Glaucoma

A certain amount of intraocular 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. One out of every eight blind persons are a victim of glaucoma. Far-sighted people are more prone to develop this disease than near-sighted ones.

Symptoms
The first symptom of glaucoma is the appearance of halos or colored rings around 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.

Headaches are not uncommon. There is 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.

Causes
Medical science regards severe eyestrain or prolonged working under bad lighting conditions as the chief cause of glaucoma. But the root cause of glaucoma is a highly toxic condition of the body due to dietetic errors, a faulty lifestyle and the prolonged use of suppressive drugs for the treatment of other diseases. Eyestrain is only a contributory factor.

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 the eyeball to harden loosing 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.

Treatment