Posts Tagged ‘vision loss’

All things related to health are related to nutrition. Any eye health guide has to emphasize this connection.

Vision 

Your eyes may the window to your soul; they are also a reflection of your health. Many eye problems are a refection of your nutritional status. As people age they may experience vision loss due to cataracts, macular degeneration (AMD) and other sight problems.

Eye Health Study   

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) – funded scientists at the Laboratory for Nutrition and Vision Research are finding that healthy eating can reduce health costs by protecting the vision and the quality of life. The laboratory study directed by Allen Taylor is part of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutritional Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston. Mass.

One study indicated that regularly consuming a combination of protective nutrients and a low-glycemic-index, or “slow carb,” diet provided an AMD protective effect. A food’s glycemic index is an indicator of how fast the carbohydrate it contains will spike blood sugar levels. The macula is a 3-millimeter-wide yellow spot near the center of the retina responsible for the central field of vision.

For the study, the researchers analyzed dietary intake and other data from more than 4,000 men and women, aged 55 to 80, who had participated in the long-term Age-Related Eye Disease Study, or AREDS. Led by Chung-Jung Chiu, the researchers ranked intake of each of several nutrients consumed during the AREDS study, then calculated a compound score to gauge their combined dietary effect on the risk of AMD. The scoring system allowed them to evaluate associations between individual – and combined – dietary nutrients.

The nutrients that were found to be most protective in combination with the low-glycemic-index diet were vitamins C and E, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, and the omega-3 fatty acids known as DHA and EPA. The 2009 study was published in Ophthalmology

No Surprise

It’s no surprise that every cell, function, and organ is dependent on the nutrition that you supply them with. It is simply, disease can’t take root as easily in a healthy body. The way to good vision is by consuming a nutrient rich diet.

Most fruits and vegetables supply vitamin C in ample amounts. This list includes oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, papaya, green peppers, and tomatoes. Vitamin E is found in nuts, seeds, and wheat germ. Lutein and Zeaxanthin are found together in many foods. Dark green leafy vegetables are a good source. It is also found in smaller amounts in broccoli, orange peppers, corn, peas, persimmons, and tangerines.

These are delicious ways to both general health and vision health.  Achieving the benefits of good eyesight supports vascular health within the eye and improves visual acuity. It has been found than carotenoids protect against free-radical induced DNA damage. The density of your macular pigments composed (composed of Lutein, Zeaxanthin, meso-zeaxanthin) is essential to proper vision.

These may be big words, but all one has to know is eating lots lutein and zeaxanthin containing vegetables can help maintain the structural integrity of the macula.

As We See It

Plant compounds halt the progression of both macular degeneration, and cataracts. These are a significant cause of decreased vision. To halt vision loss with nutritional interventions is a very attractive solution.

Viagra may cause hearing loss. Research by a University of Alabama at Birmington (UBA) professor shows an association between hearing loss and the use of the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra.

Research Studies

The research found a potential for long-term hearing loss following the use of Viagra and possibly following use of other phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitions (PDE-5i) drugs such as Cialis and Levitra.

In 2007, following several case studies potentially linking PDE-5i use and sudden hearing loss, the Food and Drug Administrated announced labeling changes for PDE-5i medications so that the risk of hearing problems was more prominently displayed, McGwin said this is the first epidemiological study to evaluate the relationship between PDE-5i drugs and long-term hearing loss.

The data on 11,525 men over 40 years of age gathered by the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, a survey conducted by the federal agency for Healthcare Research and Quality between 2003 and 2006. Men who reported use of PDE-5i medications were twice as likely to also report hearing loss as men who had not used the drugs.

You Can Say

You can say that Viagra is not for everyone. The growing evidence suggests it’s not for anyone. At least 38 men have gone blind after taking Viagra. Drug companies already warn consumers that Viagra and competitors like Levtira and Cialis have several other side effects, like blurred vision, headaches, indigestion, and painful erections that last four hours or more.

Viagra can decrease blood flow to the optic nerve of the eye, causing sudden vision loss. This has occurred in a limited number of people, most of whom had heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or pre-existing eye conditions. Also, people who smoke or are over 50 years old experienced these problems.

Need it now

Millions of men need it now, thanks to our lifestyles. There is a connection that links impotency to health status. There are multiple conditions that cause erectile dysfunction. One is hardening of the arteries, which causes a reduced blood flow to different parts of the body.

Medication especially for high blood pressure is many times the pill behind the pill. The drugs for high blood pressure are known to cause impotency.

Recognizing the cause is a step in the right direction. One little blue pill is not for all, and there is growing concern that it can change more than a chance to perform.

The special effect that you want may be more than you want. Viagra may have a similar effect on similar tissue in the ear, where an increase in blood flow could potentially cause damage that can lead to a hearing loss. It is necessary to question the use of Viagra, since the largely irreversible hearing loss will impact the quality of life.