maintain intraocular pressure, it is recommended to consume fruits such as apples, bananas, carrots, and watermelons to maintain and protect eye health. Additionally, if the intraocular pressure elevation is caused by glaucoma, it is advisable to seek medical treatment at a hospital.

Intraocular pressure refers to the pressure inside the eyeball, simply known as IOP. It represents the balanced pressure exerted by the ocular contents on the walls of the eyeball. In healthy individuals, IOP remains stable within a certain range to maintain the normal shape of the eyeball and ensure optimal refractive status at each refractive media interface. The normal range of IOP is between 10mmHg and 21mmHg (1.33kPa to 2.80kPa).

The ocular contents include the aqueous humor, lens, and vitreous humor, with the aqueous humor having the greatest impact on IOP. The total volume of aqueous humor is approximately 0.13mL to 0.3mL, primarily composed of water, along with proteins, electrolytes, ascorbic acid, lactic acid, glucose, lipids, enzymes, and other components, with a pH value ranging from 7.3 to 7.5.

It is important to note that high IOP does not automatically equate to glaucoma. However, individuals with higher IOP have a greater risk of optic nerve damage that may progress to glaucoma. There is no absolute safe threshold for IOP, as some individuals may maintain IOP within the normal range but still experience optic nerve changes, while others may have high IOP but normal optic nerves. Therefore, high IOP is only one of the factors that can contribute to glaucoma, but it is an important and measurable aspect that can be controlled.

Although IOP in healthy individuals typically falls within the range of 10 to 21mmHg, there are cases where IOP may be elevated above normal without causing damage to the optic nerve or visual field. This condition is known as ocular hypertension and should not be diagnosed as glaucoma. Conversely, some individuals may have optic nerve damage and visual field defects despite having IOP within the normal range, which may be classified as normal-tension glaucoma or low-tension glaucoma. Consequently, high IOP is not always indicative of glaucoma, and normal IOP does not necessarily exclude the possibility of glaucoma.