Share:
Lower the intraocular pressure
contents
- What is the normal intraocular pressure?
- How does increased pressure develop in the eye?
- Symptoms of increased pressure
- diagnosis
- eye drop
- laser treatment
- surgery
- Naturopathic therapies
- acupuncture
- Medical cannabis
- Right nutrition
- Lower insulin
- More tips
- Causes of increased intraocular pressure
What is the normal intraocular pressure?
The eyeball can be model compared with an inflated ball. If he has too little air, he will not jump properly. However, if he is inflated too much, his outer wall can break. It's the same with our eyes. Intraocular pressure - that is, the pressure that acts on the inner wall of the eye - must be within a certain standard so that the eye is not damaged. Too low a pressure can lead to a retinal detachment in the eye, at too high pressure there is a risk of a green cataract. Here, special attention, because green star begins usually insidious.
However, even people who have normal intraocular pressure sometimes develop glaucoma. Conversely, high pressure in the eye does not necessarily lead to this disease. Every person has their own individual eye pressure, which their own eye can cope with. However, this should not deter you from seeing a specialist in light visual disorders.
At the ophthalmologist the intraocular pressure can be measured. (Image: jyleken / fotolia.com) How does increased pressure develop in the eye?
Almost always is due to an increased intraocular pressure a drainage obstruction of the aqueous humor. The aqueous humor is a colorless fluid that is located in the two ocular chambers. It contains nutrients, supplies the lens and the cornea, and is significantly involved in intraocular pressure. Due to the increased pressure, the optic nerve is less and less supplied and ultimately dies.
The pressure in the eye is also inferior to daily fluctuations. Peak values are around midnight and early morning. Values between eleven and 21 mmHg for intraocular pressure are considered normal. As the pressure changes several measurements are needed to make a correct diagnosis. Increased pressure can lead to permanent damage to the eyes, so treatment of abnormal intraocular pressure is absolutely necessary.
Symptoms of increased pressure
The tricky thing about the disease is that those affected usually do not have any complaints or at first do not take the slight symptoms seriously. Frequently, symptoms such as visual field limitations and / or double vision do not appear until the advanced stage. An acute glaucoma attack, however, usually announces itself by vision deterioration, fog seeing and / or seeing of colored rings around light sources, so-called Newton rings. In an acute attack sufferers suffer from severe headache, a hard eyeball, red eyes, nausea and nausea. This is an absolute emergency that needs to be treated as quickly as possible in a doctor's office or hospital, as there is a risk of losing sight.
In the secondary forms, caused by injuries, diabetes mellitus, inflammation or tumors of the eye, the symptoms are not substantially different from those of primary glaucoma.
The increased intraocular pressure can lead to the development of glaucoma. (Image: Henrie / fotolia.com) diagnosis
The diagnosis "elevated intraocular pressure" usually represents the ophthalmologist. Normal ocular pressure ranges between ten and 21 mmHg (millimeters of mercury). This is measured by a so-called tonometry. Since the increased intraocular pressure can have a fatal effect and is usually asymptomatic, an early detection test from the age of 40 is recommended every one to two years. If there is an increased risk, for example because family members have glaucoma or suffer from diabetes themselves, an annual examination is recommended from the age of 35 years. Screening tests help to reduce intraocular pressure as early as possible. Various medications, laser treatment or surgery are the conventional medical treatment procedures to reduce the intraocular pressure.
eye drop
The eye drops are designed to reduce the production of aqueous humor and increase its flow, thereby lowering the intraocular pressure. These drops must be used regularly and the inspection appointments at the ophthalmologist must be adhered to. Unfortunately, the application is associated with possible side effects such as irritated eyes, itching or redness. The beta-blocker drops can additionally burden the cardiovascular system and the respiration.
laser treatment
SLT - Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty - is a gentle and painless therapy that is used to lower the increased pressure. The treatment is usually done directly in the field and only takes a few minutes. This is used, for example, in patients who can not cope with the prescribed eye drops and / or do not tolerate them. This treatment method reduces intraocular pressure by up to 25 percent and often lasts for life. If necessary, the SLT can be repeated, the procedure is not harmful to the eye.
surgery
If all medical procedures are exhausted and the intraocular pressure remains unmanageable, surgery is considered. There are different surgical methods for this. The standard is trabeculectomy, which creates a kind of valve on the dermis of the eye. This allows excess aqueous humor to drain and be absorbed by the connective tissue of the body. By the so-called iridectomy, however, a small hole in the iris (iris) cut, so that the aqueous humor between the anterior and posterior chamber of the eye can flow through better. Both methods greatly reduce intraocular pressure.
