Glaucoma is a common condition that's caused by an imbalance in the production and outflow of fluid in your eye. As glaucoma progresses, it blurs your vision, and left untreated it eventually leads to the loss of your peripheral vision, which is commonly known as tunnel vision. Fortunately, glaucoma is treatable, and by slowing the condition's progress you can live a completely normal life. Before you consider glaucoma surgery, talk to your opthamologist about trying a few of these natural glaucoma treatments.
Food and Drink
There isn't proof that eating healthier helps corrects or slows the progress of glaucoma. However, eating a balanced diet is a good thing, and many foods have vitamins and minerals essential to eye health, such as antioxidant vitamins A, E, and C; zinc, and copper. Before you make any changes to your diet, you should consult your ophthalmologist to make sure your diet includes enough of each vitamin and mineral needed.
Also, the Mayo Clinic advises people with glaucoma to limit their caffeine intake and consume water in small amounts throughout the day. This is because consuming a significant amount of caffeine and/or large amounts of fluid within a sort period of time can increase your eye pressure temporarily.
Exercise
Studies have shown that glaucoma patients who exercised regularly for three months reduced their intraocular eye pressure by approximately 20 percent, according to the Glaucoma Foundation. The patients in the study rode stationary bikes for 40 minutes, four times per week. Also, patients have been monitored walking four times per week for 40 minutes. These patients were able to increases their eye pressure enough to stop taking beta blockers.
Relaxation Techniques
Stress can trigger an attack of acute angle-closure glaucoma, so it's important to practice relaxation techniques on a regular basis. Find healthy ways to cope with stress, such as meditation.
Yoga also helps reduce stress, and gives you the exercise you need to stay in shape. However, you should avoid any yoga positions that require you to be in a head-down or inverted position because it can increase pressure on your optic nerve.
Glaucoma is a scary condition. No one wants to lose part, or all, of their sight. However, by eating healthy, getting the proper amount of eye-healthy vitamins daily, exercising, and learning how to relax, you can slow the disease's progress to a point that allows you to live a happy, fulfilled lifestyle.
Talk to experts like Coastal Eye Care for more information.
Share30 March 2015
My name is Katie Langer. For a long time, I was bed ridden and I felt like I had no control over my life. I simply went along with what was instructed by my doctor and I didn't ask questions. It wasn't that my doctor wasn't willing to work with me, but I preferred to simply not think about the illness I was suffering from. I didn't realize that some of the symptoms I was suffering from were side effects of my medication and were not normal. After communicating more with my doctor, I was able to alleviate my symptoms. Since then, I've taken an interest in patient-doctor relationships and how to improve them.
