| The training of our eye doctors in this country is | | | | attention to the following: |
| very comprehensive there have been major | | | | 1. Stress- in glaucoma as far back as 1818 |
| advances in treatment of eye disease and even | | | | researchers linked stress to glaucoma. One study |
| laser surgery to correct nearsightedness, | | | | showed that glaucoma patients tend to be |
| farsightedness, and astigmatism is available today. | | | | perfectionists, nervous, anxiety ridden and/or |
| But it doesn't really correct the underlying problem | | | | hypersensitive. In Chinese medicine glaucoma is |
| of why it is there to begin with. Eye care in this | | | | linked to the liver meridian. The emotion |
| country is symptom oriented. In our training as | | | | associated with the Liver anger/frustration. I may |
| eye doctors we're taught that once something | | | | suggest to a patient with glaucoma, that instead |
| goes wrong with your eyes there is not much | | | | of suppressing anger, feel it, but don't fear it. I tell |
| that can be done to help reverse the condition. | | | | them to try meditation, tai chi and psychotherapy |
| Vision problems are multiplying at epidemic | | | | and remember to smile. |
| proportions in our society. The eye care industry | | | | 2. Smoking- avoid smoking, it more than doubles |
| is a multi-billion dollar business. Glasses, contact | | | | the incidence of cataracts , glaucoma, and macular |
| lenses, and eye surgery are the major tools of | | | | degeneration, by stressing the nerve cells in the |
| that industry and these enter the lives of virtually | | | | macula and reduces the quality of blood circulation |
| all of the citizens of the Western world. Aldous | | | | 3. Physical Exercise- research has shown that |
| Huxley wrote in his book The Art of Seeing", that | | | | glaucoma patients who take a brisk 40 minute |
| if everyone who had deficient vision had broken | | | | walk 5 days a week for three months can reduce |
| legs, the streets would be full of cripples." | | | | their eye pressure by approximately 2.5 mm. |
| Patients come in year after year, their eyesight | | | | 4. Diet-fruits and vegetables, drink 8-10 glasses of |
| getting worse. Conventional eye care | | | | water per day but not with food-30 minutes |
| professionals just give them stronger and | | | | before a meal or 2 hours after a meal optimally, |
| stronger glasses. Something is wrong with this | | | | avoid sugars, fried foods, alcohol, caffeine. |
| picture. Cataracts are present to some degree in | | | | 5. Nutritional supplementation-alpha lipoic |
| nearly all adults over the age of 70 years old. | | | | acid-200mg, vitamin C-3000 mg, Coenzyme |
| These patients are told, "Let's wait until the | | | | Q10-100mg, essential fatty acids--omega |
| cataract "ripens"(gets worse), and then we can | | | | 3's-1500mg-black currant seed, flax see, cold |
| remove it surgically." Something is wrong with this | | | | water fish-salmon mackerel, magnesium- 500 |
| picture. Patients with macular degeneration and | | | | mg-to help relax the smooth muscles that are |
| glaucoma are told, " We'll watch it and try to | | | | what regulates the outflow of aqueous humor |
| keep it under control." The amount of children in | | | | from the inner eye. |
| our schools being labeled learning disabled and/or | | | | 6. Body work-chiropractic, massage therapy, |
| Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is increasing | | | | cranial-sacral etc |
| every year. Where is the much needed | | | | My philosophy is that people are more than an |
| prevention, education and rehabilitation? something | | | | interesting set of symptoms that must be |
| is wrong with this picture as well. | | | | treated with the proper drug or glasses. We |
| People think that eye problems are just a natural | | | | function on several levels; emotional, spiritual, and |
| course of life's process, but people's vision can | | | | physical. It is important to take all of these levels |
| improve. When people are given so called | | | | into consideration when treating a patient, because |
| "corrective" lenses they are being sold a false bill | | | | merely treating the physical symptoms of the |
| of goods. "Corrective" lenses don't really correct | | | | condition does not address how that condition |
| anything. Most of the time when people get their | | | | impacts and emerges from all of those levels of |
| glasses it usually causes more dependency on | | | | your being. So in treating the eye all these factors |
| them along with the eyes losing some of their | | | | must be taken into consideration. |
| natural flexibility. I'm interested in an aggressive | | | | Let's start with nutrition, because more than 25 |
| prevention program so that many eye conditions | | | | per cent of the nutrients we absorb from our |
| can be prevented and corrected. | | | | food go to nourish the visual system. The diet |
| So what's is wrong with the conventional | | | | plan I prescribe emphasizes a variety of whole |
| treatment for certain eye conditions. Let's look at | | | | foods, because the body does not use each |
| nearsightedness and glaucoma. | | | | vitamin or mineral in isolation. |
| For example, if you need glasses the eye doctor | | | | The diet I recommend includes the following: 1) |
| will prescribe them and you will thank them then | | | | whole grains including brown rice, millet, spelt and |
