Sleeping on one side may worsen glaucoma: study

By Shereen Jegtvig NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – In a new study from South Korea, people with worsening glaucoma on just one side were also more likely to sleep with the affected eye facing downward. In glaucoma, the optic nerve is often damaged by increased intraocular pressure. According to the World Health Organization, glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness around the world, after cataracts. “There is prior data from the early nineties, suggesting that in patients with glaucoma who sleep on their sides, the eye in the dependent position tends to have greater damage of the optic nerve,” Dr. Jeffrey Schultz told Reuters Health in an email.