Blogs

There is a New York Times article entitled "Lactic Acid Is Not Muscles' Foe, It's Fuel" By GINA KOLATA published on May 16, 2006. I just read it today. The article is about recent discoveries in exercise physiology. It turns out that the accepted scientific understanding of a fundamental aspect of exercise was wrong for more than 80 years. It ends with a quote by Dr. Brooks: "The scientists were stuck in 1920." He's talking about the entire field of exercise physiology!

Even when the mistake was shown by good research, the entire field continued to fight against Dr. Brooks's discoveries for decades. In some ways it reminds me of the fight against new tonometers such as the Ocular Response Analyzer and the Pascal Dynamic Contour tonometer that we see in ophthalmology now.

In my experience, science (as typically practiced) is wrong so much that I think people who maintain a predominantly scientific (i.e., materialistic) world view are disadvantaged. For example, the article says, "Coaches have understood things the scientists didn't." That is almost always the case in almost every field at all times.

The people who are "in the trenches" understand things scientists don't. Now this isn't to say that the scientific method is bad or that data-driven methodology should be discarded. Good coaches rely on a ton of data and they have excellent observation skills. They do have a scientific approach. The difference is they are not limited by a dogmatic scientific materialism.

Furthermore, the practice of science in today's world is so wrapped up with ego, power, career advancement and money that the altruistic aims of science get pushed aside. And new discoveries get trampled by established scientists who want to hold on to their positions of power and prestige.

Hey David,

To establish self tonometry are you taking the measurement before and after putting the drops in the morning

and at night? My real question is which time(s) of the day should be used to establish baseline numbers and how many days should I do it?  Is there a post on your webiste that gives some guidance?

I have found little research but quite a lot of anetdotal evidence on the internet on the effects of SSRIs on ocular pressure. A few years ago I went for a routine check up at the optometrist and found that my pressure was 30 in my only remaining eye. I lost my right eye due to a rugby accident and as part of my experience with that know too well the trials of retina and glaucoma treatments.

Who know this eye drop Mucokehl? it really works?

I just got the new Reichert 7 and I am glad to pass along my personal experiment with this fantastic unit.

History background: very nearsighted since  I was 7, some pigment dispersion syndrome, no cataract, presence of floaters,

healthy retina

HOUR / EXERCISE / LEFT EYE / RIGHT EYE 

2.3 PM first time trying the Reichert 7 with salesman 26 / 23

2.45 PM After practicing emo free techniques (EFT) 21.3 / 20.9

Author’s Note:  I have been practicing self-tonometry now for about three weeks with a Reichert 7 NCT.

For the past 9 years, I have been supplementing with glucosamine chondroitin to ward off joint issues due to an intense daily exercise regimen.  I’ll never know for sure whether this supplement works as advertised since I began taking it as a preventative measure and to this day do not suffer from joint pain.  However, when I read recently on the internet that chondroitin can possibly make matters worse for glaucoma patients, I dropped the supplement overnight and did not wean myself off it.  This action may have led to the unintended result which I describe below.

Hello, My husband Blake was diagnosed with Glaucoma about a year ago and we are currently searching for an affordable IOP measurement device he can use at home. Can you tell me where we might get one? Also, do you have an advice on the best model? If there are any studies, such as that described in the forum, he would be happy to take part. Kindest regards, Natina

EDIT: the replies below need to be updated for 2010. Please contact FitEyes directly before deciding which tonometer to purchase. See contact info below, or here: Contact

Does anyone have experience using Vitamin C eye drops which include a small amount of DMSO? 

I have found a few compounding pharmancies that have this formula available. I would think that the DMSO would increase the potency of the Vitamin C (in the eye) and the DMSO might stimulate the trabecular meshwork and increase fluid outlfow.

BY Babak A. Parviz // September 2009

The human eye is a perceptual powerhouse. It can see millions of colors, adjust easily to shifting light conditions, and transmit information to the brain at a rate exceeding that of a high-speed Internet connection.

But why stop there?

