Homeopathy Glaucoma
Glaucoma/Ablepsia/ Amaurosis
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases causing optic nerve damage. The optic nerve carries images from the retina, which is a specialized light sensing tissue helping us to see an object.
In Glaucoma, eye pressure plays a role in damaging the delicate nerve fibers of the optic nerve. When a significant number of nerve fibers are damaged, blind spots develop in the field of vision. Once nerve damage and visual loss occur, it is permanent. If the entire nerve is destroyed, it results in blindness. Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the world, especially in older people.
Book an Appointment
Types of Glaucoma
There are four major types of Glaucoma:
- Open-angle (chronic) Glaucoma
- Angle-closure (acute) Glaucoma
- Congenital Glaucoma
- Secondary Glaucoma
General Risk Factors for Glaucoma
Certain people are at a heightened risk of developing Glaucoma. These include:
- African-Americans over 40 years of age
- People who have a family history of Glaucoma
- Steroid users
- People with prior ocular injuries
- Patients with ocular hypertension
- People over 60 years of age
There are also several medical conditions that increase a person’s risk of Glaucoma, including:
- Diabetes
- Hypothyroidism
- Leukemia
- Sickle cell anemia
- Arthritis
Causes of Glaucoma
Open-angle (chronic) Glaucoma is the most common type of Glaucoma.
- The cause is unknown. An increase in eye pressure occurs slowly over time. The pressure pushes on the optic nerve and the retina at the back of the eye
- Open-angle Glaucoma tends to run in families. Your risk is higher if you have a parent or grandparent with open-angle Glaucoma. People of African descent are at particularly high risk for this disease
Angle-closure (acute) Glaucoma occurs when the exit of the aqueous humor fluid is suddenly blocked. This causes a quick, severe, and painful rise in the pressure within the eye (intraocular pressure).
- Angle-closure Glaucoma is an emergency. This is very different from open-angle Glaucoma, which painlessly and slowly damages vision
- If you have had acute Glaucoma in one eye, you are at risk for an attack in the second eye.
Congenital Glaucoma often runs in families (is hereditary).
- It is present at birth
- It results from the abnormal development of the fluid outflow channels in the eye
Secondary Glaucoma is caused by:
- Drugs such as corticosteroids
- Eye diseases such as uveitis
- Systemic diseases
Symptoms
-
OPEN-ANGLE GLAUCOMA
- Most people have NO symptoms until they begin to lose vision
- Gradual loss of peripheral (side) vision (also called tunnel vision)
- Severe eye pain
- Nausea and vomiting (accompanying the severe eye pain)
- Sudden onset of visual disturbance, often in low light
- Blurred vision
- Halos around lights
- Reddening of the eye
- Symptoms are usually noticed when the child is a few months old
- Cloudiness of the front of the eye
- Enlargement of one eye or both eyes
- Red eye
- Sensitivity to light
- Tearing
Diagnosis of Glaucoma
A diagnosis of Glaucoma no longer simply relies on the presence of pressure within the eye. It requires that there be optic nerve damage or a strong suggestion of damage, which can be clearly seen during a dilated eye examination of the optic nerve. In general, the hallmark sign of this condition is a loss of peripheral vision. With peripheral vision loss, a person can see in front of him- or herself but has lost the vision to the side.
A standard ophthalmic examination may include:
- Retinal examination
- Intraocular pressure
- measurement by tonometry
- Visual field measurement
- Visual acuity
- Refraction
- Pupillary reflex response
- Slit lamp examination
Treatment of Glaucoma
Homeopathy can combat the IOP as well as the further deterioration of the vision. Homeopathic medicines may be used alone or with the eye drops prescribed by the ophthalmologist. In that case, soon the need for the eye drops reduces and the patients are therefore exposed to lesser toxic effects of these medicines.
While prescribing a drug a complete history of the patient is taken which includes the medical history of the patient, physical and mental constitution and genetic predisposition to the disease. A properly prescribed homeopathic medicine can lower the progression of disease and in highly susceptible people can prevent the occurrence or prolong the onset of disease.
How Homeopathy helps in Glaucoma:-
- Homeopathic medicines improve the circulation and drainage of aqueous thus lowering the IOP.
- Homeopathic medicines improve the blood supply to the eye.
- Homeopathic medicines prevent the damage to the optic nerve if detected early. In cases where the deterioration has started homeopathic medicines slows the progression of disease and prevent the further damage to the optic nerve.
- Homeopathic medicines can prevent the Glaucoma in a genetically predisposed person.
- Homeopathic medicines can save the other eye of the patient having Glaucoma in one eye if the medicines are started on time.
- Homeopathic medicines reduce the eye pains, redness and halos around the light.
- Homeopathic medicines also control the associated symptoms of Glaucoma like nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light.
Dietary Measures
- Eliminate all suspected food allergens, including dairy (milk, cheese, and eggs), wheat (gluten), soy, corn, preservatives and food additives. Your health care provider may want to test you for food allergies.
- Eat more antioxidant-rich foods (such as green, leafy vegetables and peppers) and fruits (such as blueberries, tomatoes, and cherries).
- Avoid refined foods, such as white breads, pastas, and sugar.
- Eat fewer red meats and more lean meats, cold-water fish, tofu (soy, if no allergy) or beans for protein.
- Use healthy oils in foods, such as olive oil or vegetable oil.
- Reduce or eliminate trans fatty acids, found in such commercially baked goods as cookies, crackers, cakes, French fries, onion rings, donuts, processed foods, and margarine.
- Avoid coffee and other stimulants, alcohol, and tobacco.
- Drink 6 – 8 glasses of filtered water daily.
- Exercise moderately, if tolerated, 5 days a week.