Dr. Grossman’s Blog

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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.

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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.

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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.

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It’s common to hear that you should get plenty of vitamin C if you are fighting a cold, but have you heard that you should increase your vitamin C intake to ward off glaucoma?

In parts of Europe and Asia, vitamin C is considered part of routine treatment for glaucoma. It lowers eye pressure by both decreasing fluid production in the eye and improving the outflow of aqueous humor from the eye. It also improves collagen metabolism which may be one of the underlying reasons for the development of glaucoma.

In addition to eating your citrus fruits, also add red peppers and tomatoes to your diet.

Click here for more tips on how to prevent glaucoma naturally.

For more research on glaucoma prevention and treatment, visit our website.

A vitamin E packed contact lens has the potential of preserving the vision of people being treated for glaucoma. While the contact lens can’t repair damage that has been done, it can prevent any further decline in vision.

Typically open angle glaucoma is treated with eyedrops.  The new contact lenses would allow for a slow release of the medication and hold the medicines in place which would allow for the medicine to reach the targeted areas within the eye.

Vitamin E is the mighty component that allows for this slow release of the medication. Not only does the Vitamin E aid in delivering the medication to the eye, it also has the added benefit of protecting the eye from sun damage, since ultra-violet radiation is blocked by Vitamin E.

The trials so far have been done on animals, but shows promise for human use.

Editor’s Note: For natural ways to help preserve vision for those with glaucoma or at a high risk for getting glaucoma, go to www.naturaleyecare.com/glaucoma

The findings provide hope for treating blindness caused by optic-nerve damage, but
also look promising for spurring similar regeneration in the spinal cord and brain.
Researchers said Monday a newly discovered growth factor could hold the key to regenerating damaged optic nerves — and more. The research team at Children’s Hospital in Boston say they have found a naturally occurring, previously unrecognized growth factor that stimulates regeneration in injured optic nerves.
The findings provide hope for treating blindness caused by optic-nerve damage, but
also look promising for spurring similar regeneration in the spinal cord and brain,
they said.

The growth factor is called oncomodulin and when it was added to retinal nerve cells
in the lab, with known growth-promoting factors already present, the growth of axons
– or cells in the optic nerves — nearly doubled.

No other growth factor was as potent, the researchers said.

More Nerve Regeneration

In live rats with optic-nerve injury, oncomodulin released from tiny sustained-release
capsules increased nerve regeneration five- to seven-fold when given along with
a drug that helps cells respond to oncomodulin, the team said.

Oncomodulin also appears to switch on a variety of genes associated with axon growth,
the researchers said.

“Out of the blue, we found a molecule that causes more nerve regeneration than
anything else ever studied,” said one of the study investigators. We expect
this to spur further research into what else oncomodulin is doing in the nervous
system and elsewhere.

The data are published in the May 14 online edition of Nature Neuroscience.

For more related research, go to www.naturaleyecare.com (see “Research” section).

New study shows that supplementing with bilberry can helps lower intraocular pressure (IOP). Uncontrolled high IOP is the major cause of vision loss for those with glaucoma.

In a study performed by researchers from the University of Chieti-Pescara in San Valentino, Italy, thirty-eight subjects with IOP were either given bilberry and French maritime pine bark (20 subjects) or were not treated (18 subjects)¹. The visual acuity, IOP, and ocular blood flow were measured at two, three, and six months. After two months of supplementation the mean IOP decreased. No side effects were observed and ocular blood flow improved. An improved ocular blood flow may contribute to the prevention of glaucoma. The results of this study indicate that bilberry and pine bark may represent a safe preventative intervention for lowering the risk for developing symptomatic glaucoma by controlling IOP and improving ocular blood flow. This helps to support research for other preventative nutritional approaches to major eye health, such as cataract, age-related macular degeneration, and retinopathy.

For more information on nutrition and glaucoma, go to www.naturaleyecare.com

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