Any way, a new patient came in last week for treatment of diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and glaucoma. That's right; she did not come to me for treatment of neck pain nor back pain. The conversation that I would like to begin in this post is an inquiry into glaucoma.
As stated in the title of this post, I am not an ophthalmologist, so please don't take any of my comments as a prescription for you; be sure to consult your eye specialist.
But while on the subject of warnings and disclaimers, I would warn you to be cautious of doctors (of any kind) who do not bring to your attention the importance of giving thought to the causes of your ailments, particularly if they are of a serious nature and could result, for example, in the loss of your eyesight.
So, as we talked about her health and numerous interconnected ailments, our attention turned to her glaucoma. I asked if she knew what caused her glaucoma, or what causes glaucoma in general. She did not. I said that I was curious about whether gluten sensitivity has ever been seen to be connected to the development of glaucoma. I told her that I would look into it since gluten sensitivity has been shown to be associated with so many otherwise unexplained symptoms and conditions. I told her that I would bet $50 that food sensitivities, even if not to gluten, play a role in the development of glaucoma.
When I found the time, I did a Google search using the terms "glaucoma" and "gluten sensitivity". The first page that came up was a page owned by the University of Maryland Medical Center. If the information on this page can be relied upon, I won the bet! Now, I am not going to try, in this one post, to comment on the enormous amount of information contained on this page that in one way or another can be utilized to further a rational, scientific discussion of glaucoma and its causes, but let me draw your attention to the section entitled "Who's Most At Risk?"*** People with the following conditions or characteristics are at risk for glaucoma:
Over 60 years of age
Family history
African American descent
Diabetes
Myopia (near sightedness)
Taking certain drugs, such as antihistamines or blood pressure medications
Food sensitivities
Stress
Sedentary lifestyle
Hypothyroidism ****
It makes sense that food sensitivities could contribute to glaucoma. They up-regulate the immune system, increase systemic inflammation, often damage specific body tissues, and consistently contribute to all manner of chronic degenerative diseases. Gluten sensitivity is, of course, a food sensitivity.
The overwhelming majority of hypothyroidism in America is Hashimoto's autoimmune hypothyroiditis. There is much evidence linking gluten sensitivity as a causative factor in Hashimoto's. If this is true, then it would appear that gluten sensitivity may be a causative factor in glaucoma.
There is a lot more to talk about regarding glaucoma and this UMMC webpage. For now, let us remember, that even if we are not ophthalmologists, we can commit ourselves to understanding the causes of our departures from healthful vitality.
Ventura Chiropractor
