Dr. Grossman’s Blog

You can see Dr. Grossman demonstrate 3 of his favorite eye exercises on youtube. Please feel free to write a nice comment on youtube as this helps to get our video to reach more people.

Don’t forget Dr. Grossman’s free eye exercise e-booklet; - with details for different vision conditions.

This study showed that using eyedrops containing n-acetyl-carnosine can stabilize and even improve cataracts.

Statistical analysis revealed the significant differences over 6 and 24 months in cumulative positive changes of overall characteristics of cataracts in the NAC-treated Group II from the control Group I. The N-acetylated form of natural dipeptide L-carnosine appears to be suitable and physiologically acceptable for nonsurgical treatment for senile cataracts.

Peptides 2001 Jun;22(6):979-94

See more information on cataracts and nutrition.

Here are some practical things you can do about floaters, those small dark shapes that seem to float through your field of vision.

They may look like dots, squiggles, strands or any of a hundred other shapes. Though annoying, floaters are harmless, and there are ways to prevent them through proper diet.

Warning: If you suddenly become aware of new spots in your vision, see your eye doctor right away to rule out serious problems.

Maintain a healthy diet:

1. The Vision Diet - recommended in Natural Eye Care: An Encyclopedia on CD, authored by Marc Grossman, O.D., L.Ac. and Michael Edson, MS, L.Ac. This CD covers 29 major eye conditions including Floaters with specific nutrient, diet, exercise and juicing instructions by eye condition, plus much more.
2. Daily juicing of vegetables and fruits (preferably organic). Our floater recipe is some combination of the following: garlic, parsley, beets, carrots, celery, parsnip, apple, raspberries (not too much fruit). Also see more info on juicing..
3. Supplement your diet with a good multivitamin such as One Plus Multivitamin Formula and/or and organic green drink daily such as Nanogreens
4. For protein, emphasize fish, soy (in moderation), almonds, sunflower seed and sesame seeds. avoid meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products and most other nuts.
5. Eat brown rice and other whole grains instead of refined and processed grains (such as white bread and pasta).
6. Limit your intake of citrus fruit, particularly those high in vitamin C such as tangerines, kiwi fruit, oranges, lemons, papayas and pineapples.
7. Use unsulfered molasses and fruit juices for sweetening instead of white sugar, chocolate or honey.
8. Drink rice, almond or soy milk, herb tea or unsweetened, diluted from fruit juices instead of coffee, tea, alcohol and dairy drinks.
9. Steam or bake foods instead of frying them.
10. Eat lots of vegetables, but avoid the nightshade family(e.g., tomatoes, green peppers, white potatoes and eggplant).
11. Minimize your use of salt.
12. Try to manage your stress. Take up Yoga, Tai Chi, meditation, walks in nature, or prayer on a daily basis.

Complementary Treatment and Recommended Vitamins, Supplements, Herbs & Other Nutritional Products

Essential: ReVision Formula- for overall eye health

Essential: Advanced Eye & Vision Support Formula - Whole Food Formula ($37.95 per bottle regular or $27.95 per bottle on automatic delivery).

Very Important: Floater Homeopathic Pellets

Very Important: Hyaluronic Acid 70 mg 60 vcapsules

Important: Clear Focus a liquid based sublingual formula containing Bilberry, Lutein, Ginkgo Biloba and Zeaxanthin.

Important: Milk Thistle Liquid Extract 2oz

Self Help:

Finally, you’ll find the experience of a woman who recovered from floaters and vitreous detachment to be quite interesting.

A recent study found significant evidence that women who got more lutein, zeaxanthin and vitamin E were less likely to develop cataracts than women who are lacking intake of these nutrients. In fact, the women who got the most lutein, zeaxanthin and vitamin E were 18% less likely to get cataracts.Â

Ref: *Christen, W. Archives of Ophthalmology, January 2008; vol 126: pp 102-109.

