Would patients feel regret if they found out their behavior accelerated disease progression? Possibly, but for many being told that they have no control over the course of the disease is most disturbing. Therefore, the possibility that sleep posture may influence glaucoma is of great interest to both practitioners and patients alike.
These are preliminary results with a small study population (n = 28). Further, the patients in the study were not actually sleeping but were lying down. Therefore, testing conditions may not replicate either the exact posture or physiological responses of true sleep cycles. It is also possible that eye pressure (OP) may change beyond the 30-minute mark, as typical sleep cycles are 6 to 8 hours long.
Even with these reservations, I’m ready to cautiously suggest that avoiding side sleeping and the use of firmer pillows may be beneficial in glaucoma sufferers. Nothing makes patients doubt medical science as much as when we advocate for one course of action only to suggest the direct opposite a few years later. We must be transparent in sharing the degree of uncertainty. Ideally, future studies will include more patients and use more precise IOP measurement devices.
Comments