By Dr. Ryan Nelson

Since attending professional school at Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee, I’ve been a heavy coffee drinker.   I still think about cramming for a test with my classmates every time I walk into a coffee shop.  The latte and the expresso have been introduced to every street corner in America (Yes, even in Iowa) and most of us are guilty of buying a mocha-choka-somethin’ at one time or another.  I thought you’d like to know how all this coffee and caffeine might be affecting your eyes and vision. 

Physiologically, when caffeine is consumed it stimulates our central nervous system (our brain).  Because of these direct  affects on the brain, caffeine is  known to cause blurred vision as well as eyelid twitching or ”eyelid myokymia”.  Although caffeine is a psychoactive stimulant drug, it is considered a safe food substance by the United States Food and Drug Administration.

Caffeine is an ingredient in some prescription pain medications.  It has also been included in oral diet supplements.  Don’t forget that prescription medications are regulated by the United States FDA, diet supplements are not.  For those who regularly consume high amounts of caffeine can expect to have withdrawal symptoms, which may include headache, irritability, drowsiness, and upset stomach.  I think most physicians would agree with me that moderation is the key.

After doing some additional research on wikapedia I discovered that caffiene is found naturally in coffee plants where it acts as a pesticide.  Now there’s some food for thought!

Do not despair coffee drinkers.   There are plenty of benefits to consider including lowering your risk of colon cancer, Parkinsons, and diabetes.  Caffeine may also help prevent cavities and temporarily boost your athletic ability.

Do you have dry eyes? Your not alone, Dry Eye Syndrome affects an estimated 3.23 million women and 1.68 million men in the United States each year. Did you know that caffeine may help relieve dry eye symptoms?  More research needs to be done, surely, but an article from Review of Ophthalmology in September, 2000, reported that those who drink coffee are 25% less likely to experience dry eye.  Learn more about Dry Eye on the Iowa EyeCare website.

To schedule an eye exam with an eye doctor at Iowa EyeCare call 319-377-2222 or Schedule an appointment online.  Iowa EyeCare has locations in Marion, Cedar Rapids, and Robins, Iowa.

Here are some basic eye care tips: 

• Wear sunglasses when outside to shield your eyes from the sun’s glare and also to protect the eyes from dust. UV light is a contributing factor to many eye problems, including cataracts.
• Read in proper lighting.  Pages should have no shadows and lighting should not be so dim that you are straining to read the print.
• The print of the book or magazine should be legible and easy to read. The size of the print should be large enough so that you are not forced to squint or strain to read. 
• While it makes scary movies more fun to watch, you shouldn’t watch TV in a dark room.  The glare can cause serious eyestrain.  It’s best to be in a well-lit room, or at least have a lamp on for lighting. 

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