Mirtogenol: An Effective Supplement for Glaucoma
Glaucoma has affected over 2.22 million US citizens, and this number is expected to increase by 50% by 2020. It comes as a shock that the estimated number of patients suffering from Glaucoma across the world is estimated to reach 80 million by 2020.
The graph below shows the steady rise in the number of glaucoma patients over the years.
Source: Statista
That said, various natural products like Mirtogenol have been said to deliver promising results, when it comes to prevention or treatment (stopping the progress) of glaucoma.
The article presents a holistic view on glaucoma, its symptoms and risk factors, and the positive impacts of Mirtogenol in its treatment.
What is Glaucoma?
This is a medical condition which causes damage to the optic nerve which is responsible for supplying visual signals to your brain from your eyes. The back portion of the eyes is made out of a fluid known as aqueous humor. As the fluid is produced, it fills the front part of the eyes.
The fluid leaves the eyes through specialized channels in the iris and cornea. However, if these channels are blocked, the natural pressure within the eye known as intraocular pressure increases.
This rise in ocular blood pressure results in significant damage to the optic nerves and causes a blurred peripheral vision along with other issues.
Most people who suffer from Glaucoma have no signs of early symptoms. It is, therefore, advised that people having any vision related problems should regularly visit their eye doctor to get it diagnosed and treated before it will lead to long term vision loss.
Risk factors and symptoms of Glaucoma
Every adult over 60 has a risk of developing Glaucoma. Unfortunately, modern living conditions and health issues have brought down the number to 40 years of age. The risk keeps on increasing with every succeeding year after 40 years.
Some of the risk factors of Glaucoma include
- Having a poor vision
- Diabetes
- Effects of certain medications
- Having an unusually thinner corneas
- Having a previous eye injury
- Having high blood pressure
- Age over 40
- Family history of Glaucoma
In addition to the aforementioned conditions you are considered at risk as a result of side effects of certain medications. Research has proven that the use of certain medications for an extended period may increase the risk of developing secondary Glaucoma.
Various medications that have been known to adversely affect Glaucoma include:
- Anticholinergics: include drugs for Asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD), Bladder Incontinence, Gastrointestinal Issues, depression, muscle spasms, allergies, nausea, anxiety.
- Ephedrine containing Drugs: include medicines for common cold and flu
- Oral steroids
- Sulfonamide containing drugs
Furthermore, ethnicity has been known to have some correlation with the risk of developing glaucoma.
- African-Americans: More likely to develop Glaucoma
- Asiana: Greater risk of developing angle-closure Glaucoma.
- Japanese: Higher chance of developing low tension glaucoma
Symptoms of Glaucoma
Open-angle Glaucoma is one of the most common types of Glaucoma. The condition has no visible signs and symptoms except the loss of vision.
Narrow-angle Glaucoma or acute angle glaucoma is considered as a medical emergency and requires an immediate consultation with your eye doctor, especially if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- sudden vision disturbances
- seeing coloured rings around lights
- sudden blurred vision
- vomiting
- redness in your eye
- severe eye pain
- nausea
What are the different types of Glaucoma?
Glaucoma can be broadly classified into five major categories.
1. Congenital Glaucoma
This type of Glaucoma is usually present right from birth. Children who are born with this condition have a defect in the natural build of their eyes which prevents the normal fluid drainage. Some of the symptoms include excessive tearing, light sensitivity and cloudy eyes.
2. Open-angle Glaucoma
This is one of the most common types of Glaucoma. Unfortunately, there are no warning signs or symptoms. The patient can sometimes suffer an irreversible loss of vision before the symptoms even become visible.
3. Angle-closure Glaucoma
This happens when the aqueous humor is suddenly blocked, and the rapid build-up in the fluid may cause a sudden increase in the eye pressure. Since this is an emergency condition, it is recommended that the patient consults their ophthalmologist immediately.
4. Secondary Glaucoma
This condition is often due to a side effect of injury or pre existing eye conditions such as eye tumours or cataract. Certain medications, such as corticosteroids are also known to cause secondary Glaucoma.
5. Normal-Tension Glaucoma
This type of Glaucoma is quite rare but found in people without any increase of eye pressure. The real cause of this is not known, and more research into the field is needed to uncover the truth.
Can a person with Glaucoma lose vision completely?
Yes.
A good number of people with Glaucoma end up losing their vision completely when the condition is left untreated for a long time. It is also important to add that vison lost as a result of Glaucoma cannot be restored.
That said, an early diagnosis can act as a life saviour. With proper medical treatment, it is completely possible to stop the progress of this condition.
