Glaucoma
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness. It typically develops after age 40 and becomes increasingly common with age. About 3 percent of Americans over age 65 have it--some two million people, about 60,000 of whom are legally blind.
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that involve an increase in fluid pressure in the eye (intraocular pressure) that develops when the drainage mechanism for this fluid becomes impaired. The increased pressure damages the optic nerve, causing blind spots in the field of vision.
In addition to blind spots, glaucoma symptoms include blurred vision, loss of peripheral vision, halos around lights, eye pain and redness. When diagnosed and treated, glaucoma is easily controlled. It's only when the disease goes undetected and untreated that it can lead to blindness. An estimated 500,000 Americans have undiagnosed glaucoma.
Glaucoma is a serious illness, and everyone, especially those with a family history of this disease, should have their intraocular pressure checked periodically. Anyone with glaucoma must be under a physician's care. The cause remains a mystery, but apparently a tendency toward glaucoma can be inherited.
Mainstream physicians typically treat glaucoma with a variety of drugs that reduce intraocular pressure, many of which are derived from herbal sources. In some people, the pressure must be reduced surgically by opening up the eyes' drainage tubes.
Green Pharmacy for Glaucoma
There are also a number of herbs that are likely to be helpful in treating glaucoma.
Jaborandi (Pilocarpus, various species). One standard glaucoma medicine, pilocarpine, is actually derived from jaborandi, a tropical tree that grows in South America. Jaborandi was widely used in folk medicine long before the Spanish explorers arrived. When they did, they quickly learned of its value.
As early as 1648, Spanish naturalists hinted at the ability of this herb to treat eye disease. Then in 1875, pilocarpine was first isolated from jaborandi. It was synthesized in 1930.
Since pilocarpine reduces intraocular pressure, it is often prescribed in the form of eyedrops to treat several types of glaucoma. One application takes effect in less than 15 minutes and continues to protect the eye for about 24 hours. Chances are that today people with glaucoma who use pilocarpine apply the synthetic version, but this standard medication is actually an herbal derivative.
Fruits and vegetables containing vitamin C. Many studies show that vitamin C lowers intraocular pressure. Good sources include bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, citrus fruits, brussels sprouts, guava, kale, papaya and strawberries.
Nutritionists and naturopaths often recommend taking vitamin C supplements in amounts ranging anywhere from 2,000 to 35,000 milligrams a day. Since as little as 1,200 milligrams of vitamin C can cause diarrhea in some people, I'd suggest staying on the lower side. If you want to try higher doses, please discuss it with your doctor. If I had glaucoma or a family history of the disease, I'd take supplemental vitamin C.
Kaffir potato (Coleus forskohlii). This herb contains a compound, forskolin, that lowers intraocular pressure. Studies have demonstrated that a forskolin preparation in the form of eyedrops significantly reduces intraocular pressure in just one hour. In the studies, the therapeutic effect reached its peak at two hours and remained significant for at least five.
This is not an herb that you would use on your own, but if you have glaucoma and use pharmaceutical forskolin, you might enjoy knowing that you're using a medicine that was derived from an herb.
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes People who advocate legalizing marijuana for medical uses typically mention it as a treatment for glaucoma. There's a good reason for this. Marijuana (Cannabis sativa) apparently does lower the pressure of fluids inside the eye, or intraocular pressure. Of course, marijuana is currently illegal, and I wouldn't use it or recommend its use anywhere in the United States. Just how effective marijuana might be as a long-term treatment for glaucoma remains a mystery because there's been so little research on it. Perhaps further research will be done, and marijuana will someday be "prescribed" by doctors. In fact, glaucoma treatment is not the only potential medicinal use of this herb. It also has the ability to reduce some of the side effects of cancer chemotherapy, especially nausea. |
Oregano (Origanum vulgare). None of the scientific literature seems strong on preventive advice, so if glaucoma runs in your family, you might find this particularly interesting.
Naturopaths recommend getting plenty of foods containing antioxidants to prevent glaucoma. antioxidants are substances that neutralize the naturally occurring, highly reactive oxygen molecules (free radicals) in the body that seem to contribute to the development of the disease.
My investigation of 60 mints suggested that wild oregano was among the richest in antioxidants. Since it's a weed at my place, fresh oregano is a standard ingredient in my Antioxidantea. You might try using one to two teaspoons of dried oregano per cup of boiling water. If you'd like to make some Antioxidantea, include some peppermint or rosemary.
Pansy (Viola, various species). Pansy contains a compound called rutin, which naturopaths often recommend for the treatment of glaucoma. According to my database, wild pansy flowers can contain up to 23 percent rutin on a dry-weight basis. When used in combination with standard medications, rutin contributes to lowering the intraocular pressure of glaucoma.
Naturopaths suggest getting 20 milligrams of rutin three times a day. I once calculated that one edible pansy flower would give you about 20 milligrams. It's perfectly safe to munch on a few pansies, and they make spectacular additions to salads.
Rutin is also found in pagoda tree flower, violets, eucalyptus leaf and mulberry leaf. If I had glaucoma, I'd sprinkle my fruit cocktails with violets. I might also whip up some Rutinade by blending a couple of violets and a bit of eucalyptus leaf into fruit juice.
Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus). This berry has been recommended traditionally for almost every eye ailment, and glaucoma is no exception. It turns out that bilberries contain compounds called anthocyanosides that retard the breakdown of vitamin C. As a result, they help vitamin C do its job of protecting your eyes.
Joseph Pizzorno. N.D., president of Bastyr University in Seattle, and Michael Murray, N.D., co-authors of A Textbook of Natural Medicine, both recommend taking bilberry and its relative, blueberry, as a preventive and treatment.
People who advocate the heal-ing properties of juices suggest mixing the juices of bilberry, blueberry, cranberry and huckleberry, all of which are high in anthocyanosides.
Shepherd's purse (Cap-sella bursa-pastoris). This antioxidant herb has been used traditionally "to brighten vision," according to pharmacognosist (natural product pharmacist) Albert Leung, Ph.D. I suggest adding a little shepherd's purse to your favorite herbal teas.
Watch That Toothpaste Here's an herb to avoid if you have glaucoma or a family history of the disease. There is some evidence--not compelling, but worth noting--that consumption of sanguinarine, a compound found in bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) may contribute to glaucoma. The one place you're likely to encounter bloodroot is in toothpastes or mouthwashes, since the herb is an excellent preventive for gum disease. The products might have the compound sanguinarine rather than bloodroot itself listed on the label. I don't think the risk is major; after all, you don't usually ingest either toothpaste or mouthwash. But if you're concerned about glaucoma, you should be aware of the concerns about bloodroot. |
