Suffering from glaucoma? Stop performing these yoga asanas

A new study has now warned people with glaucoma to avoid head-down yoga poses.

Written By: Poorva Chavan | Updated : March 12, 2018 9:48 AM IST

Yoga has a positive effect on your body mind and soul and the benefits of practising it cannot be emphasised enough. However, this amazing form has exercise cannot be practised by all. People with heart disease have been time and again warned not to practise yoga asanas like the headstand, shoulder stand and other poses that exert pressure on the heart. (Read: Glaucoma the silent thief of vision , prevent it with regular eye check-ups)

A study has warned people with glaucoma to avoid head-down yoga poses. Researchers from New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai (NYEE) claim that glaucoma patients may experience increased eye pressure if they perform several different head-down yoga poses. They studied four inverted yoga positions such as the downward facing dog, standing forward bend, plow and legs up the wall. Robert Ritch, senior study author and Director, Glaucoma Research, NYEE said that activities such as push-ups and lifting heavy weights should also be avoided by glaucoma patients. The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE. (Read: Beware glaucoma can make you go blind!)

Yoga and glaucoma

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The optic nerve in glaucoma patients gets damaged when the intraocular fluid pressure (IOP) inside the eyes rises. The elevated EOP is most common known risk factor for eye damage in patients with glaucoma. Head down yoga poses increase the IOP and hence such poses should be avoided by glaucoma patients. A previous study had analysed a head stand and found that IOP increases two-fold.

The design of the study

Two groups of participants--one, people with no eye-related diseases and the other, glaucoma patients were made to perform four inverted yoga poses. Both the groups reported an increase in their IOP and the highest rise was seen when they performed the downward facing dog. The IOP was also measured after the participants returned to a seated position and 10 minutes after that and it was found that the pressure was remained slightly elevated from the baseline.

Things to remember

If you are suffering from glaucoma and are learning yoga or are a practitioner, make sure you inform your instructor about it.
Also, glaucoma patients should be educated on all risks and benefits of physical exercise for their vision. (Read: Glaucoma now curable with an injection!)

Source: IANS Photo source: Getty Images

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