by Richard Clark, Jr.

Good news for all those who hate wearing neckties! A study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology contends that tight neckties increase the risk of glaucoma. According to the study, the steady constricting of the neck’s jugular vein increases pressure inside the eye, a leading risk factor in glaucoma.

Dr. Robert Ritch, of the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, examined 40 men, 20 with glaucoma and 20 without. Intraocular pressure was measured with the men wearing tight neckties, and again, after the ties were loosened. The tight neckties increased intraocular pressure. Daily pressure from tight neckties can lead to glaucoma, and ultimately, can cause blindness, Ritch claims. In a different study, Dr. Susan Watkins, at Cornell University, found that men who wore shirt collars that were too tight experienced poorer vision than men who wore the correct collar size. Watkins’ study found that of 94 white-collar males, 67 percent were buying shirts with collars that were too small.    

But another, more recent study published in the same journal as the Ritch study, found that tight ties do not make any statistically significant difference in intraocular pressure. This study was conducted by researchers at the University Medical Center Nijmegen, the Netherlands, and examined factors affecting intraocular pressure. Measurements were taken from 23 healthy participants, roughly split between men and women.

While it’s debatable, perhaps, whether or not tight neckties cause glaucoma, and the studies may give rise to jokes about wearing ties, it is completely clear that glaucoma is no laughing matter.

Glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness in the United States, and is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. Although glaucoma affects every age group—infants can be born with the disease—it is more common in people over 40. An estimated 4.5 million people worldwide are blind because of glaucoma.

Glaucoma is the result of fluid buildup in the eye, which leads to increased intraocular pressure. This pressure damages the optic nerve.

Glaucoma’s first observable symptom is failing vision. By the time this occurs irreversible damage to the vision has already taken place. Ninety five percent of people with glaucoma in developing countries, and 50 percent in developed countries, do not know they have the disease. An estimated one and a half million Americans do not know they have glaucoma and will probably experience vision loss without treatment.

There is currently no cure for glaucoma. However, treatment is usually effective, and can prevent, or slow, eye damage from occurring. Treatment may include laser surgery, which helps the eye fluid drain. Often only eye drops or pills are sufficient to manage eye fluid production or help fluid drainage. 

Those with higher risk of glaucoma and those over 40 should have comprehensive eye examinations every one to two years. This should include a dilated eye exam.

Increased risk of glaucoma can be inherited. African or Latino ancestry, in particular, is a factor increasing the risk of developing glaucoma, but the disease can run in a family of any ethnicity.

Richard Clark is assistant editor of Connected

Glaucoma Information Sources:
American Glaucoma Society: www.glaucomaweb.org
The Glaucoma Foundation: www.glaucomafoundation.org
Glaucoma Research Foundation www.glaucoma.org
Medline Plus: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/glaucoma.html
National Eye Institute: http://www.nei.nih.gov/glaucoma/
World Glaucoma Day: http://www.wgday.net/index.php 

Sources specific to the necktie studies:
British Journal of Ophthalmology abstracts:
http://bjo.bmj.com/cgi/search?andorexactfulltext=and&resourcetype=1&disp_type=&sortspec=relevance&author1=&fulltext=necktie&volume=&firstpage=
C-health article: http://chealth.canoe.ca/columns.asp?columnistid=6&articleid=13048&relation_id=3224