- New study suggests that sleeping too much could lead to blindness
- The research revealed that getting more than eight hours a night can lead to macular degeneration
- Macular degeneration is a medical condition which may result in blurred or no vision in the center of the visual field
SAN FRANCISCO, California – New research done suggested that sleeping too much could lead to blindness.
Jessica Haworth mentioned in her article for The Mirror published on March 11 that a research found out that getting more than eight hours sleep a night can lead to macular degeneration.
Macular degeneration, which is most of the time called age-related macular degeneration (AMD or ARMD), is a medical condition which may result in blurred or no vision in the center of the visual field. It is a disease that gradually destroys sharp, central vision and it is the leading cause of severe vision loss in people over the age of 60.
The researcher also found out that aside from increased chance of developing macular degeneration, those who sleep longer are seven times more likely to suffer from geographic atrophy, which is the advanced stages of AMD.
Even there is no pain present, the deterioration of the macula makes everyday activities near impossible. Macula is the part of the eye that allows humans to see fine detail, which is very important in activities like driving and reading.
Photo Credit: Medical Home Health
Rahul N. Khurana, a doctor of the Northern California Retina Vitreous Associates, assessed patients with and without the disease as part of the research where he surveyed 1003 patients and assessed their sleep patterns.
“The mean sleep duration for patients without AMD was 7.97 hours, compared with 8.17 hours, 9.00 hours, and 8.97 hours, respectively, for those with early AMD, neovascular AMD, and geographic atrophy,” Khurana explained.
“The altered sleep patterns illustrate another morbidity that patients with AMD suffer from, and merit further investigation,” the doctor added.
An article published by Sick Chirpse on March 11 said that the research findings came after an earlier research found out that sleeping face down on your pillow could also lead to sight loss.
The research found out that pressing your face into a pillow while you sleep could cause a condition called glaucoma.
Glaucoma is an eye condition which occurs when a fluid in the eye, called aqueous humor, fails to drain properly. The building up of fluid then puts pressure on the optic nerve which can cause the nerve fibers inside to die off and lead to sight loss.
John Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA carried out the study and tested the effect of pillow pressure on the eyes of respondents who sleep over an eight-hour period.
Post a Comment