What is Mirtogenol and how does it work?
This is an ingenious nutrient combination of standardized French maritime pine bark extract which is called Pycnogenol and Bilberry extract (from fresh fruit of Vaccinium myrtillus).
Studies have shown that both the ingredients are exceptionally beneficial for the health of eyes.
The bilberry extracts are rich in antioxidants known as anthocyanins. These are well known for their unique ability to improve vision, especially the night vision.
In a two year study conducted by NCBI (National centre of Biotechnology Information) on people with Glaucoma, it is found that regularly taking 120 mg of bilberry anthocyanins improved the visual capacity to about 30%.On the other hand, people in the control group did not experience any significant improvement in the vision.
Another study by NCBI has revealed that supplementing with powdered extract of bilberry daily reduces eye fatigue and dryness of the eye.
Similarly, the effects of Pycnogenol are extensively studied in thousands of patients. In a study consisting of 1200 retinopathy patients treated with Pycnogenol has shown a significant reduction in the retinal bleedings.
In a study conducted in Germany on 1,169 diabetic patients, regular use of Pycnogenol has surprisingly stopped the progression of retinopathy and restored the vision to a significant extent.
The nutrients within Mirtogenol (Pycnogenol and French maritime pine bark) have been known for their ability to enhance the production of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNO-S). This enzyme further helps in production of nitric oxide which relaxes the blood vessels and promotes healthy blood flow to eyes and other parts of the body.
Can Mirtogenol supplements be used to treat Glaucoma?
Several studies have shown that this supplement helps to reduce eye pressure which is a severe risk factor for Glaucoma.
Mirtogenol is the first health supplement known to support healthy eye pressure. Various pieces of research have contributed to the present knowledge that regular use of Mirtogenol can help to improve the ocular pressure and stabilize the visual blood flow.
Source:Npusa
In a study conducted on 38 subjects who were regularly given Mirtogenol for three months, it was noted that there was a significant reduction in the ocular blood pressure and improvements in the ocular blood flow.
Similarly, in a study published in 2010, seventy-nine patients with asymptomatic ocular hypertension were divided into three groups. One segment is treated with Mirtogenol supplement and the other with latanoprost eye drops, while the third group is treated with a combination of both.
After 24 weeks it was found out that the group which received Mirtogenol supplements showed the maximum improvement in the retinal blood flow.
Potential side effects of Mirtogenol
Until now no severe side effects have not been noted or reported due to the consumption of Mirtogenol. This has been evidenced in a study conducted in 2010 where researchers found no severe side effects when patients were supplemented with Mirtogenol.
Recommended Dosage
Mirtogenol consists of 80mg of Bilberry extract and 40mg of French maritime pine bark extract. Studies have shown that it is safe to consume one to two tablets every day.
However, it is recommended that you consult with your healthcare provider/ophthalmologist before starting on a dosage.
Final Words
Glaucoma is one of the worst medical conditions faced by senior adults around the world. Since there are no visible symptoms in most cases, the patients usually do not realize until it is too late.
It can not be stressed enough that well-planned nutrition and effective supplements like Mirtogenol play a significant role in warding off this ocular disease.
We recommend that you put your trust in reliable brands like Nature’s Farm that come with an assurance of quality.
It is worthwhile to mention that while this supplement has been considered a preventive intervention to lower the risk of Glaucoma, it is not a replacement for prescribed Glaucoma medications. It is therefore suggested that you consult with a certified physician before you add the supplements to your daily routine.
References
Robert D Steigerwalt, Gianni Belcaro, Paolo Morazzoni, Ezio Bombardelli, Carolina Burki, Frank Schönlau(10 Jul 2008) Mirtogenol® potentiates latanoprost in lowering intraocular pressure and improves ocular blood flow in asymptomatic subjects Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2874276/ [Accessed 3 August 2020]
Ximing Liu, Junping Wei, Fengsen, Tan Sheng ming Zhou, Gudrun Würthwein, Peter Rohdewald( 2 Jan 2004)Pycnogenol, French Maritime Pine Bark Extract, Improves Endothelial Function of Hypertensive Patients, Available at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14659974/[Accessed 8 June 2020]
Peter H Canter, Edzard Ernst(1 Jan 2004) Anthocyanosides of Vaccinium myrtillus (Bilberry) for Night Vision—A Systematic Review of Placebo-Controlled Trials Available at https://www.surveyophthalmol.com/article/S0039-6257(03)00128-0/fulltext [Accessed 3 August 2020]
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