In case of visual disturbances, it is advisable first to go to a real ophthalmologist and to see an optician if necessary. (Image: nd3000 / fotolia.com) Naturopathic therapies
In the naturopathic practice too high intraocular pressure is treated with the following forms of therapy: homeopathy, TCM (traditional Chinese medicine), acupuncture, phytotherapy, Schüßler salts and foot reflexology. However, it should never be forgotten that the intraocular pressure must be checked regularly. If the intraocular pressure only slightly increased and no further treatment is needed, a naturopathic therapy can bring quite good success. If treatment by a doctor is unavoidable, naturopathy contributes to the relief and relief.
acupuncture
Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of therapy and is part of TCM, Traditional Chinese Medicine. Acupuncture is not assigned to conventional medical procedures, but is getting more and more recognition. In naturopathic or naturopathic physicians, this therapy is used, inter alia, to lower the intraocular pressure. A very special form is the eye acupuncture. The name is a bit misleading. Of course, no needles are brought to the eye, but very special points on the body and also around the eye needles.
Medical cannabis
Another method. to lower elevated eye pressure is medical cannabis. Many cannabinoids normalize this pressure, and can reduce it by 30 percent. The disadvantage is that medicinal cannabis does not have a long duration of action. After a maximum of four hours, the effect is already pas-sé, so in the treatment with cannabis must be taken several times a day a dose of medication.
Right nutrition
A healthy diet is important for everyone. In order to lower elevated intraocular pressure, there is no evidence regarding certain foods that could support this. However, it is believed that excessive coffee consumption can increase the pressure in the eye. Therefore, those affected are advised to consume coffee only in small quantities.
The cannabinoids cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN) contained in cannabis as well as THC and its derivatives can reliably lower elevated intraocular pressure. (Image: Elroi / fotolia.com) Magnesium is known to be needed by the body, especially during periods of stress. Since stress is again discussed as the cause of increased intraocular pressure, the consumption of foods rich in magnesium can lower it accordingly. A magnesium deficiency should be avoided at all costs. The mineral is especially included in pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, amaranth, quinoa, legumes, stinging nettles and bananas.
The diet should be rich in natural vitamins in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables and contain healthy fats. Carotenoids have long been known for their positive effects on the human eye. This substance is mainly contained in tomatoes, carrots and pumpkin. However, carotenoids are fat-soluble and can only be used together with fat in the body. This means that a carrot can only produce the desired effect when eaten together with fat - for example, some good olive oil or a sandwich.
Lower insulin
Doctors also associate increased intraocular pressure with elevated insulin levels. So diabetics are particularly at risk. Here you could do without foods rich in carbohydrates, which increase the insulin level in the body. There are also blood sugar-lowering home remedies such as turmeric, cinnamon or garlic. Sea fish and green vegetables are also very beneficial here. In order to permanently reduce insulin levels in the body, you have to change your diet over the long term.
The well-known medicinal plant Ginkgo can not only increase the circulation of our brains and thus prevent dementia, but also adjust the intraocular pressure. (Image: Molly / fotolia.com) More tips
To reduce slightly increased intraocular pressure or to do something good in addition to conventional medical therapy, daily consumption of green tea is advisable. Gingko biloba is also recommended for cases of increased eye pressure. Not only is this a means to stimulate blood flow to the brain, but it can also provide better blood circulation in the eye.
Fresh air, regular exercise and the use of proven relaxation methods - all this is important to address the onset of stress. Stress can affect the eye as well and thus contribute to increased intraocular pressure.
Causes of increased intraocular pressure
Causes of increased intraocular pressure include cardiovascular disease, low or high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, autoimmune diseases involving blood vessels, smoking, long-term cortisone treatment, severe short-sightedness or farsightedness, and medications that dilate the pupil , and a genetic disposition. If you belong to such a risk group, you should have your eyes examined immediately by an ophthalmologist in the case of vision loss or general visual field disorders. (sw, dp: updated on 05.08.2018)