Cataracts, Glaucoma, Macular degeneration, Night vision loss

Degenerative eye diseases

What are cataracts?

Symptoms of cataracts

Causes of cataracts and other degenerative eye diseases

Prevention and treatment of cataracts and other degenerative eye diseases

Cataract surgery

References

Degenerative eye diseases

Degenerative diseases of the eye including glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration and loss of night vision. They all have a number of common causes, which are pretty much the same as the Causes of cataracts listed below.

Glaucoma is caused by increased pressure on the optic nerves from increased pressure inside the eyes, because fluid flows into the eyes but drains out too slowly. Glaucoma causes loss of vision in both eyes, most notably gradual loss of peripheral vision. Other symptoms of glaucoma include eye pain, halos around lights and nausea that accompanies severe eye pain.

Glaucoma is an autoimmune disease. (7, 8) Low vitamin D status is associated with glaucoma and other autoimmune diseases. (9)

Macular degeneration is the deterioration of the macula, the light-sensitive layer in the centre of the retina which controls central or straight-ahead vision. Early symptoms of macular degeneration include blurred vision, the need for additional light when reading, inability to recognize people until they are close and the presence of a blurred spot in the centre of the vision. The risk of macular degeneration increases with age. Likely causes of macular degeneration (in addition to those listed below) include high blood pressure, obesity and lack of exercise.

What are cataracts?

A cataract is when the lens of the eye goes cloudy or opaque and causes vision impairment. Cataracts can affect one or both eyes.

As cataracts progress they can affect your ability to function and live normally by impairing driving, reading and recognizing faces, and increasing the risk of falling, accidents and depression. (1)

Cataracts affect more than 50% of Americans over the age of 65 years and 68% of those aged over 80. (3) Cataracts cause 51% of all cases of blindness and 33% of visual impairment worldwide, rising to nearly 60% of blindness in parts of Africa and South America.

Symptoms of cataracts

Symptoms often develop slowly and at first may not be obvious.

• Bright lights cause halos, glare and distortion.
• Colours fade, yellowing of colours.
• Blurred or double vision.
• Night vision difficulty.
• Frequent changes in your glasses prescription.
• Gradual reduction in visual clarity.
• Eventually, blindness that impairs the ability to live a normal life.

Causes of cataracts and other degenerative eye diseases

• Glycation is a process where sugar combines with protein, or sugar combines with fat. Glycation is responsible for complications in many degenerative diseases, and for accelerating ageing. In particular, glycation end products cause blood vessel complications in diabetes. One of the side-effects of persistent high blood sugar is degeneration of the eye. Sugar and proteins can combine to form advanced glycosylated end products (AGEs), which are the main component in liver spots, but which also have a role in other aspects of cellular damage, eye diseases and ageing. Having a high level of glucose in the blood also promotes AGEs. (6)
• Sugar. A high sugar and refined carbohydrate diet which promotes glycation. Diabetics have an increased risk of cataracts and other eye diseases. It is also a cause of oxidative stress, which require the body to make its own (endogenous) antioxidants.
• Vitamin C deficiency. A diet low in fresh raw vegetables and sour fruits such as lemons.
• Ageing.
• Vitamin D deficiency.
• Glutathione deficiency.
• Deficiency in dietary carotenoids and anthocyanins. This is a diet without a variety of colourful vegetables and fruits.
• Corticosteroid medication. These synthetic steroids raise blood glucose levels and weaken the immune system.
• Stress. Prolonged and chronic stress that goes on for extended periods without and end in sight.
• Trauma, including previous eye surgery.
• Congenital cataracts which are inherited from a parent. This type of cataract may be present at birth, or may slowly develop over many decades.
• Smoking tobacco.
• Alcohol.
• Radiation exposure, including x-rays, microwaves and prolonged exposure to UV-B in strong sunlight.
• Skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis and eczema can raise the risk of developing cataracts.