For more information on this study, go to http://www.naturaleyecare.com/studies_bydisease.asp?s_num=2&disease=Cataracts

A new 2008 study done at The Centre for Vision Research at the University of Sydney, Australia, studied the dietary and supplement intakes of antioxidants and the long-term risk of incident age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The results of the study showed those with higher levels of dietary lutein and zeaxanthin in their diets had a reduced risk of macular degeneration.

For more information on this study as well as other related studies, go to http://www.naturaleyecare.com/studies_bydisease.asp?s_num=8&disease=Macular+DegenerationÂ

There will be a free teleconference on macular degeneration and ways to preserve vision through nutrition, diet and lifestyle considerations on Thursday night, June 19, 2008 at 8:00 pm. The teleconference will be lead by Dr. Marc Grossman, leading holistic eye doctor.

To enroll, go to www.naturaleyecare.com and click on “Free Teleconference”.

Someone just asked about juicing recipes for best’s disease and optic neuritis.

For best’s disease we recommend daily juicing of vegetables and fruits (preferably organic) - some combination of the following: ginger, garlic, leeks, parsley, beets, cabbage, carrots, celery, spinach, apples, grapes, raspberries, lemon, chlorophyll, wheat grasses (not too much fruit). See the discussion of best’s disease for other points

For optic neuritis (again, see the discussion for more info), we recommend: ginger, parsley, beets, cabbage, carrots, endive, chlorophyll, wheat grasses, berries (all organic preferably)

I should mention that there are quite a number of drugs which can harm your eyes - all of the following have the potential to contribute to glaucoma and other vision problems.

• NSAID’s-(non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)include aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Bayer, Aleve), flurbiprofen, ketoprofen and naproxen sodium. Also Tylenol (acetaminophen), though not an NSAID, can be harmful.
• Venlafaxine
• Steroids - cortisone prescriptions such as Prednisone are the most damaging drugs to the eyes of any prescription drugs. If you must take any of these drugs, be sure to supplement your diet with anti-oxidants such as vitamins E and C, and beta-carotene. Ask your doctor if you can replace Prednisone with a natural cortisone such as hydrocortisone.
• Simvastatin
• Fenfluramine
• Mirtazapine
• Gastic antispasmodics
• Antidepressants

A much safer course than automatically taking a lot of drugs, ie, for a headache, is to look at other contributing factors and make lifestyle changes in the amount of rest you get, the amount of exercise you get, your diet, levels of stress in your life, and so forth.

What are the conventional treatment options for glaucoma? Do they work?

Treatment depends on the nature and severity of each case. Commonly, open angle glaucoma is treated with eyedrops or oral medications. In the event this treatment does not lower the eye pressure inside the eye, laser therapy or surgery may be necessary. There are no guarantees!

What about alternative treatment?

Since we consider most eye conditions to be a reflection of the health of the whole body, lifestyle choices and diet can play a major factor in getting and maintaining good vision. Below are some recommendations:

• Studies show patients can reduce their eye pressure by five to seven millimeters with an improved diet and supplement program. In general, a diet high in betacarotene, vitamins C and E, and sulfur-bearing amino acids are recommended. Foods containing those nutrients include garlic, onions, beans, spinach, celery, turnips, yellow and orange vegetables, green leafy vegetables, seaweed, apples, oranges and tomatoes.
• The Vision Diet - recommended in Natural Eye Care: Your Guide to Healthy Vision, authored by Marc Grossman, O.D., L.Ac. and Michael Edson, MS, L.Ac. This CD covers 29 major eye conditions including Glaucoma with specific nutrient, diet, exercise and juicing instructions by eye condition, plus much more.
• Daily juicing of vegetables and fruits (preferably organic). Our glaucoma recipe is some combination of the following: celery, carrots, cucumber, radish, turnip, parsley, beets, cabbage, raspberries, plums, apple (not too much fruit). For more information, go to info about juicing.
• Drink lots of water - 8-10 glasses of purified water. Avoid carbonated, caffeinated and alcoholic beverages. They can actually dehydrate your eyes.
• Manage your stress - meditate, take a walk in nature, practice yoga, visualization techniques or prayer on a daily basis.
• Exercise daily - do at least 20 minutes of aerobic exercise daily. Walking and swimming are two excellent forms of exercise.
• Eye exercises can help to bring energy and blood to the eyes, thereby helping to drain away toxins or congestion to the eyes. These are free general eye exercises and acupressure points for overall eye health. See Free Eye Exercises
• Avoid foods to which you are allergic: a study of 113 patients with chronic simple glaucoma showed immediate IOP increases of up to 20 millimeters when they were exposed to foods in to which they were allergic.
• Supplement your diet with a specific eye formula such as the Optic Nerve Formula and an organic green drink daily such as Nanogreens

