A woman drank eight glasses of water a day and almost went blind? People like this should pay attention and change this habit...

Expert of this article: Li Zongou, Master of Ophthalmology, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University

This article was reviewed by Lu Jianmin, chief physician, deputy director of the Department of Ophthalmology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University

It is said that people need to drink 8 glasses of water a day, which is good for the body. Indeed, a normal person should drink at least 1500ml-1700ml of water a day, but is it okay as long as the amount is reached?

Recently, a woman almost "drank" her eyes because of the incorrect way of drinking water. The woman insisted on drinking eight glasses of water every day, and one morning she drank 1000ml of water in a short period of time, which resulted in acute angle-closure glaucoma.

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Drinking water is important, but how to drink it is equally important. Drinking it incorrectly may cause other diseases. What is the acute angle-closure glaucoma that the woman had? What is the relationship with drinking water? Let's take a look.

What is acute angle-closure glaucoma?

Acute angle-closure glaucoma is a disease characterized by sudden closure of the chamber angle and a sharp increase in intraocular pressure, accompanied by symptoms such as eye pain, headache, a sudden decrease in vision, and pathological changes in the anterior segment of the eye tissue. It is more common in people over 50 years old, especially in women.

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Normal intraocular pressure is between 10 and 21 mmHg, and the stability of physiological intraocular pressure is maintained by the dynamic balance between the production and discharge of aqueous humor in the eye. For eyes with anatomical features of shallow anterior chamber and narrow angle, once the peripheral iris comes into contact with the trabecular meshwork, the angle will suddenly close, blocking the drainage system of aqueous humor, causing a sharp increase in intraocular pressure, and eventually leading to acute angle-closure glaucoma.

Why does drinking water trigger acute angle-closure glaucoma?

Drinking a large amount of water in a short period of time will dilute the blood, resulting in a decrease in plasma osmotic pressure and an increase in the rate at which the ciliary body produces aqueous humor.

People with normal eyeball structure can maintain intraocular pressure within normal range by speeding up metabolism and increasing the rate of aqueous humor outflow. However, if there is an anatomical structure such as shallow anterior chamber and narrow angle, excessive aqueous humor will not be able to be discharged in time, which may lead to increased intraocular pressure and induce acute angle-closure glaucoma.

In addition to drinking a lot of water in a short period of time may cause acute angle-closure glaucoma, in a dark environment, in order to see things clearly and allow more light to enter the eye, the human eye will dilate the pupil and thicken the surrounding iris. Therefore, staying in a room with low light for a long time looking at mobile phones, computers and other screens is also a major cause of acute angle-closure glaucoma.

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In addition, emotional excitement, prolonged fatigue or pain, and systemic or topical use of anticholinergic drugs can all lead to mydriasis and induce acute angle-closure glaucoma.

Who are the high-risk groups?

Angle-closure glaucoma has a genetic tendency, and its variant anatomical structures include shallow anterior chamber, narrow chamber angle, short axial length, small cornea, etc. Therefore, non-myopic people are at high risk of acute angle-closure glaucoma, and as senile cataracts worsen, the thickness of the lens increases, resulting in a shallower anterior chamber, aggravated pupillary block, and the risk of inducing angle-closure glaucoma will also increase.

In addition, non-myopic people will generally develop presbyopia earlier. Combined with the epidemiological characteristics of angle-closure glaucoma, it is recommended that non-myopic people over 50 years old, especially women, regularly go to the ophthalmology clinic for ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) to clarify the condition of the chamber angle.

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How should patients with angle-closure glaucoma drink water correctly?

The human body needs to take in about 2500-2700ml of water every day to ensure a balance between intake and excretion. Excluding the water produced by food intake and metabolic processes in the body, at least 1500-1700ml (7-8 cups) of water should be consumed every day. If you exercise a lot or consume too much sodium, you need to drink an appropriate amount of water to maintain electrolyte balance in your body.

For patients with angle-closure glaucoma, while drinking water daily to meet the body's water needs, they need to drink small amounts of water multiple times and avoid drinking large amounts of water in a short period of time, so as to avoid a sudden increase in intraocular pressure and triggering an acute attack of angle-closure glaucoma.

In life, you should also try to keep your emotions stable and avoid looking at mobile phones, computers and other screens for a long time in a dark environment. In addition, people with a history of angle-closure glaucoma need to strictly follow the doctor's advice when using medications to prevent certain ingredients in the medications from inducing acute angle-closure glaucoma.

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