People often consider age-related vision deterioration as inevitable. Well, our eyesight deteriorates with age, and as such, the risk of developing eye health issues such as glaucoma and cataracts increase exponentially. That is why scientists are always looking for alternative treatments and therapies to solve eye health problems. Interestingly, CBD oil has come into sharp focus for its apparent role in easing degenerative eye diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma.
The reason medics are on the lookout for alternative options is because the aforementioned eye disorders can develop into serious problems if left untreated. And it is no surprise the U.S National Eye Institute (NEI) recently warned of a grim future for overall eye health. Here, we examine the role of CBD oil in treating eye disorders.
CBD and Eye Health: What is CBD?
CBD is a naturally occurring substance extracted from the Cannabis Sativa plant. Scientists have conducted focused research and identified more than 100 cannabinoids present in cannabis which each one interacting with the body differently. The two key components of cannabis are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD). And while THC is psychoactive and gives you the “feel high” factor associated with marijuana, CBD is non-psychoactive and has been linked to many interesting medicinal benefits to the human body.
Focused research on how CBD can act on eye diseases is still at the preliminary stage. Still, there are promising results to suggest CBD oil can potentially benefit folks with eye-related health problems. Experts clarify that CBD can improve vision significantly, especially in eye cataracts, macular eye degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, and glaucoma. In doing so, CBD slows down the degeneration process, hence improving eyesight. That is great news because in cataracts, for instance, there is no alternative therapy and one has to opt for surgery. And even then, CBD possesses analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties that would relieve the post-surgery pain and speed up the healing process.
Common Eye Disorders
According to the National Eye Institute (NEI), more than 4 million Americans are blind or living with low vision problems. NEI revealed that the leading causes of low vision, and blindness for that matter, in the United States are age-related eye disorders and diseases, with the majority of the 4 million sufferings from cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration. Among others, the following is a compilation of the most common eye disorders and diseases:
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an umbrella term for a set of diseases that damages the eye’s optic nerve, leading to blindness or partial vision loss.
Amblyopia
Also referred to as the “Lazy Eye,” amblyopia is prevalent in children. This eye disorder occurs when the brain and one of the eyes don’t coordinate properly, leading to reduced vision in the affected eye.
Refractive Errors
That is the most prevalent form of eye problem globally. Refractive error is an umbrella term that refers to eye defects such as hyperopia, astigmatism, presbyopia, and myopia. Luckily, most of these defects can be corrected by designated eyeglasses. Presbyopia, which refers to the inability to see or read letters properly and occurs between 40 to 50 years, can be corrected by eyeglasses. And according to the NEI, appropriate refractive correction is the leading vision improvement mechanism for most Americans.
Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
AMD is an eye disorder that damages an individual’s sharp central vision, thereby inhibiting the ability to see objects. An early symptom of AMD is when you observe straight lines as being wavy.
Cataracts
Considered the leading cause of blindness globally, cataract refers to the clouding of the eye’s lens. Cataract can affect all ages from birth and is the main cause of vision loss in the U.S.
Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetic Retinopathy is a leading cause of vision loss in U.S adults and is commonly linked to diabetes. This disorder is characterized by gradual damage and depletion of blood vessels (capillaries) present in the retina, the light-detecting tissue located at the back of the eye.
How does CBD Oil for Eye Health and Glaucoma Come into the Picture?
CBD oil has been proven to have numerous therapeutic properties that can help manage many health conditions in humans, such as depression, pain, and anxiety. And unlike THC, it is natural, pure, non-psychoactive, and safe for use. For that reason, many people have sought CBD oil for glaucoma and other eye health problems.
Research: CBD for Eye Health
When we talk mattes CBD, nothing much is out there regarding evidence. But research, while still at the preliminary stage, is showing promising results on using CBD oil for glaucoma and other eye-related disorders. Besides, there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that CBD oil can help improve night vision and slow down vision loss. And as mentioned, clinical studies are at a preliminary stage and mainly focus on how CBD can be instrumental in treating glaucoma and cataract.
CBD Oil for Glaucoma
Focused research has been conducted on how cannabinoids can manage eye health. And researchers are saying that marijuana can relieve the most painful effects of glaucoma, owing to CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties. Glaucoma is a hereditary disorder and has no curative drugs or therapies. And it is no surprise that people are opting for CBD to manage associated symptoms.
CBD Oil for Cataracts
In eye cataracts, reliable evidence is limited as to how cannabinoids can treat this disorder. Conventionally, eye cataracts require surgical intervention to be removed because there are no known alternative therapies. However, CBD’s analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties could help manage post-surgery pain and speed up recovery. Besides, most people have reported using CBD oil while preparing for surgery to deal with anxiety. With that in mind, it is worth mentioning that sound research is needed to determine how CBD oil can be beneficial to other eye-related diseases and disorders because, frankly, there is little evidence to base facts on.
- WHY CAN DRINKING ALCOHOL TRIGGER ANXIETY? - January 7, 2023
- WHAT IS ORGASMIC MEDITATION? BENEFITS + HOW TO - January 7, 2023
- THE BEST WAYS TO PREVENT WEIGHT GAIN THIS WINTER - January 6, 2023
