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Does anyone know the effect of dietary salt on IOP? It seems to me that if large quantities of water can increase IOP, then ingesting large amounts of salt could also pull water into the tissues and increase IOP. Has anyone with a tonometer experimented with a salty meal to see what happened?
Can eye pressure change daily? Does it change every day?
who tried it? i've also read that Pycnogenol and Mirtoselect mixed lower IOP, do you know something more?
In my search for possible glaucoma remedies I have been digging further into hypothyroid related themes.
It turns out that this condition is a very close relative of adrenal fatigue (80% of affected by adrenal fatigue have low thyroid function).
Also melatonin could also be affected by low adrenal/thyroid function, this could be one of the reasons why supplementing melatonin appears to help in glaucoma.
This is the bit that is probably of most interest to us:
I have been diagnosed with normal tension glaucoma, after losing some sight, with pressures of 21. I use drops to try to reduce pressure. I sometimes wonder though if something else caused me to lose sight other than eye pressure. Is this possible?
Marketing messages teach us to look for solutions in the form of a pill or an easy fix. Glaucoma taught me that this brand of alternative medicine is fundamentally equal to allopathic medicine. In fact, the business model is identical and many of the same pharmaceutical companies are behind the "natural" supplements and the allopathic drugs. (The mindset is also nearly identical -- it is the mindset of looking for a solution without fundamentally changing ourselves.)
I carefully tested high levels of vitamin C over a number of years. Vitamin C was actually the first thing I focused on after being diagnosed with glaucoma. I used it before beginning self-tonometry and I continued for several years after starting self-tonometry.
In those first two years (before self-tonometry) the vitamin C did not prevent my glaucoma from progressing. And I found out after I got a tonometer that it did not reduce my IOP. I used 30 grams per day while testing its effect on my IOP. My IOP is lower today on zero vitamin C (as a result of the knowledge I gained from self-tonometry).
The reason it is important to focus on IOP is because it is the only treatable risk factor for glaucoma. And it is very important to have metrics. No matter what we are doing (vitamins, diet, etc.), we need to have some way to measure the results.
And the wisely empirical approach advocated by FitEyes does often involve testing one element at a time. That's the way we make discoveries and progress past ignorance. Unlike almost any other patient support group in the world, FitEyes has a track record of discovering new knowledge. (We discovered and documented white coat ocular hypertension, for example.) That's why this is a research community at its core.
surely its perfectly normal for eye pressure to go up under certain circumstances. Just like our bp goes up and down. anne
We now know that intraocular pressure does respond to events in our lives, to our state of mind and emotions and to stress. However, before FitEyes came along in 2006 (and for several years afterwards) these facts were not recognized.
See this FitEyes article from Feb 2007:
http://fiteyes.com/Does-Stress-Increase-Eye-Pressure-For-Everyone
The standard medical opinion is that stress does not affect eye pressure (intraocular pressure). For example, see "Glaucoma - Frequently Asked Questions" at The Eye Institute states:
"As far as we know, stress does not affect eye pressure or the health of the optic nerve."
Another example of the prevailing medical opinion can be found in a Wills Glaucoma chat transcript on Stress and Glaucoma from July 20, 2005:
Patient: Does being nervous or stressed increase the IOP (intraocular pressure) as it does blood pressure?
Dr. Elliot Werner: Not as far as we know.
Even today many ophthalmologists will deny that stress affects intraocular pressure. They will further deny that non-stressful events such as Bailey described could affect eye pressure.
UPDATE: You have to purchase a tonometer directly through your doctor. As of mid-2011, tonometers are not aprpoved for home use in the USA yet. That is coming. However, you can still get a tonometer now. Doctors are allowed to prescribe medications and equipment for off-label use, so it is not a problem for your doctor that tonometers are not approved for home use. However, manufacturers and distributors of medical devices cannot recommend or sell a device for off-label use.
I learned about emotions and eye pressure, in part, by watching my favorite sports and measuring my eye pressure over a period of years. See Watching Tour de France Raises IOP.
Here is what I discovered after monitoring my eye pressure before, during and after watching sports over a period of several years.
I need some way of measuring my nocturnal pressures. My daytime measurements are reasonably low most of the time, and relatively consistent. I want to start adjusting my medications (formulations, frequency, timing), but don't feel confident in doing this until I can take night time measurements.
I know this is a concern for just about everyone who has glaucoma. I'm surprised there isn't more discussion on FitEyes about how to take night time measurements, and how to interpret the data (I'm pretty sure I've read all that's there).
hi my names robert, im from the uk, im 27 years old and have lived with ocd since i was about 14 years old. For some months i had been dealing with chronic hyperventilation which stressed me badly to the point where i felt that i could have had a break down due to the stress and took medication such as prozac, diazepam (only when i needed it) and went to a physiotherapist to help get my breathing back to normal.
My IOP is generally higher in the morning (18 / 21 - with drop evening before in both eyes). However my pressure can swing to (13(had ECP coupled with cataract surgery) / 18 - 20) in the late afternoon. I enjoy running and was curious by running in the morning since the pressure in the eyes are at the highest, would that be worse than running later in the day when the pressure is down?
My Opthamologist says' it does not matter but getting blood flood and circulation to the Optic nerve is the most important thing. I don't think he took my question/comment seriously.
