Can Coffee Make You Blind?

Apparently it can! Treating yourself to three cups of coffee a day could actually increase your risk of vision loss and blindness. But, most at risk are people with glaucoma.  According to the latest US research, regular consumption of coffee increases likelihood of developing psuedoexfoliation glaucoma, a type of glaucoma that effect between 25-30 percent of glaucoma patients.

Image From: examhealth.com

Glaucoma is usually caused by a blockage of the circulation or drainage of the fluid that circulates in the eye. This in turn, builds pressure in the eyeball and damages the optic nerve. Researchers from the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston have claimed that compounds found in coffee can increase pressure in the eyeball to cause the damage.

The researchers further found out that people who consume more than three cups of coffee a day are highly vulnerable to psuedoexfoliation glaucoma.  However, other caffeinated products such as tea and chocolate with their small quantities of caffeine did not appear to have an impact.  

According to experts, the best way to prevent glaucoma causing blindness is to get regularly checked if you are at risk. Professor Jonathan Crowston, managing director of the Centre for Eye Research Australia added to that, ‘The key message would be that if you have a family history of glaucoma or a known risk factor for glaucoma, such as high eye pressure, you get your eyes examined on a yearly or every other year basis.’

It is important to mention here that glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world.