Glaucoma is a group of diseases that causes damage to your eye's optic nerve and gets worse over time. The optic nerve is a bundle of millions of nerve fibres which carry visual impulse from the retina at the back of eye to the brain. The increased Eye pressure, called intraocular pressure, can damage the optic nerve and fasten the natural nerve fibre loss. Since nerve cells can't regenerate this damage is permanent and irreversible.

Without treatment, glaucoma can cause total permanent blindness within a few years. Because most people with glaucoma have no early symptoms or pain from this increased pressure, it is important to see your eye doctor regularly so that glaucoma can be diagnosed early and treated before significant functional visual loss occurs.

If you are over age 40 and have a family history of glaucoma, you should have a complete eye exam with an eye doctor every one to two years. If you have any risk factors, you may need to visit your eye doctor more frequently.

What Are the Symptoms of Glaucoma?

For most people, there are usually few or no symptoms of glaucoma. The first sign of glaucoma is often the loss of peripheral or side vision, which can go unnoticed until late in the disease. This is why glaucoma is often called the "Sneak Thief of Vision" or "Silent Thief of Eye Sight".

If you have any of the following symptoms, seek immediate medical care:

Seeing halos around lights
Vision loss
Redness in the eye
Eye that looks hazy (particularly in infants)
Nausea or vomiting
Pain in the eye
Narrowing of vision (tunnel vision)
Risk Factors

There are several risk factors, which may lead to glaucoma, such as

Age of the individual
Ethnicity- African, Caribbean, Hispanics and Asians are at higher risk
Increased eye pressure or IOP History of glaucoma in family or relatives
Presence of Myopia or Hyperopia
Previous eye injuries
Use of steroids- as injections, tablets, eye or ear drops or ointments or protein supplements for muscle building in gyms or inhalers
Previous history of anemia
Individuals conditions affecting blood flow like hypertension, diabetes or high blood sugar, migraine etc are also at risk.
Treatment-

The treatment for glaucoma relies on the nature and seriousness of every case. Generally, glaucoma cannot be totally cured, but it can be controlled. Eye drops, pills, laser strategies, and means of surgery are utilized to maintain and prevent further harm from happening. Talk to your eye doctor to find out if you are at risk of developing glaucoma.

Glaucoma - 7 Signs You Are Suffering From It!

The most common vision problems are shortsightedness and farsightedness. Shortsightedness is when a person sees close objects clearly while distant objects appear blurry. It is more common than farsightedness and affects about 70% of the Asian population.

When there is a refractive issue, the prescription usually has a plus/minus with it and also a number. A  minus  symbol is used to represent shortsightedness; the greater the number of the glasses, the higher the shortsightedness. High myopia is a more severe form of shortsightedness where the power is -6.0 or higher.

Symptoms: 

As mentioned, the person will be able to see nearby objects but will have difficulty seeing far off objects.

Difficulty reading signs and boards
Squinting
Straining to reduce the strain on the eye
Tired and fatigue due to this eye strain, especially when in constant move like playing sports or travelling
How it happens?

Vision can be explained by a physical process where light passes through a lens and falls on the retina in the posterior portion of the eye where it forms an image. This is then sent to the brain where it is read and interpreted as a particular object. When the lens becomes elongated, the image that is formed is distorted in that it is formed in front of the retina and not on the retina. Though it gradually settles down with adulthood, in most cases, it progresses and requires corrective lenses. The corrective lenses ensure the image falls on the retina and visual perception is improved.

Treatment:

Corrective glasses are the most commonly used measure for nearsightedness. The lenses could be used either as spectacles or as contact lenses.
Laser surgery can also be used to correct the problem. A thin layer of the cornea is removed and the image formation is corrected.
Artificial intraocular lenses are also being used to treat this condition. They work like contact lenses and may need periodic replacement.
The most common technique, especially for high myopia is the use of surgery to correct the problem. This is a one-time correction and is a more durable solution than the earlier mentioned options.
Appropriate calculations are done to identify the lens to be used so that proper vision is restored.
Complications: 

Though not common, retinal detachment and variable postoperative refractive error can occur during the surgery.
It is very important to set realistic expectations with the patient in terms of what to expect before, during, and after surgery. If only one eye is going for repair, the chances of mismatch in vision could be present in the early stages. Being clear about what to expect will help in successful correction.

Myopia or Nearsightedness - How It Can Be Treated?

Eye allergies are characterized by red and itchy eyes which may result from various allergens coming in contact with the eye. Eye allergies can cause swelling of the eyelids, redness in the eyes and may also lead to conjunctivitis. Conventional treatments prescribe eye drops containing chemicals that may aggravate the condition.

