Eye Conditions

Optic Gliomas Respond to Growth Factor Eye Drops

Optic gliomas are rare tumors of the brain targeting one or both optic nerves or location where the two optic nerves cross each other, the optic chiasm.  This condition is not known to get better naturally, although nerve growth factor eye drops could help in milder causes.  So far, the results are limited and more research is needed.

Nerve growth factor is  is a neuropeptide (a small protein-like molecule essential for nerve cell communication) which has the capacity to maintain and regulate the growth and integrity of nerve cells, or neurons.  Administered in the form of eyedrops it has been used in the treatment of macular degeneration, glaucoma, and various optic nerve conditions.
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In light of the recent flooding in the Midwest that has disrupted lives and endangered public health, the American Optometric Association (AOA) has published a list of reminders and precautions related to eye care, particularly for those contact lens wearers out there.  Their particular concerns involve the proliferation of water born pathogens such as amoeba, parasites, bacteria and viruses which can be responsible for eye infections.  Eye doctors have seen an increase in eye infections in areas of flood stricken Iowa.
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Omega-3 fatty acids are known to help the heart and they have also been found to help defend against eye diseases like macular degeneration.

A study by researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine shows that omega-3 fatty acids could also help people struggling with alcohol addiction or psychiatric disorders.  According to scientists, the DHA in the fatty acid was responsible for “normalizing behavior” in mice.  When taking DHA, mice were less likely to become depressed or manic when placed under stress.  Unexpectedly, the mice also lost their taste for alcohol when consuming DHA supplements.
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US government scientists realize the important role that nutrition plays in the health of the eyes.

Cataracts are caused by an accumulation of free radicals that cloud the lens of the eye through a process called oxidation.  Antioxidants, these researchers agree, “are compounds in foods that help maintain healthy cells and tissues in the eye and other organs.”  Prime sources of antioxidants include: leafy greens, eggs, blueberries, and bilberries.

In a study of almost 500 middle aged and older women, it was discovered that those who consumed more riboflavin, folate, beta carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and vitamins C and E were less likely to suffer from cataract symptoms than did those who consumes the least amounts of these nutrients.
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Researchers, specifically a group at Harvard’s Joslin Diabetes Center, are understanding the connection between diabetic retinopathy and proteins present in the eyes.  In a 2007 study, scientists describe how they found a group of proteins that they believe are responsible for causing the leakage from blood vessels that marks diabetic retinopathy.  They found that these proteins were also the cause of swelling in the eyes, a discovery that could have an impact on research related to cerebral swelling caused by head injuries and strokes.  Figuring out the role of proteins in this condition opens up new treatment avenues for both eye diseases and brain injuries and conditions.
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Inflammation and Diabetic Retinopathy

At Natural Eye Care, we know that eye conditions are often related to diseases that affect the entire body.  At a conference last year, Clement Trempe, MD reminded colleagues to consider the role of overall inflammation when diagnosing patients with diabetic retinopathy.

According to Dr. Trempe, “Diabetic retinopathy is not an eye disease, but part of a chronic systemic inflammatory disease process that shares the same risk factors and elevated biomarkers associated with coronary vascular and neurodegenerative diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and Alzheimer’s.”
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