Over 3 million Americans are living with glaucoma.
If you recently got this diagnosis yourself, you might be asking, “Can glaucoma be cured?” We’ve put together this guide to help you learn the answer to this question and to show you some natural supplements that can help.
So let’s get started!
What Is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is an eye disease that’s caused by a buildup of fluid that forms in the front part of your eye and damages the optic nerve. This results in worsening eyesight, and if left untreated, it can lead to blindness over time.
But if you got a recent glaucoma diagnosis, don’t let this worry you. With proper treatment, you most likely won’t lose your vision completely.
There are two different types of glaucoma.
Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma
Open-angle Glaucoma is more common than closed-angle glaucoma, so most of the people who suffer from glaucoma have this type. This disease happens gradually because, although the eye can still drain fluid, it can’t do it as well as it’s supposed to.
Because this happens over time, you won’t notice a change in your vision at first. Eventually, though, your vision will get worse.
Closed-Angle Glaucoma
This type of glaucoma happens a lot faster than open-angle glaucoma, and it can be much more serious. This happens if the iris is too close to the drainage angle in your eye. If the iris blocks the drainage angle completely, the pressure in the eye will increase fast.
This can cause an acute attack. If you don’t get medical attention right away, you can end up going blind.
Can Glaucoma Be Cured?
The short answer to this question is no.
You can’t heal or reverse the damage caused by glaucoma. You can, however, slow down the progression of the disease with proper treatment. If you catch the disease early, you can even prevent the loss of your eyesight.
So if you think you might have glaucoma, make sure you set up an appointment with your ophthalmologist right away. This will ensure you get the proper care in time to prevent the disease from getting too much worse.
How to Treat Glaucoma
There are several different types of treatment for glaucoma. Your ophthalmologist might recommend one or more of these options. If your condition continues to worsen, they may also adjust your treatment plan.
Eye Drops
Prescription eye drops are one of the most common treatments for glaucoma. These eye drops will help improve how the fluid drains from your eye.
There are a number of different types that all do different things, including prostaglandins, beta-blockers, rho-kinase inhibitors, alpha-adrenergic agonists, and many more. The exact type of eye drop you need will depend on the condition of your eye. In fact, your ophthalmologist may prescribe more than one type for you to use.
Medications
You can also take oral medications to help treat glaucoma. Your ophthalmologist will most likely only prescribe you this medication if the eye drops aren’t doing enough on their own. You’ll have to deal with a few side effects when taking glaucoma medication, such as nausea, kidney stones, tingling in your fingers and toes, or depression.
Because of this, your ophthalmologist will probably avoid this mediation if they can.
Surgery
Depending on the severity of your glaucoma, you made benefit from getting surgery or therapy. Here are a few options that can help stop the progression of this disease.
- Laser Therapy
You can only get laser therapy if you have open-angle glaucoma. If you are a good candidate, your ophthalmologist will shine a tiny laser into your eye and use it to unclog the channels in your trabecular meshwork.
- Drainage Tube
You’ll have to visit an eye surgeon to get this treatment. They will insert a small shunt into your eye that’ll help drain away the fluid that keeps building up.
- Filtering Surgery
This surgery is also known as a trabeculectomy. For this procedure, your eye surgeon will create a small opening gin the white of your eye and remove a tiny section of the trabecular meshwork. This will help relieve the pressure in your eye.
- MIGS
MIGS stands for minimally invasive glaucoma surgery, and your eye surgeon will perform this procedure if you don’t require a more serious surgery. Since MIGS is minimally invasive, there is less recovery time and a lower risk of something going wrong.
There are several different MIGS methods out there. So your ophthalmologist will discuss which option will best benefit your condition.
Natural Glaucoma Remedies That May Help
Aside from medications and surgeries, there are a few natural remedies that may also help slow down the progression of glaucoma. Here’s a quick look at two of the most helpful options.
Baicalein
Baicalein is a natural compound found it some types of plants, and it may be able to lower eye pressure. However, there hasn’t been a lot of studies on this remedy yet, so make sure you do your research before trying it.
Forskolin
Forskolin comes from the root of a plant in the same family as mint. This plant has also been shown to help prevent the effects of glaucoma from getting any worse. You can learn more about this remedy at advancedliving.com.
Don’t Let Glaucoma Control Your Life
So can glaucoma be cured?
Unfortunately, once you have glaucoma, you can’t get rid of it. You can, however, keep it from getting any worse if you get the right treatment.
Want to learn some other helpful health tips? Make sure you check out the rest of our blog!
