Mar
08
2011
In addition to removing a cataract, cataract surgery can also lower eye pressure. Eye pressure or intraocular pressure is often (but not always) associated with the development of glaucoma.
A study presented at the American Glaucoma Society meeting explains how patients who had ocular hypertension before cataracts surgery exhibited a marked decrease in eye pressure after the procedure. Their pressure readings decreased by 18%. They were not taking any medication to lower their eye pressure. Source: OSN Super Site
It is possible to avoid what has become the most common surgery in the US – cataract removal – through a combination of nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes. Learn more about how to prevent cataracts naturally. Fighting free radicals by boosting you antioxidant intake is a great place to start.
You can also learn more about how to prevent glaucoma by reading up on other studies on our glaucoma research pages.
Jan
10
2011
Image via cdc.gov
Glaucoma is often referred to as the “silent thief” because most individuals with undiagnosed glaucoma do not notice any symptoms until they are aware ofa 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.
Stress has been determined to be a major cause of chronic glaucoma. Stress causes us to breathe shallowly, which reduces the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream, causing venous backflow in the head. This process effects the eyes’ ability to revolve ocular fluids, which in turn increases eye 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 blood flow to the retina and optic nerve. This lack of blood flow results in retinal nerve cell death, enlargement of the optic cup, and an eventual loss of vision.
Here are a few suggestions for those who are trying to reduce stress in their lives:
- Exercise regularly
- Take walks in nature
- Practice yoga or tai chi
- Engage in prayer or meditation daily
For more on how to prevent glaucoma naturally, please visit our website.
Dec
28
2010
image by ars.usda.gov
A recent article in Medscape Today reviews approaches to preventing and curing glaucoma (diseases that damage the optic nerve) through the employment of “neuroprotective agents.” According to the article “neuroprotection aims to protect as yet undamaged, and to rescue already damaged neurons, from the glaucoma insult(s) to retinal ganglion cells.”
In addition to describing more traditional pharmaceutical options for fighting glaucoma, the review includes a discussion of several antioxidants including melatonin, Coenzyme Q10, vitamin E, and ginkgo biloba. Antioxidants, a more natural approach than the pharmaceuticals in the study, may be helpful neuroprotective agents.
Learn more about how to prevent and treat glaucoma naturally at our website.
Dec
19
2010
image via womenshealth.gov
A new clinical trial seeks to find alternative ways to treat glaucoma, specifically investigating how to help those who’ve been told that no more can be done. This trial is operating under the hyopothesis that “state-of-the-art low vision aids in patients with advanced glaucomatous visual loss will provide an improvement in visual tasks and thereby an improvement in quality of life.” Researchers want to study how low vision rehabilitation can help those suffering from glaucoma. Source: http://clinicaltrialsfeeds.org/clinical-trials/show/NCT01262209
We believe that is is possible to both prevent and treat glaucoma naturally. Visit our website for tips and information on dealing with glaucoma.
Dec
11
2010
image via www.epa.gov
Researchers in China say studies in rats indicate substances in green tea may protect against eye diseases such as glaucoma. Scientists led by Chi Pui Pang of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Eye Hospital confirmed green tea substances — known for antioxidant and disease-fighting properties — were absorbed in the lens, retina and other eye tissue.
The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, suggested until now it was not known if green tea substances actually passed from the gastrointestinal tract into eye tissue. The researchers analyzed the eye tissue of laboratory rats that drank green tea and found several “catechins” in green tea that contain antioxidants – including vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein and zeaxanthin — were absorbed by the eye in significant amounts. The researchers said green tea catechins reduced harmful oxidative stress in the eye for up to 20 hours.
“Our results indicate that green tea consumption could benefit the eye against oxidative stress,” the study researchers said in a statement. Reported in April, 2010 ACS’ bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Editor’s Note: Catechins such as those found in green tea are among a number of antioxidants, including vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, and zeaxanthin, thought to help protect the delicate tissues of the eye from glaucoma and other eye ailments.
Learn more about how to prevent and treat glaucoma naturally.
