Being overweight concerns us more in terms of aesthetics. Moreover, the bombardment of the media with selected models and advertisements is added to this. It's like that for women. But the situation is no different for metropolitan men today. This situation, of course, creates weight pressure on us. If you want, instead of making this an additional source of stress, let's look at it from a health perspective. Being over average weight, having an increased waist circumference, and inactivity affect our eyes as well as our cardiovascular system and sugar metabolism. It exposes us to such a mass of diseases that we really need to make an effort to solve them.
The first of these is sleep apnea. It is possible to not get enough oxygen while sleeping. Breathing can stop for 10 seconds to a minute, and we know that sleep apnea can lead to fatigue, weight gain, lack of focus, accidents, and even serious risks such as heart attack during sleep. Moreover, these serious risks can be solved by losing a few kilos. These patients may be exposed to irritation in the transparent layer of the eye due to the laxity of their eyelids and the loose eyelid rubbing against the pillow and remaining open while lying face down, and they may wake up with severe eye pain in the morning. In addition, accumulations between loose eyelids can cause inflammation.
Those with sleep apnea are at risk of glaucoma (eye pressure). Sleep apnea can also cause a retinal disease that manifests itself as fluid accumulation in the visual center. This fluid accumulation may disappear spontaneously within 1.5 months, or it may last a long time. During this process, it should be monitored and, if necessary, permanent vision loss should be prevented with treatments such as medication and laser.
Eye diseases associated with sleep apnea are not limited to these. One of the important known optic nerve diseases is optic neuropathy, which manifests itself with blockage in the capillaries of the optic nerve. Since breathing stops in sleep apnea, swelling of the optic nerve head, vision loss, visual field loss and permanent optic nerve damage occur in the future. Moreover, the same situation may occur in the other eye within a few months or years.
Another important disease is one that can be controlled with weight loss. Mostly 30 year olds It is seen in overweight women. In this disease, the patient may experience changes due to increased intracranial pressure, such as severe headache, double vision, nausea and vomiting. We call it pseudo optic nerve swelling or pseudo brain tumor. The pressure of the fluid taken from the waist is usually high. There is no danger to the patient's brain, and when the condition lasts for a long time, vision loss, which is temporary at first, can progress and cause permanent vision loss. This situation can be corrected by encouraging weight loss. In advanced cases, if there is a risk of vision loss, medication and surgery may also be recommended. Since this disease may be due to other diseases (such as cortisone, some antibiotics, drug use, hormonal reasons, high calcium in the blood), those diseases may also need to be investigated and treated. Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland) can also cause weight loss by decreasing the metabolism in patients. It is a disease that causes infection. Swelling of the eyelids and dryness of the eyes may be observed in these patients.
Diabetes is, of course, a disease that goes hand in hand with weight gain and is the leading cause of blindness all over the world. If we remember that insulin resistance and type II diabetes are considered epidemic diseases today, we see how important weight is here. This disease, which is accompanied by thickening especially around the belly and waist and internal organ fat, can lead to cardiovascular problems, which can lead to deterioration, blockages and bleeding in the retina of the eye (the layer consisting of nerves and vessels that provide visual function). Even though treatment opportunities have increased today, if awareness is not sufficient, there may be conditions that cannot be treated and may end in vision loss. The first-line treatment for this disease is aerobic exercises such as walking and diet. Diabetes and medication use are not destiny if it is detected early and lifestyle is changed. Unfortunately, many patients succumb to the disease, using genetics and age as excuses.
There are other things that diabetic patients should pay attention to. Do not buy glasses when your blood sugar is high, myopic levels may increase. In addition, cataracts and eye hypertension are twice as common in diabetics. Laser surgeries performed to avoid wearing glasses are also common in diabetics. It might be a problem. Because wound healing is delayed. Additionally, early surgery is not recommended for cataracts. Because retinal bleeding may accelerate. The fact that diabetic patients are vulnerable to infections and diseases affecting the immune system also paves the way for various eye diseases.
After all, if you are wondering what weight has to do with eye diseases, here are a few diseases you should take into consideration.
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