Information Courtesy Dr. Mercola
Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world, and belongs to a group of eye diseases that damage the optic nerve, leading to vision loss. In its early stages, glaucoma may produce no symptoms at all, and it’s estimated that half of the more than 4 million Americans with glaucoma do not even realize they have it.
Because the vision loss caused by glaucoma comes on so gradually, it is sometimes called the “silent thief of sight.” Often, it’s not until the disease is at an advanced stage that the related vision loss becomes apparent, and by then your sight may suffer permanent damage.
This is why it’s so important to take steps
now to help protect your vision, even if your eyesight is normal. That said, let’s look at what it is and exactly what can be done to help prevent and treat glaucoma:
What Causes Glaucoma? Glaucoma damages the optic nerve as a result of increased pressure in the eye. The pressure typically comes from a buildup of pressure from the aqueous humor, the watery fluid that is naturally present in the eyeball.
In a healthy eye, the fluid is regularly drained, however in those with glaucoma the drainage system doesn’t work properly, so the fluid gradually builds up in the eye, causing increased pressure. Over time, the increased pressure causes nerve fibers that are essential to vision to die.
In the most common type of glaucoma, open-angle (chronic) glaucoma, side (peripheral) vision is usually affected first. In the later stages, glaucoma can lead to “tunnel vision,” where you can only see straight ahead, and can eventually lead to blindness. The symptoms are gradual and come on very slowly, so you may not realize your vision is being impacted until much later stages.
About 10% of those with glaucoma have what’s called angle-closure (acute) glaucoma, and in these cases a sudden rise in eye pressure can cause severe eye pain, blurred vision, sudden visual disturbances, halos around lights, reddening of the eye, nausea and vomiting. This latter form usually requires immediate treatment.
Make sure glaucoma is diagnosed correctly. Ophthalmologists typically rely on a simple "air puff" test to check for high pressure inside the eye. However, if you are getting screened for this disease, be sure to also have your corneal thickness measured, using a relatively newer test called
pachmyetry.
Pachymetry, which measures corneal thickness, may be a more reliable indicator of the pressure inside the eye because the thickness of the cornea can significantly influence the readings on the air puff test.
If you have thin corneas, the instrument may give falsely low readings and may miss the diagnosis of glaucoma. If you have thick corneas the air puff test can actually misdiagnosis you as having glaucoma despite the fact that you have normal eye pressures.
Conventional Ways Lower Your Eye Pressure: Conventional medicine’s solution to glaucoma is typically drugs or surgery, or a combination of them. Often eye drops are given to glaucoma patients to use for life in an attempt to lower pressure inside of their eyes, but they come with a laundry list of side effects including blurred vision, respiratory problems, forgetfulness, lowered heart rate, and burning or stinging in the eyes. Surgery also carries with it serious risks, among them an increased risk of cataracts.
Natural Ways to Lower Your Eye Pressure: There is another option, though. As surprising as it may sound, the same lifestyle changes that lower blood pressure typically also work to lower eye pressure, thereby helping to prevent and even treat glaucoma without a risk of side effects. The top two steps are:
1. Lower insulin levels: As insulin levels rise, it causes blood pressure (and often also eye pressure), to increase. In time the body becomes insulin resistant, and studies show insulin resistance -- which is common in people with diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure -- is linked to elevated eye pressure. Thus, avoid sugar, potatoes and grains (breads, pasta, rice, cereal)—two “food groups” that cause surges in insulin levels. Even whole, organic grains rapidly break down to sugars, so moderation is the watchword.
2. Exercise regularly: One of the most effective ways to lower your insulin levels is through exercise. A regular, effective exercise program consisting of aerobics, sprint-burst type exercises, and strength training can go a long way toward reducing your insulin levels and protecting your vision.
Other Tips to Keep Your Vision Healthy: As part of an overall program to keep eyesight clear and problem-free, be sure to:
Take animal-based omega-3 fat supplements. A type of omega-3 fat called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) helps protect and promote healthy retinal function. DHA is concentrated in the eye's retina and is particularly useful in preventing macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness. Due to mercury and other toxins found in fish, it seems best to get Omega-3 fat, including DHA, from krill oil.
Get LOADS of lutein and zeaxanthin. These are vision powerhouses. Lutein, a carotenoid found in particularly large quantities in green, leafy vegetables, acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells from free radical damage. Excellent sources include kale, collard greens, spinach, broccoli, brussels sprouts and egg yolks, particularly raw egg yolks. Egg yolks also have zeaxanthin, another carotenoid, in an equal amount to lutein.
Note that lutein is an oil-soluble nutrient, so if you merely consume the above vegetables without some oil or butter, the lutein won’t be absorbed, so be sure to eat some healthy fat along with your veggies.
Note also that the zeaxanthin in egg yolks, when cooked, is damaged and becomes non-useful. So consume them raw by whipping them up in a shake or cooking them minimally as in sunny side or poach them (keeping the yolks runny).
• Avoid trans fats: Trans fat interfere with omega-3 fats absorption. Research shows a diet high in trans fat also appears to contribute to macular degeneration. Trans fat is found in processed foods and baked goods, including margarine, shortening, fried foods like French fries, fried chicken and doughnuts, and chips.
• Eating dark-colored berries. Bilberry (the European blueberry), is known to prevent and even reverse macular degeneration, and bioflavonoids from other dark-colored berries including blueberries, cranberries, etc. are also beneficial. They work by strengthening the capillaries that carry nutrients to eye muscles and nerves.
However, because berries contain natural sugar, they should be eaten in moderation to avoid upsetting insulin levels.
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