This week I’m going to start a series on glaucoma - I’ll cover these points in my next posts:

1. What is it? How does it manifest? Why is it caused? Symptoms?

2. What are the conventional treatment options? Do they work?

3. Are there any alternatives? Do they work? Is there research to back them up?

So - what is glaucoma!

Glaucoma is a truly insidious disease that can be difficult to detect until a significant amount of vision is lost. We are especially concerned about glaucoma because heavy computer users (ie 8 hours a day) have been found to have a higher risk for glaucoma, especially if they are nearsighted.

Glaucoma is often referred to as the “silent thief”, because most individuals with undiagnosed glaucoma do not suffer from any symptoms until they begin to notice a reduction in their peripheral vision.
Technically, glaucoma is due to damage to the optic nerve, sometimes as a result of increased pressure of the aqueous humor, the clear, watery fluid that circulates in the chamber of the eye between the cornea and the lens. But the term glaucoma is now defined as a collection of diseases that causes optic nerve damage. As a result, the diagnosis is no longer solely based on whether a person’s Intraocular Pressure (IOL) is elevated or not.

There are several types of glaucoma:

Open angle or Chronic Glaucoma

Narrow Angle Glaucoma - an ocular emergency

Low Tension Glaucoma

Secondary Glaucoma

Glaucoma Suspects

Congenital Glaucoma

Symptoms

• Reduced peripheral vision
• Intraocular pressure (IOP) greater than 21, or where there is a large discrepancy in IOP’s between the two eyes.
• Optic cup asymmetry

In short, nothing you would readily notice until the disease had significantly developed. This is why it is so important that you have your vision checked periodically - annually. One of the tests that your eye doctor will do is one for glaucoma.

Causes

• High level of stress - has been implicated as a major cause of chronic glaucoma. For example, stress causes us to breath shallowly, which reduces the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream, causing venous backflow in the head. This effects the eye’s ability to revolve eye fluids, which results in increased pressure. Although we do not know exactly how the optic nerve is damaged in glaucoma, one common factor in all cases of glaucoma is a lack of bloodflow to the retina and optic nerve. This results in retinal nerve cell death, enlargement of the optic cup, and loss of vision.
• Nutritional Deficiencies and Poor Digestion - Often sufferers of glaucoma are deficient in some or many of the important nutrients including essential fatty acids, lutein, zeaxanthin, taurine, antioxidants, bioflavenoids, zinc, selenium, vitamin B-complex.
• Poor digestion often results from a lack of hydrochloric acid in the stomach needed to breakdown food, which becomes more common as we age. Use of excessive antibiotics is also a prime culprit in poor digestion due to the killing of important stomach flora.
• Family History of Glaucoma
• Other chronic diseases that can raise IOP’s include obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease (insufficient blood flow to the eyes), thyroid disease (hyperthyroidism) which due to prominent eyes, the eyes are exposed to increased pressure from intraorbital swelling.
• Being African-American (glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness among this population)
• Extreme nearsightedness or farsightedness (higher level and a risk of angle closure)
• Steroid use, often in the form of eyedrops, nosedrops or inhalants (elevates IOL pressure mildly in approximately 16% of people on steroids).
• Heavy computer use - it is thought that heavy computer use can contribute to glaucoma, especially in those who are short-sighted.

Take Care!
Marc Grossman

I’m pleased to announce our new very short video - demonstrating 3 eye exercises especially useful for computer users with tired eyes and/or experiencing computer eye syndrome!

You can view it at YouTube.com.