Wear your tie too tight and you risk blindness. A recent study measured the pressure of the fluid in the eyeballs of a group of men before and after they put on their ties. Researchers found a significant rise in pressure after the ties were tightened, and long-term pressure rises have been linked to glaucoma.

Doctors from the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary tested 40 men. Half were healthy and half had been diagnosed with glaucoma. Their “intraocular pressure” was measured, then they were asked to put on a “slightly uncomfortable” tie for three minutes. They were tested again, and 60% of the glaucoma patients, and 70% of the healthy men, were found to have significant rises in eye fluid pressure. The pressure fell as soon as their ties were removed.

Tight ties can constrict the jugular vein, the main blood vessel returning blood from the head towards the heart, and could cause a healthy patient to be diagnosed as having glaucoma by mistake. If you put on a tight tie too often, you could actually injure your eyes. Eye disease expert Neville Osborne says, “If there is a rise in intraocular pressure over time, it could cause damage to the retina.”

Loosen your tie and settle down with a good book?it’ll keep your pressure down and give your eyes some healthy exercise.

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