WHY GLAUCOMA FESTERS BY DR. IBRAHIM OSAYEMI
The fact dat many Nigerians, young and old are losing their sight due to glaucoma is disturbing especially given the vitality of healthy eyes to wellness of man and his contribution to the nation’s economic development. What is glaucoma? It is a degenerative eye disease characterized by inflammation and increase in the pressure of the fluid within the eye. Other symptoms of glaucoma include eye pain or discomfort mainly in the morning, blurred vision, and peripheral vision loss. Glaucoma progressively damages the optic nerve, and it is a leading cause of blinds worldwide.
But why does this eye disease prove intractable medically? Medical treatment focuses on the main symptoms of glaucoma ( elevated ocular pressure) rather than on those factor that triggers it. The common medical treatment for glaucoma is the use of eye drop to lower high ocular pressure. So many of the eye drop are the same medication used to treat high blood pressure. Besides these negative side effect, the synthetic eye drop used to treat glaucoma do not address its systemic triggers, hence the insidious progression of damage to the optic nerve and retina, which ultimately leads to blindness. Studies showed dat one class of BP drugs called Beta-blockers being used as eye drop for the treatment of glaucoma accelerate formation of cataract. This is why more often than not, many people contend with both glaucoma and cataract- two great assault on the eyes.
Though medical doctors claim that glaucoma is an irreversible cause of blindness, the combination of faulty treatment plus bad diet and lifestyle of glaucoma patient make this fallacy plausible. Why? It is incontrovertible that a disease is mitigated or cured by removing it causes. What are the primary causes of glaucoma? It is systematic dysfunction of the brain and nerves triggered by bad diet and lifestyles. In other words, glaucoma is purely a brain problem triggered and driven by many bad dietary and lifestyle factors.
Therefore to heal glaucoma, the factors dat caused nervous system disorder must be redress with appropriate diet and lifestyle changes. Unfortunately, this fundamental law of nature is jetition by medical doctors. Rather they prescribed drugs and surgery, which are not only chasing shadows but also do more harm than good. Otherwise, how many people treating glaucoma with synthetic eye drop or had surgery have their deteriorating poor vision improved? The fact that glaucoma or any other diseases condition can neither be controlled or cured medically is also underscored by prof Majid Ali, MD of capital university of integrative medicine, Washington DC. He said ” most physician practicing conventional medicine do not understand the basic concept that injured tissue heal with nutrients and not with drugs”
What are the dietary and lifestyle factors dat triggers and fuel glaucoma? The primary trigger of glaucoma are low level of key nutrients governing the optimal function of the brain and nerve such as B-vitamins, iodine, antioxidant and alkaline minerals. A study published in the international journal of vitamins and nutritional research noted that even a slight deficiency of thiamine makes the brain and the nervous system collapsed and causes paralysis of the eye muscle. Also, low level of potassium causes retention of fluid in the eye resulting in the elevation of ocular pressure and systemic damage to the optic nerve, while deficiency of vitamin A and B12 cause decline in visual acuity and loss of vision.
Glaucoma is also triggered and driven by refined carbohydrates, which promote inflammation, cause acidic PH and impair blood supply to the eye. When the body PH is low, the eye are the first victim of it degenerating effect due to poor blood supply and oxygen supply to the brain, nerves and the components of the eye. In fact, wen the blood flow to the optic nerve cease, blindness is the consequence. Brain needs about 20% of blood flow from the heart and 25% of all oxygen inhaled to function efficiently.
Low hydrochloric acids is another dietary factor that triggers and aggravate glaucoma. Why and how? Inadequate hydrochloric acids means low B12, which causes optic neuropathy- the core of glaucoma. Also, without enough hydrochloric acid, protein digestion is impaired, thus causing accumulation of protein waste that promote inflammation in the body system including the eye. Poor protein digestion is also a major cause of high blood pressure and fluid retention in the tissues including the eye.
Research studies showed dat food that contain gluten and casein play a major role in the progression of glaucoma by negatively affecting the blood – brain barrier and making the gut permeable to allow protein get into the bloodstream. Consequently, protein fragments clump the brain nerves cells and promote inflammation that causes systemic damages to the optic nerve.
While dehydration is the primary cause of all diseases including glaucoma, it cannot be corrected as long as refined salt is used for cooking. The situation is worse for those on low salt or people not taking salt at all. Why? Without adequate intake of unrefined salt, the brain and the nerves cannot function optimally.
Refined sugar and artificial sweeteners are toxic to the nerves and are major triggers and drivers of glaucoma, which is the degeneration of the optic nerve connecting the retina to the brain. But research study at Arizona state university Biochemical department has linked intake of artificial sweeteners to brain seizures, blurred vision and other symptoms of nervous disorder such as pain, numbness in the leg , headache and memory loss. A sugar in milk called galactose has been identified as a trigger of glaucoma. Other dietary factors fuelling glaucoma include skipping breakfast, eating fried foids , cooking with bad oils and deficiency of essential fatty acids.
But others than eating poor food, many prevalent lifestyle also aggravate the poor nutritional status of people contending with glaucoma. What are these lifestyles?
Living a stressful life is the biggest non dietary factor triggering and fueling glaucoma. Stress deplete the body stores of vitamin And C by 60%. Stress also increase production of cortisol, a brain damaging hormone. With higher production of cortisol due to stress, the level of DHEA goes down thus causing nervous system disorder including insomnia and glaucoma.
Regular consumption of alcohol is another trigger and driver of glaucoma. Alcohol dehydrate the body and deplete the body stores of nutrients essential for proper brain function and good vision. Intake of alcohol also interfere with the liver ability to store and metabolize vitamin A, which is a big minus for the health of the eye.
Inadequate and poor sleep also fuels progression of glaucoma, which can be aggravated by taking sleeping pills that further damage the nerves. It is also a wishful thinking expecting glaucoma to wane if ur day is not complete without ingestion of caffeine in tea, coffee and soft drink. Caffeine dehydrate the body, causes poor sleep, damage the nerves and deplete the thiamine and DHEA which aew indispensable to efficient function of the nervous system. Some medications including cholesterol lowering drugs, oral diabetes drugs and antacid drugs for treating ulcer also deplete B12, thus aggravating optic neuropathy otherwise know as glaucoma. Both hypothyroid and hyperthyroid also have direct bearing on the health and working of the brain and the eye. What is the status of ur thyroid gland?
In effect, glaucoma is both preventable and curable but certainly not within the scope of drugs and surgery. The only way to prevent, mitigate or possible cure glaucoma is the use of honey eye drop, life gate food and energy nutrients to redress high ocular pressure and damage to the optic nerve. Equally important is the resources information on the food needed to improve and preserve vision. Dr George Pamplona Rodger, MD does not agress less. He said,” The type of diet can influence intraocular pressure, improving or aggravating glaucoma.”.
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