| pay them for the eye examination and glasses. In | | | | buckwheat, 2) sea vegetables such as dulse, nori |
| a couple of years or sooner the prescription may | | | | and hijiki because they are high in minerals, 3) |
| not be good enough for you to see clearly so | | | | fresh fruits and vegetables such as kale, collard |
| you will come back get another examination and | | | | greens and spinach. These greens are especially |
| probably get stronger glasses and thank them | | | | good for the eyes since they have amounts of |
| and pay them again. | | | | lutein, which is a carotenoid that studies have |
| If you have glaucoma, a similar same thing | | | | proven helps protect the macula of the eye and |
| happens. You come to the office and you may | | | | the lens of the eye. This is particularly important |
| get eye drops to help stabilize the pressure and | | | | for macula degeneration. |
| are told that you will probably be on these eye | | | | But no matter how wholesome and pure our food |
| drops the rest of your life. Where is the | | | | might be, there are factors that affect its nutrient |
| prevention, and or rehabilitation? | | | | content. How it is grown, how it is stored, and |
| We have to look at vision the same way that | | | | how it is cooked. Your age, health, activity level |
| Chinese medicine looks at disease. We look at not | | | | and stress also can affect what your body needs |
| if "X" causes "Y "but what is the relationship | | | | and how well it uses the nutrients from your diet. |
| between "X" and "Y". The eye is an extension of | | | | This is where supplements come in. I routinely |
| brain tissue and it reflects what your thinking and | | | | recommend vitamin and mineral supplements to |
| feeling. The eyes help us adapt to the world and | | | | my patients |
| they give us an indication of how we are adapting | | | | Besides relieving pain, acupressure can rebalance qi |
| to the world. It is the primary way we take in | | | | throughout the body. I've found acupressure to |
| information. | | | | be very beneficial in the treatment of eye disease |
| For instance, nearsightedness doesn't just happen. | | | | and I recommend it since a patient can do it |
| Did you know that 90 percent of accountants are | | | | themselves. |
| nearsighted, but less than 10 percent of farmers | | | | Both eye and physical exercise are extremely |
| are? That's because accountants spend a lot of | | | | important in the treatment and prevention of eye |
| time focused on up close tasks and farmers are | | | | conditions because it raises oxygen levels in the |
| usually looking out across the fields. The brain | | | | cells and increases lymph and blood circulation. |
| says "if you make me do close work all day, you | | | | From a Chinese standpoint, eye problems mean |
| will have to give up something" and that | | | | there is a stagnant energy and exercise helps get |
| something is the ability to see at a distance, so | | | | rid of the stagnation. This increased circulation |
| obviously how we use and abuse our eyes | | | | revitalizes the organs and glands and speeds up |
| affects what happens to them. This concept is | | | | detoxification of the body. I recommend that you |
| not usually taken into consideration by most eye | | | | gently build up to aerobic exercise for a minimum |
| doctors. In nearsightedness, I use the analogy of | | | | of 20 minutes per day, four days a week. |
| training for a marathon. If your are going to | | | | The following are some important tips to keep |
| graduate school, law school, medical school, etc. | | | | our eyes vibrant and alive. |
| and there is an extremely large amount of | | | | Don't keep your eyes focused in one place for a |
| reading that needs to be done, so we need to | | | | sustained period of time. Change your focus, look |
| keep our eye muscles flexible in order to handle | | | | up and out a window if possible, just keep your |
| the amount of close work more easily. Also | | | | eyes moving, sustained contraction of the eyes |
| proper posture, lighting, taking vision and body | | | | leads to contraction of the entire upper body. And |
| breaks and proper nutrition all play a part in helping | | | | don't stare that also causes tension in the visual |
| our eyes. | | | | system. |
| Now in glaucoma let's say your 55 years old and | | | | Get at least 20 minutes of natural sunlight a day |
| you have borderline high intraocular pressure | | | | minimum. The eyes are light sensing organs so its |
| which is a possible early sign of glaucoma. The | | | | important to get sunlight so that they can work |
| doctor will test your visual field to make sure | | | | optimally. |
| your peripheral vision is not affected and if your | | | | Quit smoking!!! This is probably the number on eye |
| visual field and optic nerve looks normal and the | | | | irritant. Somokers have a 50 to 100 per cent |
| pressure is borderline. The doctor will usually just | | | | increased risk for every eye disease. |
| say come back in 3 to 6 months and we will | | | | Avoid sugar; it depletes the body of the nutrients |
| watch it and if it gets to high we will give you | | | | the eyes need. And avoid alcohol since it causes |
| medication. Again very rarely is there anything | | | | stress to the liver, which is where Vitamin A is |
| given preventively to help lower the pressure. | | | | processed. |
| But many things can help, such as paying | | | | |