Myths:

Lowering my eye pressure with eyedrops will prevent further damage to my vision.

Facts:

Damage to the optic nerve can still happen with controlled pressures. Nutritional support, supplementation and lifestyle changes can dramatically improve the condition of your eyes.

Overview:

Glaucoma is an insidious disease that can be difficult to detect until a significant amount of vision is lost. 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.

The major types of glaucoma are:

• Open angle or Chronic Glaucoma - is the most common type. Here the area of trouble is that the filter (called the trabecular meshwork), for various reasons, gets clogged or obstructed and does not filter the acqueous humor fluid efficiently. Even though elevated eye pressure is one of the diagnostic tests used for glaucoma, approximately 30-40 percent of patients with open angle glaucoma have normal or low eye pressure and develop optic nerve changes and progressive vision loss without having elevated eye pressure. With open angle glaucoma, there are no visual symptoms until the disease has progessed, which results in gradual loss of peripheral vision. Open angle glaucoma is one of the types our complementary protocol, described further below, is recommended for.
• Narrow Angle Glaucoma is an ocular emergency. Here there is an obstruction in the drainage of the acqueous fluid due to a narrowing of the angle between the base of the iris and the cornea. The symptoms can be a sudden, painful red eye, nausea, vomiting, headache and visual halos. In the event of the symptoms above, go directly to the emergency room and call your ophthalmologist.
• Low Tension Glaucoma is usually a sign of poor circulation. Heart problems, brain tumors, or toxic drugs can all produce optic nerve damage that may present as glaucoma.
• Secondary Glaucoma develops secondarily to other conditions, for example, due to inflammation, injury, blood in the eye or drug side effects (such as from steriods).
• Glaucoma Suspects are people with higher than normal eye pressure but never develop glaucoma. These people should be monitored regularly. Open angle glaucoma is one of the types our complementary protocol, described below, is recommended for.
• Congenital Glaucoma may occur in the first few months of life.

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

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 eyes 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).

Drugs that can cause glaucoma and damage the optic nerve: (see "Drugs That Harm the Eyes" for a more complete list of harmful drugs:)

• 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

Conventional Treatment:

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.

Complementary Treatment:

The complementary approach should not be used in place of your doctors treatment, but our objective is to provide a protocol to help with controlling glaucoma through nutrition and lifestyle changes, help protect your optic nerve from further damage, and to eventually reduce or eliminate the need for medication if possible. Particularly in the case of glaucoma suspects, we do not believe in waiting until one needs medication, but instead we look toward prevention.

We recommend the following protocol to treat glaucoma. Where possible, we use products that can be taken in liquid form.

To order either "Click Here" for the complete product list or click on any product below for a greater description or also to order.

The recommendations are given in order of priority, and are listed as Essential, Very Important, Important or Helpful:

If you are not sure which nutrients you need, we offer free consultations either by e-mail or by telephone (845-255-8222).

Mild to Moderate Conditions:

Essential: Macula Complete Eye Multivitamin this formula is an excellent eye multivitamin foundation formula recommended for those with any retinal conditions.
Each bottle contains 180 capsules. Cost $60 per bottle ($58 on automatic delivery). Recommended dosage is 8 capsules per day taken with meals.
Essential: Coleus Forskolii Root 2oz: is a liquid based extract manufactured by Gaia Herbs, one of the leading U.S. manufacturers of liquid herbal extracts of guaranteed quality, and certified organic purity. Studies have shown coleus forskolii to be effective in helping lower intraocular pressure. Recommended dosage is 30 drops 3 times per day. Each dosage contains 170 mg of coleus forskolii. Each bottle is a one month supply (contains 30 dosages). Cost is $26 per bottle ($24 on automatic delivery).
Essential: Carlson's Fine Fish Oil is in liquid form. One bottle contains 6.7 fluid ounces, and 1 teaspoon contains 1600 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids (800 mg of EPA and 500 mg of DHA), plus 14 mg of antioxidants to preserve freshness. Omega-3 fatty acids help improve circulation, integrity of blood vessels, proper brain functioning, flexibility and permeability of cell membranes, and helps protect the retina's photoreceptor cells. Recommended dosage is 1-3 teaspoonfuls once a day. Cost is $20 per bottle ($18 on automatic delivery).
Very Helpful: ReVision Formula is an herbal tincture from Integral Health Associates that combines Western and Chinese herbs to help improve blood circulation and eliminate stagnation of energy to the eyes. Recommended dosage is 1/2 dropperful 2 times a day for prevention, or 3 times a day for treatment. Best times to take the herbs are when you get up in the morning, and when you go to sleep at night. Best taken on an empty stomach. Cost is $22 per 2 ounce bottle ($20.00 automatic delivery price). Each bottle lasts approximately 1 month.
Note: This product is only to be taken orally. It is not an eyedrop.
Helpful: Digestive Care: As we age, we produce less enzymes needed for absorbing essential nutrients from food. Digestive Care by RightFoods?is designed to aid in replacing these lost enzymes, providing a full-spectrum of seven plant-sourced enzymes to support optimal digestion and absorption. This formula also includes intestinal bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus to promote improved intestinal flora for digestion. Recommended dosage is 1 capsule per day with meals. Each bottle contains 30 capsules. Cost is $13 per bottle ($11 on automatic delivery).
Helpful: PaleoGreens Formula is excellent Green formula with a full array of organic vegetables, organic fruits and wheatgrasses. Cost is $42 per bottle ($40 per bottle on automatic delivery)

