Lower Glaucoma Risk With Alternative Medicine
Glaucoma is a progressive eye disease in which interocular eye pressure increases and damages the optic nerve. People with glaucoma gradually lose vision and may become blind. Some of the risk factors for glaucoma are being over 60 years old, having diabetes, not getting enough exercise and family history. Stress can also play a role in developing this degenerative disease. Alternative medicine can be used to promote eye health, and a healthy overall lifestyle may also lower the risk of .
Instructions
1. Adopt a daily exercise routine to achieve a healthy body. People who exercise on a regular basis tend to have less interocular eye pressure (IOP) and therefore carry a lower risk of developing glaucoma. Take an aerobics class, start jogging or sign up for an adult sports league.
2. Take herbal supplements that contribute to eye health as a way to lower your risk. Ginkgo biloba, an antioxidant, and bilberry, made with an extract of European blueberries, are 2 substances used in alternative medicine to increase the blood flow to the eye and to promote optic nerve health. Many health food stores, including GNC, carry gingko biloba and bilberry (see Resources below).
3. Cut back on the amount of caffeine you consume to lower your risk of glaucoma. Caffeine may increase your IOP, which is a determining factor of the disease.
4. Use biofeedback to keep your eyes--and the rest of your body--healthy. Biofeedback is an alternative therapy used to regulate bodily functions such as blood pressure, stress, heart rate and body temperature, and it can be an effective treatment for many conditions. Find a biofeedback practitioner through the Biofeedback Certification Institute of America (BCIA) (see ).
5. Lower the risk of glaucoma by reducing the stress in your life through acupuncture. Acupuncture is often used to relieve stress and symptoms of depression by opening the channels of the body's energy. Find local acupuncturists with Acufinder.com (see Resources below).
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