Glaucoma is a serious eye condition characterized by an increase of pressure within the eyeball, called intra-ocular pressure. The condition of glaucoma generally refers to high blood pressure of the eyes. The condition is, therefore, also known as hypertension of the eye. A certain amount of intra-ocular pressure is considered necessary, but too much can cause damage to the eye and may result in vision loss. Glaucoma is the major cause of blindness among adults today and far-sighted persons are more prone to develop this disease than the nearsighted ones.
Glaucoma is a highly toxic condition of the system due to dietetic errors, a faulty life style and the prolonged use of suppressive drugs for the treatment of other diseases. Even severe eyestrain or prolonged working under bad lighting conditions is the contributory causes of glaucoma. Glaucoma is also caused by prolonged stress and is usually a reaction of adrenal exhaustion. The inability of the adrenal glands to produce aldosterone results in excessive loss of salt from the body and a consequent accumulation of fluid in the tissues. In the region of the eyes, the excess fluid causes eyeball to harden losing its softness and resilience. Glaucoma has also been associated with giddiness, sinus conditions, allergies, diabetes, hypoglycemia, arteriosclerosis and an imbalance of the autonomic nervous system.
The first symptom of glaucoma is the appearance of coloured rings round distant objects, when seen at night. In this condition, the iris is usually pushed forward, and the patient often complains of constant pain in the region of the brow, near the temples and the cheeks. Another common symptom is headaches. There is also a gradual impairment of vision as glaucoma develops, and this may ultimately result in blindness if proper steps are not taken to deal with the disease in the early stages.
Patients suffering from glaucoma should scrupulously avoid certain foodstuffs. Coffee in particular, should be completely avoided because of its high caffeine content, as it causes the stimulation of vasoconstrictors; elevating blood pressure and increasing blood flow to the eye. Beer and tobacco, can cause constriction of blood vessels, should also be avoided, along with tea as well. The patient should not take excessive fluids, whether it is juice, milk or water at any time, but he should drink small amounts several times with at least one-hour intervals.
The diet of the patient suffering from glaucoma should be based on three basic food groups, namely, seeds, nuts and grains; vegetables and fruit, with emphasis on raw vitamin C-rich foods; fresh fruits and vegetables. The breakfast may consist of oranges, grapes, or any other juicy fruit in season and a handful of raw nuts or seeds. A raw vegetable salad with olive oil and lemon juice dressing, two or three whole-wheat chappatis and a glass of buttermilk may be taken for lunch. The dinner may comprise of steamed vegetables, butter and cottage cheese.
The patient should undertake various methods of relaxing and strengthening the eyes. He should avoid emotional stress and cultivate a tranquil, restful life style. He should also avoid prolonged straining of the eyes such as excessive TV or movie watching and excessive reading. The use of sunglasses should be avoided. Proper treatment of glaucoma often leads to normal eyesight after a considerable time.
