Glaucoma

Overview

Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness in the United States, after cataracts. It is a lack of peripheral eyesight, usually in association with a buildup of fluid pressure inside the eyeball which can damage, and in some instances completely ruin, the retina and optic nerve.

Caution: Glaucoma is a serious condition and demands ongoing medical attention. If you suspect you have glaucoma, visit a doctor right away.

Types of Glaucoma

There are two kinds of glaucoma, open angle glaucoma and closed angle glaucoma.

Open angle glaucoma is the most common type of glaucoma and is characterized by a “too-slow,” flow of eye fluid that is normally produced every day. The reduced fluid drainage, which typically happens in the rear eye chamber, is most often caused by debris building up inside of the water flow channels.

Shut angle glaucoma occurs when the eyes drainage channels are being blocked by the iris. Unlike open angel glaucoma, which happens gradually with time, closed angle glaucoma generally occurs because of the rapid buildup of liquid pressure, and can cause the eyes to feel very hard to the touch.

Symptoms of Glaucoma

Symptoms of open up angle glaucoma usually progress slowly, with the first apparent sign being narrowing peripheral vision, headaches, tunnel vision, along with other visual disturbances, such as seeing halos close to lights or having trouble adapting to night.

In cases of closed angle glaucoma, signs and symptoms usually improvement quickly—in some cases only a few days—and include intense eye discomfort, headaches, inflamed eyelids, nausea or vomiting, eye redness, and vision loss which can turn out to be permanent if not treated in time.

Causes of Glaucoma

Both types of glaucoma can be caused by premature aging, the accumulation of debris and waste products within the eye drainage channels, allergies, eye injuries, eye growths, poor diet, nutritional deficiencies, and pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and macular deterioration.

The use of pharmaceutical drugs can also cause glaucoma, as well as other kinds of vision problems. These include MAO inhibitors, antihistamines, blood pressure medication, diuretics, oral birth control methods, steroids, chlorpromazine, digoxin, ethambutol, gold (used to treat joint disease and lupus), haloperidol, hydroxychloroquine sulfate, and tetracycline.

Natural Cures

Be aware: All cases of glaucoma should be handled by a health care professional that specializes in vision problems.

Aromatherapy: These essential oils can help to reduce stress and tension, which could contribute to or even exacerbate glaucoma: Bergamot, jasmine, lavender, flower, sandalwood, as well as ylang ylang.

Ayurveda: According to Ayurvedic concept, most vision problems are caused by digestive disorders. Focus on regular eye exercises, along with the use of herbal treatments such as amla, licorice, and triphala, and a diet plan rich in organic, whole foods with plentiful quantities of antioxidant wealthy vegetables such as carrots and spinach.

Diet: Consume a diet of organic, whole-foods, with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Antioxidant rich vegetables include peppers, carrots, celery, parsley, green spinach, tomatoes, yellow squash, and dark-green leafy vegetables, such as chard, collards and kale. Fruits high in antioxidants include dark rich colored fruits, berries, purple and red fruit, plums, cherries, mangos, cantaloupe and citrus fruit. Organic egg yolks are also recommended because they’re rich in carotenoids, an important antioxidant. It is best to eat soft, instead of hard prepared egg yolks to preserve the heat sensitive valuable carotenoids. Soft boiled, poached, sunny side up, or uncooked eggs are best.

Raw eggs may be consumed if they originate from a reliable natural source and are washed just before cracking. Salmonella travels on the surface of the shell and enters the egg from the outside, so washing eggs with hot sudsy water reduces exposure.

Avoid all prepared and fried foods, sugar items, refined or simple carbohydrates, alcohol, and unhealthy hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils. Milk and dairy products should be eaten sparingly, and preferably raw and organic. Avoid traditional and overcooked/barbequed meats. Additionally, test for food allergies and sensitivities and avoid those foods that test positive.

Also be sure to drink plenty of pure, filtered drinking water throughout the day, at least half your body weight in ounces, to help flush out accumulated particles in the eye drainage stations. Proper hydration is also required for maintaining the suppleness of the eyes lenses. Fresh fruit and fruit juices are also an essential addition to your everyday food plan. See the recipe area for eco-friendly juicing recommendations.