Severe Conditions:

Essential: Macula Complete Eye Multivitamin this formula is an excellent eye multivitamin foundation formula recommended for those with any retinal conditions.
Each bottle contains 180 capsules. Cost $60 per bottle ($58 on automatic delivery). Recommended dosage is 8 capsules per day taken with meals.
Essential: Coleus Forskolii Root 2oz: is a liquid based extract manufactured by Gaia Herbs, one of the leading U.S. manufacturers of liquid herbal extracts of guaranteed quality, and certified organic purity. Studies have shown coleus forskolii to be effective in helping lower intraocular pressure. Recommended dosage is 30 drops per day (1 dosage). Each dosage contains 170 mg of coleus forskolii. Each bottle is a one month supply (contains 30 dosages). Cost is $26 per bottle ($24 on automatic delivery).
Essential: B12 tabs is a sublingual formula. B12 has been shown in studies to help maintain taste by-products that accumulate in the retina. This form of sublingual vitamin B12 is placed under the tongue, ensuring that virtually all the nutrient is absorbed into the body for usage.There are 90 tablets in each bottle. Each tablet contains 1000 mcg of Vitamin B12. Recommended dosage is 1 tablet per day.
Helpful: Digestive Care: As we age, we produce less enzymes needed for absorbing essential nutrients from food. Digestive Care by RightFoods?is designed to aid in replacing these lost enzymes, providing a full-spectrum of seven plant-sourced enzymes to support optimal digestion and absorption. This formula also includes intestinal bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus to promote improved intestinal flora for digestion. Recommended dosage is 1 capsule per day with meals. Each bottle contains 30 capsules. Cost is $13 per bottle ($11 on automatic delivery).
Helpful MSM Eyedrops soften the membranes, allowing fluids to pass through the optical tissues. When our optical membranes become permeable, nutrients are able to penetrate through the optical tissues and provide nutrients needed for the body to heal itself. MSM softens tough-leathery tissue, equalizes pressure, repairs damaged membranes, clears up red spots and broken blood vessels and may help remove floaters and other eye particles. Cost is $8 per 1 oz bottle.
Helpful: ReVision Formula is an herbal tincture from Integral Health Associates that combines Western and Chinese herbs to help improve blood circulation and eliminate stagnation of energy to the eyes. Recommended dosage is 1/2 dropperful 2 times a day for prevention, or 3 times a day for treatment. Best times to take the herbs are when you get up in the morning, and when you go to sleep at night. Best taken on an empty stomach. Cost is $20.00 for a 2 ounce bottle. Each bottle lasts approximately 1 month.

Automatic delivery is available. Click Here for more information.

Self Help:

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:

• The Vision Diet. recommended in Natural Eye Care,co-authored by Marc Grossman, O.D., L.Ac. 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.
• 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 "Click Here".
• Supplement your diet with a good multivitamin such as One Plus Vitamin Mineral: or PaleoGreens Formula.
• 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.
• 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. Manage stress. Take up meditation, yoga, tai chi, or any practice that helps you relax. Some consider glaucoma a stress related condition.