Prevention and treatment of cataracts and other degenerative eye diseases

• Diet with no sugar, no refined carbohydrates.
• Vitamin D at optimal level. (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
• Diet rich in lutein, which is a major component of the orange and yellow pigment found in a variety of fruits and vegetables. The best sources are genuine free-range egg yolks, spinach, coloured peppers and squash. (2)
• Diet rich in carotenoids and anthocyanins. Carotenoids include beta carotene, found in genuine free-range egg yolk, organic carrots, and other red, yellow and orange vegetables. Anthocyanins are the red, purple and blue pigments in fruit and vegetables. The best food sources are wild, sour, black and blue coloured berries, red and purple cabbage, and sprouts. Zeaxanthin is a yellow pigment found in yellow vegetables and fruits. Astaxanthin is a similar red pigment found in foods like wild salmon.
• Fasting, intermittent fasting, one or two meals per day. No snacking.
• Alpha Lipoic Acid. ALA is found in red meat, liver and yeast. It may also be purchased as a supplement.
• Taurine.
• Phytonutrients, particularly those found in raw cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, cress, horseradish, kohlrabi, radish and turnip.
• Glutathione is an antioxidant found in all kinds of real foods, with the richest sources being high-sulphur foods like egg yolks and cruciferous vegetables. Leafy greens such as spinach, and avocado, asparagus and okra are also a good source. Sufficient vitamin C and turmeric will help increase glutathione absorption.
• Choline. Evidence suggests that citicoline (a choline derivative) may be used to improve retinal function in patients with glaucoma. (12)
• DMSO.
• Methylene blue. (6)
• MSM. You can buy eye drops that contain MSM.
• Zinc.
• Ginko biloba. (10, 11)
• Vitamin B1, B2, C and E.
• Stress management. Taking full responsibility for your life, telling the truth to yourself, living life with integrity, seeking how to make a contribution to others, believing in God or a higher power. Meditation. Perspective. (10, 11)
• Onion.
• Kefir and other probiotics. The kefir should be sour, and home made from full fat grass fed milk.
• Castor oil.
• Cannabis oil. (11)

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See details of remedies recommended by Grow Youthful visitors, and their experience with them.

Cataract surgery

Surgery. After cataracts are well established the only effective treatment is surgery. The operation removes the cloudy lens and replaces it with an artificial lens. Cataract surgery is usually day surgery (outpatient surgery) done under local anaesthetic that takes 30 to 45 minutes. You should be able to go home on the same day. About 90% of patients enjoy a corrected vision of 20/40 or better after surgery. (4)

In more developed countries, a trend to overuse cataract surgery has led to disappointing results because cataract surgery can only meet expectations when significant functional impairment due to cataracts exists before the surgery. (5)

References

1. Gimbel HV, Dardzhikova AA. Consequences of waiting for cataract surgery. Current Opinion in Ophthalmology, January 2011. 22 (1): 28-30. doi:10.1097/icu.0b013e328341425d. PMID 21076306. S2CID 205670956.

2. Chew EY, SanGiovanni JP, Ferris FL, Wong WT, Agron E, Clemons TE, Sperduto R, Danis R, Chandra SR, Blodi BA, Domalpally A, Elman MJ, Antoszyk AN, Ruby AJ, Orth D, Bressler SB, Fish GE, Hubbard GB, Klein ML, Friberg TR, Rosenfeld PJ, Toth CA, Bernstein P. Lutein/zeaxanthin for the treatment of age-related cataract: AREDS2 randomized trial report no. 4. Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) Research Group. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2013 Jul;131(7):843-50. doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2013.4412. PMID: 23645227; PMCID: PMC6774801.

3. Cataract Data and Statistics. National Eye Institute. nei.nih.gov. 2019-11-18.

4. Bollinger KE, Langston RH. What can patients expect from cataract surgery? (March 2008). Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine. 75 (3): 193-96, 199-200.

5. Black N, Browne J, van der Meulen J, Jamieson L, Copley L, Lewsey J. Is there overutilisation of cataract surgery in England? (January 2009). The British Journal of Ophthalmology. 93 (1): 13-17.

6. Payne A J, Kaja S, Sabates N R, Koulen P. A case for neuroprotection in ophthalmology: developments in translational research. (2013). Mo Med, 110(5), 429-36. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24279196/.

7. Geyer O, Levo Y. Glaucoma is an autoimmune disease. Autoimmun Rev. 2020 Jun;19(6):102535. doi: 10.1016/j.autrev.2020.102535. Epub 2020 Mar 28. PMID: 32234407.

8. Wakefield D, Wildner G. Is glaucoma an autoimmune disease? Clin Transl Immunology. 2020 Oct 6;9(10):e1180. doi: 10.1002/cti2.1180. PMID: 33133597; PMCID: PMC7586712.

9. Ulhaq ZS. Vitamin D and its receptor polymorphisms are associated with glaucoma. J Fr Ophtalmol. 2020 Dec;43(10):1009-1019. doi: 10.1016/j.jfo.2020.02.016. Epub 2020 Sep 28. PMID: 33004198.

10. Bhartiya S, Ichhpujani P. Complementary and Alternate Management of Glaucoma: The Verdict so Far. J Curr Glaucoma Pract. 2014 May-Aug;8(2):54-7. doi: 10.5005/jp-journals-10008-1161. Epub 2014 Jun 12. PMID: 26997809; PMCID: PMC4741164.

11. Rhee DJ, Katz LJ, Spaeth GL, Myers JS. Complementary and alternative medicine for glaucoma. Surv Ophthalmol. 2001 Jul-Aug;46(1):43-55. doi: 10.1016/s0039-6257(01)00233-8. PMID: 11525790.

12. Prinz J, Prokosch V, Liu H, Walter P, Fuest M, Migliorini F. Efficacy of citicoline as a supplement in glaucoma patients: A systematic review. PLoS One. 2023 Sep 28;18(9):e0291836. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291836. PMID: 37768938; PMCID: PMC10538785.