Homeopathy-the best natural treatment for eye allergies-

The allopathic system relies mainly on steroids and anti-allergic medicines for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis. Even  then, it is unable to cure the allergy. It only ends up controlling it or keeping the symptoms under check. In homeopathy, the intention is to completely cure the allergy. Homeopathy recognises that the immune system of the body sometimes overreacts to some seemingly harmless things. This overreaction of the body is the root cause of problem. 

Therefore, it tries to correct the immune system. In this the medicines that are used by homeopathy are perfectly natural medicines. None of the medicines are chemical in nature. They are made from natural sources like plants or fruits or vegetables or minerals. The basic material is further diluted by a special mechanism which reduces the content of the original matter while increasing its latent healing powers. That is why these natural homeopathic medicines do not have any side effects.

The homeopathic remedies for eye allergies are:

1. Euphrasia

This remedy is used to treat allergies which cause watery discharge from the eyes and which tends to have burning sensation on the skin. The condition tends to aggravate during the evening and in closed spaces.

2. Argentum nitricum

Argentum nitricum is used to treat eye allergies which show symptoms such as aversion to bright light and conjunctiva swelling. The symptoms may be accompanied by gas in the abdomen.

3. Ruta

This is an effective remedy for allergic conjunctivitis where you may experience a constant feeling of something being stuck in the eye. There may also be swelling in the eyelids, redness and continuous watery discharge.

4. Pulsatilla

Pulsatilla is recommended if symptoms such as itchy eyes, yellowish discharge from the eyes and swelling of the eyelids are present. Hot and humid climatic conditions tend to aggravate this.

5. Apis Mel

Apis Mel is another homeopathic remedy that is used to treat eye allergies. Symptoms such as swelling of the eyes, burning sensation and intense pain in the eyes are very common. The symptoms are aggravated by hot weather conditions and direct exposure to the sun.

Eye Allergies - Know The Homeopathic Treatment For Them!

If you have got diabetes, then it is quite natural that you will soon face acute eye troubles. This is the reason diabetic patients are always suggested to keep their blood sugar levels controlled so that eye troubles can be easily avoided. Thorough medical check-up is required in order to detect conditions of the eyes. Some of the commonest eye troubles occurring due to diabetes are cataract, glaucoma, blurry vision, diabetic retinopathy and others. 

List of eye diseases caused by diabetes

1. Diabetic retinopathy: when the retina's smallest blood vessels get severely damaged due to increased blood sugar, then this kind of eye condition occurs. Early detection of this eye condition can save your eyes, but if it is too late, then nothing can be done, and it might even lead to blindness.

2. Cataract: fogging or clouding condition can bring this kind of condition and this can only be corrected by wearing proper corrective lenses. However, if you fail to control diabetes, then in spite of wearing glasses, your eye condition might get deteriorated day-by-day. Glared or blurred vision is the most common symptom in this regard. 

3. Glaucoma: when the eye fluid is not drained properly, then this kind of eye trouble occurs. In fact, eye pressure increases to a great extent as a result of which delicate eye nerves can get severely damaged. The blood vessels of the eyes can get clogged causing greater interruption in vision. Medicines can make aqueous humor to get drained in a proper manner, and thus you should go for a proper eye check-up so that you can acquire the requisite medicines. Some popular symptoms of glaucoma are headaches, eye aches, blurred vision, watery eyes, vision loss and others. 

4. Diabetic macular edema: this eye disease mainly occurs in the advanced stage of diabetic retinopathy. Macula is nothing, but the most delicate part of retina and when it gets swollen, then you might face this eye trouble. Only medications can help you to get rid of the same and thus immediate medical help is needed. 

5. Blurry vision: though this is quite a small and temporary eye issue for diabetic patients, but this condition might turn into a serious one if you neglect to correct the same in the very beginning. You might even face blindness due to negligence of this trouble. Also, fluctuating sugar-levels should be stabilized so that this kind of trouble can be easily tackled.

Eye Problems Caused by Diabetes

Macular Degeneration is a condition in which the central part of the retina degenerates. In this condition, the posterior part of the eye, retina, is affected.

The central part of retina, macula, is associated with the central vision in the eye. The macula is responsible for controlling various abilities, such as distance perception, perceiving faces and colours, and identifying fine details of the objects. When this central part degenerates, the person slowly loses the ability to see clearly.

Such a condition can be treated with ayurvedic remedies.

