Preventing Glaucoma – Fact or Fiction?

You don’t have to believe I know what I’m talking about, but this article will prove to you that glaucoma can indeed be prevented.

Optic nerve deterioration, caused by an abnormally high pressure within the eyeball, is the cause of glaucoma.  Most people don’t realize they have it until it is quite advanced.  The vision is severely damaged before the patient knows it.  Regular eye care by an eye doctor can find glaucoma in its early stages. They have a simple and painless test to determine the pressure within the eye.

Glaucoma – Who Is In Risk?

If you’re between the ages of 18 and 60, you should have eye exams every two years. Anyone over the age of 60 should have one every year. And if you have one or more risk factors, you should have one every year regardless of your age.

Risk factors include age (over 40), family history, diabetes, myopia (nearsightedness), or eye injury or surgery.  Statistically, it is rare in people under 40, except for congenital glaucoma which develops before birth and may be inherited.  If anyone in your immediate family has or had glaucoma, your risk is increased.  Diabetes puts people at a very high risk of developing this problem. If you have had an eye injury or eye surgery, you may develop glaucoma secondary to the injury or surgery.

Slow Down Your Glaucoma

While there are not many ways to cure glaucoma, there are many ways to prevent it or slow down its appearance. Controlling your weight and blood pressure are just two of the ways. Studies have shown that hypertension and obesity are linked to increased eye pressure. Wearing eye protection when you are engaged in activities or sports that can cause eye injuries is another good way to prevent it from happening.  Regular exercise can go a long way in preventing glaucoma, along with a diet low in saturated fats.

There are several studies that have shown that Vitamin C supplements can significantly decrease intraocular pressure.  Two grams of Vitamin C was the dose primarily used in the study, but much larger doses were sometimes given.  Magnesium is known for dilating blood vessels. One study was conducted to see if it might help people with glaucoma by increasing blood flow to the eyes. Significant improvement in vision was noted.

The visual function in people with glaucoma has also been improved by taking 150 mg per day of alpha lipoic acid.  This must be taken for one month. People who consume omega-3 fatty acids daily, have a much lower incidence of glaucoma. Melatonin has also been linked to preventing glaucoma.  Supplementing with 0.5 mg daily supposedly lowered intraocular pressure.

There are also certain herbs that may be helpful.  Ginkgo biloba, 40 mg three times daily for a month, was shown to partially reverse visual field damage. Some Chinese herbs are helpful in improving the vision of people in a study.  However, these herbs are not widely available in the US.  These herbs are dan shen and forskolin.

Prevent Glaucoma Naturally

So, can glaucoma be prevented?  The answer is -Yes! There are many steps anyone can take to lower their risk of developing and also treating glaucoma. All of the steps that we’ve outlined above are things that can be readily done. Having regular eye exams, maintaining a healthy weight, regular aerobic and eye exercise and taking supplements that have been shown to improve eye pressure and circulation are all easily accomplished.

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