A condition in which there is a build-up of fluid in the eye, which presses on the retina and the optic nerve. The retina is the layer of nerve tissue inside the eye that senses light and sends images along the optic nerve to the brain. Glaucoma can damage the optic nerve and cause loss of vision or blindness.

Glaucoma can happen even with normal eye pressure.

Glaucoma can occur at any age but is more common in older adults. It is one of the leading causes of blindness for people over the age of 60.

Many forms of glaucoma have no warning signs. The effect is so gradual that you may not notice a change in vision until the condition is in its later stages.

Types of Glaucoma

There are many different types of glaucoma, but the most common type in the United States is called open-angle glaucoma — that’s what most people mean when they talk about glaucoma. Other types are less common, like angle-closure glaucoma and congenital glaucoma.

Symptoms of Glaucoma

At first, glaucoma doesn’t usually have any symptoms. That’s why half of people with glaucoma don’t even know they have it.

Over time, you may slowly lose vision, usually starting with your side (peripheral) vision — especially the part of your vision that’s closest to your nose. Because it happens so slowly, many people can’t tell that their vision is changing at first.

But as the disease gets worse, you may start to notice that you can’t see things off to the side anymore. Without treatment, glaucoma can eventually cause blindness.

Risk for Glaucoma

Anyone can get glaucoma, but some people are at higher risk. You’re at higher risk if you:

• Are over age 60, especially if you’re Hispanic/Latino
• Are African American and over age 40
• Have a family history of glaucoma

Talk with your doctor about your risk for glaucoma, and ask how often you need to get checked. If you’re at higher risk, you need to get a comprehensive dilated eye exam every 1 to 2 years.

Causes of Glaucoma

The back of your eye continuously makes a clear fluid called aqueous humor. As this fluid is made, it fills the front part of your eye. Then, it leaves your eye through channels in your cornea and iris. If these channels are blocked or partially obstructed, the natural pressure in your eye, which is called the intraocular pressure (IOP), may increase. As your IOP increases, your optic nerve may become damaged. As damage to your nerve progresses, you may begin losing sight in your eye.

What causes the pressure in your eye to increase isn’t always known. However, doctors believe one or more of these factors may play a role:

• Dilating eye drops
• Blocked or restricted drainage in your eye
• Medications, such as corticosteroids
• Poor or reduced blood flow to your optic nerve
• High or elevated blood pressure

Prevention of eye disease

Glaucoma can’t be prevented, but it’s still important to catch it early so you can begin treatment that will help prevent it from getting worse. The best way to catch any type of eye disease early is to have an annual preventive eye care appointment. Make an appointment with an ophthalmologist. Simple tests performed during these routine eye checks may be able to detect damage from glaucoma before it advances and begins causing vision loss.

How homeopathy helps in treatment of Glaucoma:

It has been suggested that various homeopathic remedies exert neuroprotective and antioxidant effects on the eye, which could slow glaucomatous progression. The most popular of these remedies are ginkgo biloba and bilberry. Ginkgo biloba is thought to have vasodilatory and anti-inflammatory properties in addition to antioxidant properties, all of which could increase retinal and choroidal circulation and reduce free radicals. A direct link between these neuroprotective effects and improved visual fields has yet to be established, and published results are conflicting.

Bilberry has been proposed to have a neuroprotective effect and to decrease retinal ganglion cell death after injury. In animal studies, bioflavonoids (compounds found in fruits and vegetables) and turmeric have been shown to have neuroprotective effects on retinal ganglion cells, especially after cell injury.

Here are a few Homeopathic medicines mentioned that are proven effective in glaucoma treatment:

1. Phosphorus: This remedy is useful to improve the vision of the affected eye, and also prevents further damage to the optic nerve. The patient experiences foggy vision as if he/ she is seeing through mist/ dust.
2. Saponaria Officinalis: This remedy is indicated when there is high intraocular pressure and the patient feels violent stitches deep inside the eyes. Saponaria helps to reduce elevated intraocular pressure.
3. Phytolacca decandra: Helps to improve the dim vision of the eye with dull aching pain deep inside the eye.
4. Rhododendron chrysanthum: This medicine is useful in the developing stage of narrow-angle where the patient does not have constant pain, but it comes and goes. Eye pains are mainly felt before thunderstorms.
5. Few other medicines worth mentioning here are Gelsemium, Bryonia, Prunus, Spinosa, Spigelia, Conium, etc.

However, one should get consulted by a certified homeopath to start the treatment for Glaucoma, because thorough case taking is required for constitutional treatment. 

At Cosmic Homeo Healing Centre, under the able guidance of senior Homeopath Dr. Mahavrat Patel, we have helped many patients to manage the eye pressure with Homeopathic medicines and it is confirmed with their perimetry report.