Eye Workouts: The following eye exercises are helpful for preventing as well as reversing most types of vision problems.

Rest your eyes for 5 minutes, every 30-60 minutes. Relax your eyes and allow your gaze to be unfocused.

Blink your eyes regularly. This reduces eyestrain.

Take regular breaks throughout the day in order to breathe deeply for a few minutes. Also, stretch your neck and back to relieve tension and to ensure your eyes muscles obtain an adequate amount of oxygen.

To help reduce facial tension, yawn in an exaggerated fashion. Doing so helps to extend and unwind your face muscles.

Cover your vision with your hands for 5 minutes and breathe deeply. Do this every hour or every few hours.

Spend 20-30 minutes each day rapidly switching your focus from near to far. An easy way to do this is to hold your finger 6 to 8 inches out of your eyes. Focus on it for a moment, and then focus on an item in the distance. Keep altering your focus from near to far. This is a superb way to exercise your eye muscle tissue.

Roll your eyes all the way up and all the way down in a complete circular movement for 5 minutes, 3-5 times each day.

Pin a sheet of reading material to the wall and read this from two feet away (or closer if you need to). Each day, step even further away from the wall. With normal practice, you’ll eventually have the ability to read the same material across the room. If you are nearsighted, reverse this process, starting as far away from the sheet of paper as you need to be, after that slowly move closer each day until you’re able to read it from only a few feet away.

Blossom Essences: To help deal with unresolved mental or emotional factors that can contribute to glaucoma, the following remedies are recommended: Aspen (to ease general fears), Clematis (if you tend to avoid your problems by “living in the dream world”), Honeysuckle (for those who avoid the challenges of the present by becoming nostalgic for the past), as well as Rescue Remedy (for cases of severe glaucoma).

Herbal treatments: The following herbs can be ideal for preventing and slowing the progression associated with cataracts: Bilberry, curcumin, gentian root, grapeseed extract, ginkgo biloba, and pine bark extract (pycnogenol).

Caution: Individuals with glaucoma should avoid using ephedra (also known as Ma Huang), in addition to synthetic ephedra products such as epinephrine, which is contained in the majority of over-the-counter cold and cough formulas, simply because ephedra may dilate the pupils from the eyes creating more eye pressure.

Juice Therapy: Drink 16oz. of pure carrot juice or carrot juice combined with pure celery, cucumber, parsley, and spinach in two divided doses (eight ounces for each serving) every day.

Lifestyle: Avoid eyestrain by refraining from working on the computer or reading for extended periods of time. Also avoid watching television or movies in the dark. In addition, avoid exposure to secondhand smoke and, if you smoke cigarettes, stop. When outside on bright sunny days, wear shades that block both UVA and UVB ultraviolet sun rays.

To help avoid and alleviate eye pressure, regularly engage in mild aerobic exercises such as running, brisk jogging, or jumping on a trampoline.

Dietary Supplementation: Helpful nutrients include vitamin A, vitamin B complex, vitamin C, vitamin E, leader-lipoic acid, beta-carotene, chromium, flavonoids, lutein, magnesium, N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), riboflavin, rutin, selenium, taurine, zeaxthanin, and zinc. Omega-three fish oils are also recommended.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM): Based on TCM concept, most eyesight problems result from diminished liver function. To revive healthy liver function, traditional Chinese practitioners mix acupuncture with dietary modifications and conventional Chinese herbal treatments, such as ginkgo biloba and ginseng.

Optional Professional Care

The following treatments have all been shown to be helpful for preventing and treating glaucoma: Acupressure, Acupuncture, Bodywork (Alexander technique, Feldenkrais, Reflexology, Rolfing, Shiatsu, and Therapeutic Massage), Craniosacral Therapy, Chiropractic Medicine, Detoxification Therapy, Environmental Medicine, Magnetic Therapy, Naturopathic Treatments, and Osteopathic Medicine. (See Glossary for descriptions of these Alternative Therapies.)