What is Pseudoexfoliation Glaucoma? | Dr. Sam Berne

March 12, 2019 - Glaucoma

Hey folks, it’s Dr. Sam. I’ve been getting a lot of questions about pseudoexfoliation glaucoma. I want to talk about this condition and provide some natural protocols to address the condition.

Pseudoexfoliation glaucoma is classified as secondary glaucoma. Some studies done in Scandinavia reported that nearly pseudoexfoliation glaucoma caused open-angle glaucoma in nearly 50% of the people diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma.

In the Framington Eye Study, the researchers found that about 0.6 percent of people between the ages of 52 and 64 can develop pseudoexfoliation glaucoma. And between the ages of 75 and 85, about 5% of all people who are diagnosed with glaucoma have this type of secondary glaucoma.

Causes of Pseudoexfoliation Glaucoma

Pseudoexfoliation glaucoma is caused when protein particles break off and begin to target ocular tissue, specifically the trabecular meshwork and Schlemm’s canal. These are transport systems inside the eyeball which helps circulate the fluid. So when you have pseudoexfoliation glaucoma, there can be a rapid increase in the intraocular pressure because the protein particles act as an impediment in terms of blocking the aqueous flow. Causes include:

Eye trauma
Inflammation, and not just eye inflammation, but also systemic inflammation.
Pharmaceutical drugs like corticosteroids.

A Holistic Approach to Pseudoexfoliation glaucoma

The traditional remedies of addressing pseuoexfoliation glaucoma include intraocular pressure medications, and laser surgery.

If you’ve studied and followed my videos for a while, you know that with any type of glaucoma, it is essentially a form of a vascular disease in the body. To address glaucoma holistically, some things to try would be:

Reduce oxidative stress by eating more antioxidants and adopting an anti-inflammatory diet. Increase your fats and oils – especially your omega 3s. The DHA in omega-3s helps protect the optic nerve, which is absolutely critical in terms of glaucoma.

Try acupuncture and/or craniosacral therapy – these are wonderful adjuncts that can also help support better eye circulation.
Follow this eye exercise protocol for glaucoma and repeat it in 90-day intervals.

To conclude, pseudoexfoliation glaucoma is a serious disease. Sometimes there can be some genetic reasons why people will develop it, but there are things that you can do holistically and naturally to at least neutralize some of the effects.

So that’s my message for today. Thank you so much for tuning in. And until next time, take good care.