For some time it was felt that drinking coffee could raise the pressure inside the eye and aggravate glaucoma. Recently a study was done that specifically looked at that question, and the answer was, “yes and no.” The study found that drinking coffee does indeed raise the pressure inside the eye, but only for patients with glaucoma. If you do not have glaucoma, drinking coffee has little effect on your intraocular pressure.
Recently a study was done that specifically looked at that question, and the answer was, “yes and no.”
Q: I heard that drinking coffee can raise your eye pressure and make glaucoma worse. Is that true?
A: For some time it was felt that drinking coffee could raise the pressure inside the eye and aggravate glaucoma. Recently a study was done that specifically looked at that question, and the answer was, “yes and no.” The study found that drinking coffee does indeed raise the pressure inside the eye, but only for patients with glaucoma. If you do not have glaucoma, drinking coffee has little effect on your intraocular pressure.
Glaucoma patients take medication to reduce intraocular pressure, and the difference of two or three points can be significant. For them, drinking coffee has the potential to raise the amount of medication they take or even result in the need for surgery. As a result of the knowledge gained from this new study, we can now discuss coffee consumption with our glaucoma patients and potentially enhance the control of the disease.
If you would like more information about glaucoma, call for an appointment with Dr. Ayres at 317-9747.