Nov
18
2010
Regular exercise is key to managing and preventing eye disease. Many with
glaucoma have concerns about their intraocular pressure (eye pressure) and allowing their heads to be below their hearts, as is common in yoga’s common inversion poses. Those you might need to avoid include downward facing dog, head and shoulder stands, and any poses that require you to touch your toes while in a standing position.
Livestrong.com offers this tip for practicing a modified forward bend:
You can still enjoy the benefits of wide-legged forward bend by modifying how you practice it. Place a chair against a wall with the seat facing toward you. Hold your feet wide apart and keep them parallel. Lean slightly forward to keep your hips above your legs rather than behind your heels. Rest your forearms on the chair seat. Breathe deeply for 10 to 15 breaths, feeling an inner thigh and groin stretch and relaxing your back. Certified advanced Iyengar instructor Dean Learner emphasizes that modified forward bends should be part of your regular yoga practice. Source: http://www.livestrong.com/article/308442-yoga-poses-for-glaucoma/
Nov
12
2010
image via womenshealth.gov
Glaucoma is caused by a number of factors, but one of the most well known is increased intraocular pressure. A new study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology describes how a condition called corneal arcus, a condition in which a ring of lipids builds up around the cornea, may be responsible for increases in eye pressure.
Corneal arcus is associated with cardiovascular disease. Researchers can not explain why corneal arcus increases eye pressure, but say “There may be changes in biomechanical properties of the cornea in eyes with corneal arcus, as such mechanisms are emerging as important clinical variables that may affect intraocular pressure measurements.”
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-11/jaaj-ccc110510.php
Learn more about how to prevent and treat glaucoma naturally at our website.
Nov
02
2010
image by sevenbates
It is possible to reduce children’s intraocular pressure (or eye pressure) by ensuring that their diet is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and fiber. Children were studied because they had fewer concurrent medical issues than adults that would potentially skew results.
The polunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are key sources of endogenous prostaglandins (fat derived compounds that are essential to the body’s proper funtion). A diet rich in PUFAs helps aid eye health and reduces eye pressure, according to this study of information derived from the Singapore Cohort Study of Risk Factors for Myopia.
Researchers found that fiber helps to reduce upswings in blood glucose levels after eating.
Elevated intraocular pressure can lead to glaucoma and other damage to the optic nerve.
Source: http://www.pconsupersite.com/view.aspx?rid=75563
For more information on how the nutrients in food can support eye health, visit our website.
Learn about how to prevent and treat glaucoma naturally.
Oct
27
2010
Image via nei.nih.gov
Glaucoma patients are more likely to suffer from and die from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and accidents.
A study of over 300,000 people in Taiwan with and without glaucoma revealed that those with open-angle glaucoma were much more likely to be afflicted by comorbidities that adversely affect their quality of life. Source: http://www.osnsupersite.com/view.aspx?rid=76960
Since we consider eye health to be a reflection of overall health, it makes sense that the health those with glaucoma would be compromised as well. It’s not that eye disease is causing these other conditions; it may be that both glaucoma and the other conditions are just the outward signs that a person is unwell.
For a complete listing of wellness tips to prevent and treat glaucoma and to keep your whole body healthy, look to this page.
Oct
15
2010
Image courtesy of dmr.nd.gov
Intraocular pressure (IOP or “eye pressure”) gets the majority of the blame for cases of
glaucoma, but studies have shown that more and more people are developing normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) and that progressive damage can occur even with IOP-lowering intervention.
Studies of the ginkgo biloba have shown that the herb can improve blood flow at a tissue level. Ginkgo biloba does not seem to affect intraocular pressure, blood pressure, or heart rate, but it has been shown to improve pre-existing visual field damage in some individuals suffering from glaucoma.
Sources: http://www.naturaleyecare.com/study.asp?s_num=212 and http://www.naturaleyecare.com/study.asp?s_num=211.
For more research on glaucoma, visit our research index page.
And, since you might not have a ginkgo tree in your back yard, here’s a good source of ginkgo biloba for eye health.
