Glaucoma
Holistic Medicine, LLC
Holistic Medical Services located in Gambrills, MD
Glaucoma is an eye condition that affects over 3 million Americans and currently has no cure, but medical marijuana may provide gentle relief from glaucoma symptoms. At Holistic Medicine, LLC, in Gambrills, Maryland, we write medical marijuana recommendations for glaucoma patients. If you suffer from glaucoma and want to learn more about how medical marijuana can help, call Holistic Medicine, LLC, or book an appointment online today.
Glaucoma Q & A
What is glaucoma?
Glaucoma is an eye disease that stands as the second most common cause of blindness across the world, accounting for 9-12% of blindness in the United States. This disease affects your optic nerve, which connects your retina to your brain.
One of the major causes of glaucoma is fluid buildup in the front of your eye that creates higher-than-normal intraocular pressure (IOP). This pressure damages your optic nerve, which in turn reduces your vision.
If left untreated, glaucoma may cause your vision to continue to deteriorate. Fortunately, early detection and treatment of glaucoma may help preserve your vision.
What are different types of glaucoma?
Glaucoma refers to a group of eye diseases, but the two main types include:
Primary open-angle glaucoma
This is the most common type of glaucoma. Primary open-angle glaucoma comes on gradually and may not cause pain or vision changes in the earliest stages. In this type, your eye fails to drain fluid normally, which causes IOP to build up and damage your optic nerve.
Angle-closure glaucoma
This type of glaucoma comes on more rapidly when the fluid drainage in your eye occurs very close to your iris. Angle-closure glaucoma is an emergency situation that requires immediate treatment from an ophthalmologist.
What are treatments for glaucoma?
Currently, there’s no cure for glaucoma, but careful management of your IOP may reduce symptoms and preserve your vision.
Depending on your condition, your eye doctor may recommend the following treatments for glaucoma:
- Prescription eye drops or oral medications
- Laser trabeculoplasty
- Conventional surgery
- Lifestyle changes to manage your IOP
How does medical marijuana relieve symptoms of glaucoma?
Studies dating back to the 1970’s show that cannabis may be helpful in lowering the IOP of glaucoma patients. However, these therapeutic effects may be short-term, lasting only three to four hours when glaucoma requires 24-hour IOP management.
In addition to controlling IOP, medical cannabis possesses powerful anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties that alleviate many glaucoma symptoms. Cannabis also reduces nausea and vomiting, which may accompany a glaucoma attack.
If you’re considering medical marijuana to help relieve symptoms of glaucoma, call Holistic Medicine, LLC, or book an appointment online today.