Cause

The main cause of macular degeneration is the damage to the macula, the central part of the retina. This reduces the person s ability to have a clear vision. This condition progresses with time and can result in complete blindness.

Type of Macular Degeneration

Macular degeneration is of two types:

Dry Macular Degeneration: In this condition, there is a change in the pigment of the macula. Moreover, small piles of waste products generated by cells also appear on the retina. These tiny waste piles deteriorate the retina over time. Among people affected by macular degeneration, almost 90 percent of people have  dry  macular degeneration. This condition is also called non-neovascular AMD (age-related macular degeneration)

Wet Macular Degeneration: In this condition, new blood vessels begin to grow behind the retina in the choroid layer. That is why this condition is also referred to as Choroidal neovascularization (CNV). These new blood vessels are weak and begin to leak fluids, blood, and lipids (parts of cell structure). These leaks get into the layers of the retina and macula that results in scar tissue. Since wet macular degeneration is caused by leaking of fluids from newly formed blood vessels, it is also called neovascular AMD.  

Treating Macular Degeneration with Ayurveda

In Ayurveda, there are several types of herbal medications that ensure improving the vision quality and enhancing the overall quality of life of the patient.

Some of the eye supplements for macular degeneration is Ayurveda are:

Triphala Guggulu: One of the most effective herbs in Ayurveda, it has an antioxidant effect that protects the eye against free radicals and treating macular degeneration.

Shilajeet (Asphaltum): This herb is associated with anti-aging properties. It restricts the degenerative process in the eye that result due to the advancing age.

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): For managing macular degeneration in India, this herb is used to regenerate macula and helps in restoring the vision.

Giloy (Tinospora cordifolia): This herb protects the eyes from free radicals and prevents blindness due to macular degeneration.

Amalaki (Phyllanthus emblica): It is a source of vitamin C that prevents the deterioration of the retina and macula.

Take Away

Macular degeneration is caused due to the deterioration of the central part of the retina. It is caused either in the  dry  form or  wet  form. Dry AMD is common in people. Ayurveda can help in regenerating and restoring the functioning of retina and help is improving overall vision.





Macular Degeneration - Have Ayurveda For It!

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in people across the globe. It damages the optic nerve that carries sensory images from the retina to the brain. A faulty eye pressure is responsible for damaging the very delicate optic nerve fiber causing small blind spots in the retina. Unfortunately, for most patients this disease only gets diagnosed when the number of blind spots is on the higher side.

Types of Glaucoma

Open angle: This is a type of Glaucoma which results from the blockage of the drainage angle of the eye resulting into an increased eye pressure.
Angle closure: This is the kind of Glaucoma which results from the narrowing down of the drainage angle leading to complete blockage.
Target segment of Glaucoma

Family history: Inheritance surely plays a role in case of Glaucoma too. If Glaucoma runs through families of an individual, there are higher chances of getting this disease. Although there is no hard and fast rule about it, the risks of inheriting this disease are on the higher side.
Eye injury: If there is any history of previous eye injuries, the probability of the onset of Glaucoma cannot be turned down. Specially, if the injury is related to optic nerve, there are very high risks involved.
Bilateral Oophorectomy: Dual Ovary removal before the age of 40 results in deficiency of estrogen resulting in Glaucoma. Although most surgeons warn their patients of the possible risk of these procedures, many surgeries such as these have resulted in patients losing eyesight in the form of Glaucoma.
Patient with Diabetes: In case of acute diabetes, retina gets damaged and the eye starts producing new blood vessels on the iris resulting into an increased eye pressure. This condition often leads to Glaucoma due to blockage of fluid flow in the eye.
Eye Conditions: Myopia, multiple surgeries to the eye, blunt trauma etc. can lead to Glaucoma. A patient who has undergone any kind of eye surgeries suffers from inflammation. However, major inflammation is often found twisting blood flow in the eye resulting into Glaucoma.
If a patient is 40 or above: After a person reaches 40 years of age, a lot of diseases start cropping in to the body. Studies show that Glaucoma has a higher frequency in people who is more than the age of 40 or above.
High eye pressure: A patient with an eye pressure of above 21 mm HG is also at a very high risk of getting glaucoma. For a normal person the IOP lies between 10 to 21 mm HG.
Blood flow related disease: Diseases such as acute migraine, hypertension and low blood pressure which involves blood flow related problem often aggravate to glaucoma.
Ethnic Background: Statistics show that people from Afro American, Hispanics, Asian and Caribbean background have greater chances of being affected by Glaucoma.

Glaucoma - Are You at Risk?

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