update: raised pressures, change of meds, virtual clinics

[KitMcG]

Thank you to everyone who replied to my post about changing meds. I saw my optician today and had a full eye exam, tests and a long chat. Pressures are down - probably not as much as the docs would like, but pre-diagnosis levels. Fields and scan looked ok, no real red flags.

He’s given me the name of a local guy who does private work and recommends him, so I’m going to arrange a consultation to discuss options. It seems there is pigment on the back of the cornea, so SLT likely ruled out.

I’m revisiting my long forgotten meditation practice, as I’ve read that can have a significant impact on IOP, as well as being generally beneficial to physical and mental health. Let’s see how things are in three months or so!

I’m also interested in dietary changes. I’ve seen a couple of posts here regarding ketogenic diet impact on pressures and degenerative changes. I’m not planning to go that route, I like my fruit and veg too much! But I’m interested in what specifically about that regime is beneficial to IOP.

Any ideas or experiences very much appreciated.

thank you

[Littlesnowflake]

Hi Kit, unfortunately I'm unable to help with your specific queries. However, as a sufferer of high pressures and struggling to reduce them, I'm very interested in your comment about meditation. My consultant is recommending trabulectomies and at the moment I'm taking tablets aswell as drops to lower my pressures, so anything else I can do myself would be very helpful.

I've also read that meditation helps to lower eye pressures and would welcome any advice that you could give me that would help me get started on this journey.

Many thanks Yvonne

[KitMcG in reply to Littlesnowflake]

Hello Yvonne,

I will see if I can find the relevant article, but I think the basis of the study was three 5 minute sessions per day of slow breathing. One in the morning when you wake up, then around lunchtime, and one in the evening. This particular form was breathe in to a count of five, then breathe out to a count of five.

Don’t be put off by the term meditation, which covers a whole range of practices. The essence is, when your minds wanders, as it will, just come back to the breath.

The practice is basically intended to regulate the nervous system and reduce stress. I’m not sure what the proposed mechanism is to lower IOP. The results of this were promising, as I recall, though I don’t know the extent to which IOP was lowered. My thinking is reducing stress/inflammation etc can also support health of the optic nerve fibres.

Since reading the study, I’ve also been investigating other breath practices, for instance there’s a technique that raises the level of Nitric Oxide (NO) in the nasal cavities and sinuses. As you may know, Nitric Oxide is one of the components of some of the newer eye drops.

I don’t think we hear enough about these things we can do to help ourselves, alongside the medical interventions. Their impact may be small, but even small increments can be helpful.

I hope that helps. I’ll post the link to the study when I find it.

Warm regards

K

[Littlesnowflake in reply to KitMcG]

Hi KitMany thanks for your reply and the information given. I agree that we don't hear enough about what we can do to help ourselves. I always ask at my appointments but rarely get any information. Taking Ginko Biloba was one suggestion that I've followed but I'm not sure it has conclusive evidence.

I've even had conflicting advice from consultants when I've asked about exercise! To downward dog or not!! Most just state the standard healthy diet, moderate exercise etc etc.

Best of luck on your glaucoma journey.

Yvonne

[KitMcG in reply to Littlesnowflake]

I haven’t found the study I read, but I came across another one that actually stated that meditation can influence gene expression in the trabecular meshwork. I need to go away and do some more research! In the meantime I’m carrying on with my 3x a day breathing practice.

Good luck!

[KitMcG]

This is the study on 365 breathing impact on IOP:

reviewofoptometry.com/artic...

journals.lww.com/glaucomajo...