Margaret owns a small optical shop where my mother-in-law (MIL) went to have her eyes checked and change the prescription on her glasses. As the optometrist examine my MIL’s eyes, Margaret sat down and chatted with my wife and I. She was glad that we brought my MIL for an eye check, because people tend to dismiss their elderly parent’s complaints of eye soreness, headaches, or unable to see clearly. Her mom had complained about her eyesight many times, and Margaret had her optometrist check her mom’s eyes and the optometrist assured her that everything was fine. Margaret dismissed the complaints as an old age problem that everyone goes through. About three year later, her mom became blind from glaucoma. The pressure in her eyes damaged the optic nerves. Blindness devastated her mother, and she now sits at home with her spirit for living sucked out of her. Holding back her tears, Margaret blamed herself. She was in the eye care business and she neglectfully allowed her mother to go blind. Her lesson to us, “Take care of your eyes; if something doesn’t feel right have it check out and get a second opinion; you don’t know how precious it is until it’s gone.”

The optometrist had problems examining my MIL’s eyes due to the thickening cataracts and referred us to an eye-specialist near by. After an extensive amount of tests, they concluded that she has cataracts and glaucoma. She will need to have her cataracts removed through laser surgery and treat the glaucoma with eye drops. There were some nerve damage from the glaucoma but the drops are suppose to help to reduce the pressure in her eyes. It’s good that the doctor can help her to prevent farther damage, and hopefully improve her eyesight. However, treating the problem is expensive with many hidden and recurring costs.

We tend to notice a disease when it hits home. I didn’t know much about the two diseases, so I did some research to understand them. I believe in taking steps now to prevent major problems and suffering later. Is it possible to prevent cataracts and glaucoma or are we all doomed to pay homage to the laser eye surgery tycoons?

Cataracts Accumulates Debris

Cataracts is the build-up of dead cell debris accumulated in the eyes preventing light from reaching the retina. There are many possible causes such as ultraviolet radiation, diabetes, or poor nutrition. However, Dr. Merrill J. Allen, Dr. Steven M. Beresford, and Dr. Francis A. Young of The American Vision Institute gives a new theory in the article Cataract and Eye Exercises. They theorized that fluid and nutrients enter the eyes, and wastes are removed from the eyes through diffusion. This fluid movement occurs when our eyes move, adjust to light and focus. When we age, the eye muscles weakens and the lens stiffens causing decrease circulation. This decrease in circulation allow the debris to accumulate to form cataracts. They have helped some of their patients dissolve their cataracts through eye exercises. The eye exercises increase circulation needed to remove wastes and over time dissolves the cataracts. These are some of the exercises in the Eye Exercise post.

Glaucoma Can Lead To Blindness

Glaucoma is damage to the optic nerve which could result in blindness. The eyes maintain regular pressure by circulating fluids in and out of the eyes. The fluids flow through an area at the base of the iris close to the bridge of the nose called the trabecular meshwork. If the meshwork is block for any reason, it cause increase pressure in the eye. The pressure prevents blood flow to the optic nerves and cause permanent damage if not treated. According to Dr. Merrill J. Allen, Dr. Steven M. Beresford, and Dr. Francis A. Young in the article Glaucoma and Eye Exercises, there are two types of glaucoma one is open angle glaucoma and other is close angle glaucoma. In open angle glaucoma the trabecular meshwork has some blockage which increase the pressure in the eyes. In close angle glaucoma the pupil over-dilates causing the blockage that increase the pressure in the eyes. Both types can cause permanent nerve damage to the eyes.

The doctors suggest an eye exercises they called flashing to stimulate the iris to expand and contract to help flush out any blockage. To do the exercise, sit in front of a bright light with your eyes closed, and switch the light on when you breath in and off when you breath out. They suggest doing this for thirty minutes a day. I suggest covering your eyes with your palms rather than wearing out your light switch.

Circulation Problem

Both cataracts and glaucoma seem to share the same problem, an inability to circulate fluids, nutrients, or wastes into and out of the eyes. This circulation happens through the natural movement and adjustment that our eyes make throughout the day. It needs to move, focus and adjust (to light) in order to maintain eye health. Our modern lifestyle has changed the way we use our eyes. Today we spend most of our time reading, watching TV, and working on the computer which has limited the eyes’ natural movement. If we exercise them everyday we can bring back some of the nature movements the eyes need to maintain health. It’s no guarantee, but learning and doing the eye exercises should improve our vision and prevent problems like cataracts and glaucoma.

The Real Lesson

Many of us do not know and don’t want to learn how to take care of our eyes until it gives us problems. We tend to brush off symptoms as age-related when they do appear. Thanks to Margaret tragic story we quickly had my MIL’s eyes checked rather than postponing the appointment to a more convenient time and possibly forgetting to get her eyes checked. The specialist did find the problem and possibly prevented farther damage to my MIL’s eyes. I’m grateful for the lesson Margaret taught us that day and hopefully others will learn from the lesson so that her mother’s suffering does not go in vain.