How much ghee should we take? What should be the ratio between fat, protein and carbohydartes? Let's call it FPC ratio. Now how much ghee can we add to make it safe and healthy?

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world. Diagnosis and management of glaucoma is significantly associated with intraocular pressure, but contemporary office-based measurements are not sufficient to discover diurnal changes and spikes, nor do they demonstrate the effect of medication and compliance. Patient-directed self-tonometry can be taken throughout the day and is therefore the subject of much discussion and research. In this article we review the history of self-tonometry devices and present technologies for the future.
   
Surv Ophthalmol. 2009 Jul-Aug;54(4):450-62.
    .
Liang SY, Lee GA, Shields D.
City Eye Centre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

By Doug Macron

Spanish RNAi drug shop Sylentis expects to dose the first patient in a phase I study of its glaucoma-associated ocular hypertension drug SYL040012 in Spain around the end of September, a company official confirmed to RNAi News this week.

The disclosure comes about a month after the company announced that it had received clearance from Spanish regulators to begin the trial, in line with its previously disclosed guidance (see RNAi News, 2/19/2009).

Oral consumption of Ginkgo biloba led to a higher survival rate of optic nerve cells (retinal ganglion cells). The effect was dosage-dependent - the higher concentrations of Ginkgo resulted in higher optic nerve cell survival rates. The dosages of Ginkgo were comparable to those an average person could safely consume.

Dosage dependence of the effect of Ginkgo biloba on the rat retinal ganglion cell survival after optic nerve crush - Abstract 

FitEyes has an education-oriented mission. The FitEyes.com website includes health-related learning resources. However, FitEyes is not designed or intended to provide medical advice.

Anyone can add information to the webpages at FitEyes. This means that anything you read here should not be trusted for anything as important as making medical decisions. If there is medical or health-related FitEyes content that you interpret as medical advice, you are making a serious error and putting your health at risk.

Having done research on the effects of alchohol on IOP and not finding much, I decided to do a little test. I measured my average pressures a couple of times at 4 pm and found them 12pt in each eye. Following this, I consumed 2 glasses of wine on a fairly empty stomach and after feeling a moderate 'buzz' I measured my pressures again and found them to be 16.5pt (there were no other changes I can account for during this period).  After 1 hour had passed, I measured them again and they were 13pt.  I would speculate that alchohol may initially act as a stimulatant and raise pressures.

Part 1 of 3

Read the summary of University of Melbourne's Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences study on an association between dietary omega-3 fatty acid intake, age, and intraocular pressure. Another proof of beneficial effect of taking fish oil to strengthen and support healthy eyes and vision.

For dry eyes, here are some things to consider:

1. Take flaxseed and/or fatty acid supplements. I use Neptune Krill Oil, Cod Liver Oil and DHA supplements. Here are a couple links to more info:
   http://fiteyes.com/Krill-Oil-Benefits-for-Vision-Better-Than-Fish-Oil
   http://fiteyes.com/fish-oils-for-vision
2. 

   Consume more Omega-3 fatty acids (and less Omega-6 fatty acids). Ideally the ratio between these two types of fatty acids in your diet should be around 1:1. In the typical western diet, people consume 20 times more Omega-6 fatty acids.The Omega-3 fatty acids can decrease the viscosity of tears and normalize the function of the tear glands. Sources of Omega-3 fatty acid in your diet include walnuts and soybeans.

3. Use castor oil eye drops. An old folk remedy for dry eyes, castor oil can be found in many commercial eye drops. I simply can add one drop of organic castor oil to my eyes at bedtime, but you can do it twice daily. Use an eye dropper.
4. Look into the supplement N-acetylcysteine (NAC). Some researchers believe this amino acid stabilizes tear production. The usual does is 100 mg three times a day. I don't personally use this, but there has also been discussion that it would be helpful for glaucoma and other eye conditions.
5. Check out Taran's advice about coconut oil here: http://fiteyes.com/coconut-oil

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHOICES

Lifestyle and environmental factors that are associated with elevated IOP levels include:

total body inversion

hadstand posture yoga positions

tight neckties

playing high-resistance wind instruments

caffeine consumption