by Dr. Rhett Bergeron,MD

Cataract surgery has come a long way in recent years. It’s come so far that most people in this country who develop cataracts don’t go blind. But that’s not true in many developing countries. In fact, cataracts are the leading cause of blindness worldwide. Cataracts form when the lens of the eye clouds. Cataract surgery removes the lens and replaces it with an implant.

Some opt for using glasses instead of the implant. Either way, vision is close to normal after the surgery. And now, medical missionaries may have a new way to give hope to the blind in places where surgery is not an option.

This new treatment is a special eye drop that chemically displaces the cataract rather than surgically remove it. The drops are made out an injected pancreatic enzyme, which dissolves the small fibers that hold the lens in place. It injected drops displace the cloudy lens just below the pupil. At that point, the patient can use glasses to see normally.

Dr. Louis Girard, an 82-year-old former professor and chairman of ophthalmology at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, says the eye drops definitely work. He also said it will become the simplest and most inexpensive way of curing cataract blindness. In fact, the therapy costs just $3 per person.

Currently, the eye drop has to be injected into the eye, so it has to be administered by an ophthalmologist. However, Girard is hoping to make it into a drop or ointment that can be administered by any health professional, including nurses and social assistants.

While surgery is still the most effective way to restore eyesight, it’s possible the day may come when submitting to surgery is a last resort. And this treatment holds great promise for medical missionaries who have been frustrated by cataract-induced blindness.

The best eye drops I’ve found use an amino acid called glutathione. Your body produces glutathione naturally. But, as we age, our levels drop considerably. This is why cataracts typically form in people over the age of 50.

It’s tough to increase your glutathione levels sufficiently to reverse cataracts. One reason for this is that your body doesn’t absorb glutathione easily. As a result, you have to take extra selenium or a supplement called N-acetyl carnitine (NAC) just to raise your levels. Doctors have found that the best way to improve your eyes is to use a glutathione-based drop. Here again, we had to use NAC to make it work right. But it does work.

The best drops I’ve found are Can-C, made by Innovative Vision Products. You can find these drops at International Aging Systems and other places on the Internet. Make sure you use the drops for at least six months before deciding if they work or not. You can’t reverse a cataract overnight. Some doctors have found that glutathione mixed with vitamin C and DMSO works a little better. But this formula can be hard to find. There’s not a pre-mixed product you can buy. So your doctor has to get a compounding pharmacy to make the mixture.

And it’s tough to find a doctor willing to go to that trouble. If you live near the Atlanta area, and can come by my office, I’ll see if this is the best solution for you. Call my office at 678-990-5401 for more information.If you’ve just found out you have cataracts forming in one or both eyes, start now to fight it with eye drops. You might be able to reverse and completely avoid surgery. Dr. Bergeron is the director of the Covenant Health Clinic in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information about the clinic or to set up a phone consultation with Dr. Bergeron, call 678-990-5401.

ScienceDaily (July 18, 2008) — Scientists have identified the protein responsible for transporting nutrients to the eye that are believed to protect against the development of age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss in elderly Americans.

Science Daily reports: “The research sought to illuminate the process by which compounds called lutein and zeaxanthin move from the bloodstream to the eye. Various studies have suggested that high concentrations of these two dietary compounds in particular, known as xanthophylls, have properties that can prevent macular degeneration. These two nutrients are not made by the body and must be obtained through the diet. They are commonly found in green, leafy vegetables, such as kale, spinach, broccoli, zucchini and peas, and in yellow or orange fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, papaya, squash and peaches.”

Close-up work such as sewing, working on the computer, reading and fixing small parts all lead to eye strain. Vision therapists say it’s wise to take a break every ten minutes or so from this close-up work and stare off into the distance. This allows the eyes to relax and adjust.

But there’s more you can do for your eyes, exercise wise.  Roll your eyes. Or is it supposed to be “dot your eyes,” “cross your tees”? No matter. Here’s an exercise from the National Institutes of Health that anyone can do in the privacy of his or her office, home or dining room. (Not recommended while driving or watching movies):

Eye Movements
close eyes
slowly and gently move eyes up to the ceiling, then slowly down to the floor
repeat 3 times
close eyes
slowly and gently move eyes to the left, then slowly to the right
repeat 3 times

But before you chuck your old glasses and load up on the orange veggie, studies show that carrots will not miraculously restore sight to perfect 20/20. Taking vitamin A can reverse poor vision caused by a deficiency, but it won’t strengthen eyesight or slow decline in people who are healthy.

The Vitamin A in carrots not only helps with sight, but also in the development and maintenance of healthy skin, hair, and mucous membranes; immune functions; and reproduction.

So what does all this mean? Eat your carrots, kids and adults. They are good for you in many capacities, including maintaining healthy vision.

———————————————-

Carrots are one of the whole food ingredients in CaroC by NutriPlex Formulas