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It’s early in the morning, and you need your cup of Joe. Regardless of whether you brew the coffee yourself or stop by a drive-thru for a flavorful concoction, that drink is your source of short-term energy to start the day. Before your cup runs over, it might be best to see how coffee influences your body, especially your eyesight.
Coffee contains caffeine, which acts as a mild stimulant to your central nervous system. As the category suggests, the caffeine in coffee stimulates your alertness, creating mental effects that fall between strong concentration and jitteriness depending on your intake and tolerance levels. Caffeine has been useful for late-night drivers, college students, third-shift workers, and anyone who needs an extra boost.
While coffee does have its usefulness, there are some disadvantages. Drinking coffee can affect your circadian rhythm and lead to restlessness. It can also create upset stomachs if consumed too quickly or with a poor diet. However, perhaps the most negative aspect about coffee is the increase in blood pressure, which itself can lead to additional side effects.
Dr. Payal Patel, a CEENTA ophthalmologist from our Matthews and Monroe offices, offers her insight into what happens when sugar is added to coffee. ““Everything we put in our bodies, including supplements, can affect various organs like our eyes. Headaches are a common problem from caffeine dependence, but the high sugar content in many coffee drinks can cause issues with high blood pressure and diabetes. These problems can affect your vision and your overall health. I always recommend consuming caffeine in moderation and minimizing sugar intake.”
As stated previously, some coffee drinks have the potential to cause high blood pressure, especially for those who already have hypertension. Having a high caffeine intake from coffee per day could be a factor in developing glaucoma, which is a disease of the eye’s optic nerve that increases pressure and reduces vision. In the short term, caffeine can cause eye twitches from jitteriness, which can latently cause focus issues. What you put into your coffee could play a role as well. Referring back to Dr. Patel, too much sugar can lead to blurred vision and headaches.
Coffee with sugar can be a very useful and relaxing tool, but it has its limits, particularly for your eyesight. Blurry vision can make your mornings even more strenuous, so it’s important to get the feedback of a trusted eye doctor like Dr. Payal Patel. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Patel and other eye specialists from our Matthews and Monroe offices today to treat your blurry vision and eye conditions to make your mornings whole again.
This blog is for informational purposes only. For specific medical questions, please consult your doctor. New patients can make appointments online with our Eye doctors in North and South Carolina. Current patients can also make appointments through myCEENTAchart with physicians they have already seen.
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