Based on this what I have found in myself, I can say that malfunctioning thyroid could be a significant glaucoma risk for some. Let's add that it would be an underrated risk because in almost none of the standard textbooks on glaucoma you would find any mention about it.
The research evidence behind the hypothyroid and glaucoma is mixed. Earlier research does not report any significant link, newer research, on larger samples though, indicates the existence of this connection.
Abstract
Purpose: Nitric oxide (NO) is involved in a variety of physiological processes including ocular aqueous humor dynamics by targeting mechanisms that are complementary to those of prostaglandins. Here, we have characterized a newly synthesized compound, NCX 125, comprising latanoprost acid and NO-donating moieties.
Methods: NCX 125 was synthesized and tested in vitro for its ability to release functionally active NO and then compared with core latanoprost for its intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering effects in rabbit, dog, and nonhuman primate models of glaucoma.
Results: NCX 125 elicited cGMP formation (EC50 = 3.8 ± 1.0 μM) in PC12 cells and exerted NO-dependent iNOS inhibition (IC50 = 55 ± 11 μM) in RAW 264.7 macrophages. NCX 125 lowered IOP to a greater extent compared with equimolar latanoprost in: (a) rabbit model of transient ocular hypertension (0.030% latanoprost, not effective; 0.039% NCX 125, ∆max = −10.6 ± 2.3 mm Hg), (b) ocular hypertensive glaucomatous dogs (0.030% latanoprost, ∆max= −6.7 ± 1.2 mm Hg; 0.039% NCX 125, ∆max = −9.1 ± 3.1 mm Hg), and (c) laser-induced ocular hypertensive non-human primates (0.10% latanoprost, ∆max = −11.9 ± 3.7 mm Hg, 0.13% NCX 125, ∆max = −16.7 ± 2.2 mm Hg). In pharmacokinetic studies, NCX 125 and latanoprost resulted in similar latanoprost-free acid exposure in anterior segment ocular tissues.
Conclusions: NCX 125, a compound targeting 2 different mechanisms, is endowed with potent ocular hypotensive effects. This may lead to potential new perspectives in the treatment of patients at risk of glaucoma.
I'd like to ask everyone with a tonometer and good eye pressure data to contribute comments to this post. What factors have we identified that affect eye pressure? I'm going to start the list informally with things that come off the top of my head. I'll revise and refine this list based on feedback from people with tonometers and good data. Thank you!
Reduces Eye Pressure
I've been performing systematic self-tonometry as well as taking regular blood pressure readings for four months now. As Dave predicted I would, I've made several personal discoveries by simply gathering data and letting the findings rise to the top.
As one individual, my IOP is significantly influenced by environmental factors, particularly diet. This has been frustrating because it is all a matter of trial and error, although I have been able to short-cut the process somewhat by reading about the restricted diets of migraine sufferers and the like. In my case, free glutamates (MSG in all its various and sundry forms, in particular) will always spike my IOP by as much as 6 points. It takes about three hours after ingestion for the effect to register which then, unfortunately, lasts for some time. The same holds true when I eat foods that throw off histamines or tyramines. Both of these biogenic amines are derived from amino acids and produced by foods that are highly processed, fermented, aged, marinated, slow-cooked, or, even slightly, spoiled. Needless to say, when I go to bed with high pressures as a result of making a "mistake" at dinner, I pay for it with higher than normal IOP that night and into the next morning. My working motto when it comes to food now is: "Plain is good; fresh is best." Sometimes that's easier said than done...try eating sushi without soy sauce.
My dietary effect is consistent enough that I can predict it in advance or almost always find the missing link when I look back at ingredients I consumed or take note of the way the food was prepared.
My original expectation was that elevated intraocular pressure would respond to herbs (and vitamins) in the same way every other physical complaint I had encountered in my life responded.
My initial strategy for managing my IOP was a strategy built on herbs and supplements. That strategy was a complete 100% total failure.
The entire following blog post was intially written as a private email to a friend of mine. I decided to share it here.
I grew up doing fast things in a fast way. I raced motorcycles -- and I have always loved anything fast. But I also tried to accomplish the maximum possible number of things each day and I always pushed myself to do things quicker or more efficiently. Then I developed glaucoma.
As I have gotten to know myself more intimately (thanks in part to self-tonometry) I have realized that I actually like to take my time. I enjoy doing things in a non-rushed manner. You could even say that I enjoy being slow! (Something I never would have admitted to myself in my days of racing, even in my most private thoughts.) Even today, I still have a great admiration for people who do things quickly, as if this is an inherently superior way of being.
But I now know that I like to take my time doi
ng things. I still enjoy efficiency. But sometimes it is more efficient to delay the next project's start and finish what was started rather than have to terminate it due to an artificial deadline and then pick it up again at a later time. I like going deep into things (whether discussions, research or building software) and having the time to do it well. And I have found that sometimes I even enjoy doing something in a completely inefficient manner (saying that still sounds sacrilegious). Sometimes I enjoy just plain being slow! (What have I just said! My gosh!)
English:
Hello amigos, I've scan these pages from a book titled ALIVIE SUS DOLORES MEDIANTE LA DIGITOPUNTURA it seemes that this books is only available in german, spanish and portuguese it has very good information about how to release the pain using acupressure.
I wish to share two exercises one used for low the blood preassure and other for ocular preassure. My proposal is that member who has a tonometer test this exercise and give a feedback on this thread please.
Spanish:
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