Herbal Medicine for Glaucoma

Glaucoma, the second most common cause of blindness, is not a single disease, according to Medline Plus, but rather a group of conditions that causes damage to the optic nerve. Most of the damage caused by glaucoma results from increased pressure within the eye that gradually cuts off blood flow to the optic nerve and retina. Conventional treatment consists primarily of prescription medication and/or surgery. However, alternative/complementary medicine advocates suggest that herbal remedies have a role in treating glaucoma.

Types of Glaucoma

• MayoClinic.com identifies the two most common forms of glaucoma as primary open-angle and acute angle-closure, each of which has significantly different symptoms. The former is characterized by a gradual loss of peripheral vision, usually in both eyes, that progresses eventually to tunnel vision. The symptoms of acute angle-closure glaucoma are far less subtle and include blurred vision, severe eye pain, eye redness, nausea, vomiting and halos around lights. Two less common forms of glaucoma, according to MedlinePlus, are congenital and secondary. The first is present from birth and is hereditary in nature, while the second is caused by other eye diseases, systemic diseases and drugs, such as corticosteroids.

Vitamin C & Germanium

• Major factors in glaucoma are increased intraocular pressure and diminished blood flow to the eye's optic nerve and retina. According to the Regenerative Nutrition website, Jay Cohen, O.D., a professor at the State University of New York College of Optometry, argues that high doses of vitamin C can reduce the level of fluid in the eye and decrease the damaging buildup of pressure. He recommends a daily dose of 1,000 to 2,000 mg. The website also urges the use of organic germanium, which is found in a wide variety of medicinal herbs as well as foods, to increase the supply of oxygen to the vital structures of the eye, including the optic nerve.

Other Herbal Remedies

• Robert Ritch, M.D., director of the Glaucoma Foundation in New York City, urges patients with glaucoma to supplement the medications prescribed by their ophthalmologists with gingko biloba, according to MotherNature.com. "Gingko appears to increase blood flow to the eye and prevent the death of cells in the optic nerve," the doctor observes. Ritch suggests that you take 120 mg of gingko twice daily for two months and then cut back to 60 mg twice daily. Like Cohen, Ritch is a strong believer in the curative benefits of vitamin C, urging a daily dosage of 2,000 mg as well as 800 IU (international units) of vitamin E daily.

What to Do

• Glaucoma is a vision-threatening condition that you should not attempt to treat on your own. However, significant evidence suggests that positive benefits can be derived from supplements of the substances discussed earlier. Taken in conjunction with the other medications or therapies prescribed by your ophthalmologist, these herbal remedies should improve your chances of combating glaucoma and retaining your vision.