Eye drops may reverse glaucoma

Glaucoma refers to a group of diseases that affect the optic nerve and involves a loss of retinal ganglion cells in a characteristic pattern. It is a type of optic neuropathy. Raised intraocular pressure is a significant risk factor for developing glaucoma (above 22 mmHg or 2.9 kPa). (Glaucoma (Wikipedia).

My friend lost one eye to glaucoma when he was still young. If only this report, Experimental and clinical evidence of neuroprotection by nerve growth factor eye drops: Implications for glaucoma published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences had been published earlier. The report claimed that eye drops containing containing nerve growth factor seemed to trigger chemical changes within cells that prevent those cells from dying in response damages from increased intraocular pressure and may boost the capacity of healthy RGCs (retinal ganglion cells) to form new connections within the optic nerve, compensating for any damage that may have already taken place.

The researchers from the University of Rome treated rats with induced with glaucoma through injection of hypertonic saline into the episcleral vein, with eye drops containing 2 does of NGF - 100 and 200 μgm/ml.

For further details, refer to BBC News (health) and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Bionic eye for the blind

I have always held that those who champion natural remedies over conventional medicine should not be to rigid or dogmatic about it. Just tell me what can natural remedies do for the blind. However, conventional medicine and/or modern technology has created a bionic eye for the blind. Ron who was made blind because of retinitis pigmentosa (a group of inherited eye diseases that cause degeneration of the retina) who had been blind for 30 years now can see with the aid of the bionic eye nicknamed Argua II. Ron was fitted with the bionic eye when he operated upon by consultant retinal surgeon Lyndon da Cruz in July last year at London's Moorfield's eye hospital. Ron says he can now follow white lines on the road and sorts out white socks, gray socks and black socks, using the bionic eye and his wife says that he can do his own washing now using the washing machine.

The bionic eye called Argus II was developed by US company Second Sight. It consists of a camera and video processor mounted on sunglasses which can send captured images wirelessly to a tiny receiver on the outside of the eye. The receiver in turn sends the data via a tiny cable to an array of electrodes which sit on the retina at the back of the eye. When these electrodes in the retina are stimulated they send messages along the optic nerve to the brain, which is then able to perceive patterns of light and dark spots corresponding to which electrodes have been stimulated.

Source: BBC News

Natural Remedy for Flu and sore throat

I caught a mild flu, a slight running nose plus a terrible sore throat many days ago. I heard there is no cure for flu which is caused by a virus. The phlegm was not yellow so that means there is no bacterial infection. So I didn't bother to visit my doctor. For the sore throat, a few of salt water gargles got rid of it. That little bit of salt probably cost me a couple of cents. As for the flu, I just let my immune system takes care of it. My daughter was concerned and started pushing vitamin C bubbling tablets to me, so I decided to buy lots of oranges and ate lots of them for the vitamin C she says I need. Well, the flu did go away, but it took a week plus.

Amazon products on flu

However, I wonder if not going to the doctor was a wise move as after I threw off the flu, my eldest son got tonsilitis and my youngest son caught flu too and both of them went to see the doctors. I just wonder if I had gone to see the doctor, my flu might have left me earlier and it may not have passed on to my sons.

Natural remedy for sinus infections

Sinus infections! I dread that word. I used to suffer from it when I was young. Have had numerous doctor consultations and much expenses plus sufferings, plus much medicines. When I was a student in Belgium 30+ years ago, an ENT (Ear, nose and throat) specialist in a University hospital even wanted to pour liquid nitrogen into my nose. I don't know if he had wanted to use me as a guinea pig.

What are the sinus infection symptoms? That site give a list of symptoms which if you have, you will have to take action. A normal person's reaction is to consult an ENT (Ear Nose Throat) specialist. I have been through that and I know what is involved. I wished that the Internet exist then and I had found this site: how to cure a sinus infection because they offer a natural cure for sinus infections. They use ionic colloidal silver solution, a 100% natural mineral supplement. Just look at their long list of testimonials.

According to Dr. Henry Crooks, silver is highly germicidal, quite harmless to humans and absolutely nontoxic. His conclusions from his bacteriological experiments with silver is that there are no microbe that is not killed in laboratory experiments within six minutes. If I had came to know about the above site, I might just give them a try.

Food that may help prevent glaucoma

Dr Prasad S. Kulkarni, Ph.D., of the University of Louisville, Kentucky, got the idea that diet rich in fish oil may help prevent glaucoma, from surveys of Eskimos that indicate they have very low rates of open-angle glaucoma. His study showed that feeding rabbits with food soaked in cod liver oil lowered their intraocular pressure by 56%. When taken off the cod liver oil, the eye pressure returned to pre-experiment levels.