PEMF and Glaucoma

The leading cause of blindness in the United States is glaucoma.

Unfortunately, almost three million people in the United States suffer from some form of glaucoma.

Glaucoma can be controlled successfully if it is detected early.

However, diagnosis is not at all simple, so oftentimes the disease is neglected, and allowed to advance to its later stages.

Glaucoma can be treated by traditional medicine, but this treatment may cause side effects, and is not always effective.

Alternative forms of treatment include PEMFs, whose role in glaucoma treatment has been thoroughly examined through numerous studies.

In this article, we’ll focus more on some of these studies, and the ways in which PEMF can help with glaucoma.

 

What Is Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is an eye disease that causes the fluid pressure in the eye to rise.

If this disease is discovered and treated early, it can be controlled successfully.

However, if left untreated, it can lead to partial loss of vision, or even complete blindness.

The pressure in the eye causes damage to the optic nerve, which is how your vision becomes impaired.

The anterior chamber is the part of the eye located in the front, through which clear liquid flows freely.

This liquid bathes and nourishes the nearby tissues, and keeps the eye clean and healthy.

However, if this flow becomes impaired, the liquid will start to build up inside the anterior chamber and cause the pressure to rise, thus leading to glaucoma.

 

Types and Symptoms of Glaucoma

There are two main types of glaucoma, called closed-angle and open-angle; these are also known as acute and chronic glaucoma.

Closed-angle glaucoma is the acute version.

It appears suddenly, and the patient usually reports pain and loss of vision.

This usually impels the patient to seek medical help, which prevents the disease from causing any permanent damage.

Open-angle glaucoma can be primary, low-tension, and pigmentary glaucoma.

Open-angle glaucoma is chronic, and develops slowly.

Early signs usually go unnoticed, so patients may not seek help in time.

The most common symptoms of chronic glaucoma are usually:

• Gradual loss of peripheral vision
• Tunnel vision, in the advanced stages

Symptoms of acute glaucoma:

• Severe eye pain
• Blurred vision
• Nausea and vomiting
• Red eyes
• Vision problems in poor lighting

 

Causes and Treatment of Glaucoma

The causes of glaucoma are not yet completely clear.

However, some causes or contributing factors are known.

A primary glaucoma is one in which the cause is not known.

Secondary glaucoma has a known cause, such as diabetes, tumor, inflammation, cataract, or inflammation.

Some risk factors are:

• Old age
• Ethnicity (East Asian, African American, Hispanic)
• Hypothyroidism and diabetes
• Eye injuries
• Myopia
• Eye surgery

The first treatment of glaucoma is by using eye drops.

The second form of treatment is an oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitor.

Finally, doctors resort to surgery if the first two options do not work.

However, these forms of treatment have numerous side effects.

For that reason, PEMF therapy is becoming more and more popular as an alternative form of treatment.

Numerous studies support it, and it carries virtually no risk of side effects.

Let’s explore this option in greater detail in the section below.

 

PEMF Therapy and Glaucoma

As with any other disease, when we’re talking about PEMF therapy, the best treatment results can be achieved if the treatment is begun early.

In such cases, the success of the treatment is high, and PEMF therapy can control the symptoms and the progression of glaucoma.

The optic nerve is located deep behind the eye, and this is where the damage occurs.

This damage is caused by the pressure in the blood vessels, and PEMF can successfully address this problem.

PEMF has been proven to dilate blood vessels, which can, in turn, reduce the pressure in them and that that they exert on the optic nerve.

Numerous studies have been completed so far to prove the effectiveness of PEMF in the treatment of glaucoma.

Most of these studies have been done in Eastern Europe, and they are easily-accessible online.

 

PEMF and Glaucoma Scientifically-Based Evidence

A study was conducted in Russia in 1990 to examine the effects of PEMF on ocular hydrodynamics in acute open-angle glaucoma.

The study was conducted by Tsisel’skiĭ IuV, and was published in the Russian Ophthalmology Journal. (1)

The device and the method used to inspect the influence of PEMF on open-angle glaucoma in this study was suggested by the Filatov Institute.

The settings of the device were:

• Frequency: 50 Hz
• Amplitude: 8-8.5 mT
• Duration of the session: 7 minutes
• Pulse type: Rectangular
• The rate of magnetic induction rise: 2/10(-4) mT/sec.
• The rate of pulse rise: 4/10(-4) sec.

The patients received 7 10-minute sessions in total.

More than 150 patients participated in the study, and 283 eyes were examined in all.

All patients had initial, latent, or advanced forms of glaucoma.

The study showed that PEMF therapy did influence the hydrodynamics of the eye in patients with open-angle glaucoma.

PEMF successfully increased aqueous production and flow, and reduced Becker’s coefficient.

At the latent stages of the illness, the normalization of outflow was observed in 25% of cases.

At the initial and advanced stages, this effect was observed in 17.8% and in 16% of cases, respectively.

Thus, the scientist in charge of the study decided that it is possible to recommend PEMF therapy as a form of complex therapy for open-angle glaucoma.

Another very popular Russian study was conducted in 1996, by Listopadova NA and Bisvas Shutanto Kumar.

The study examined whether PEMF therapy could stabilize visual function in patients suffering from glaucoma. (2)

An ATOS device was used in the study with a 33 mT magnetic field induction.

In total, 33 patients participated in the study, and 43 eyes in all were treated.

All of the patients suffered from open-angle glaucoma.

The scientists used the intermittent operation mode with field rotation of 1-1.5 Hz by 6 radii.

Each patient received ten 10-minute daily sessions of PEMF stimulation in the sitting posture.

The untreated eyes of the patients (n=15) were used as controls.

The patients were examined two times, before the treatment and 4-5 months after the treatment.

On average, visual acuity improved by 0.16 diopters in 96.7% of cases (29 out of 30 eyes) where acuity was below 1.0 prior to treatment.

Visocontrastometry was done by using a Visokontrastometer-DT device.

The PEMF stimulation also improved the spatial contrast sensitivity by as much as 7 values of 12 levels in 84.6% of cases (22/26 eyes).

The sensitivity was unaffected in four eyes.

Moreover, the visual field was tested with an automated Humphry analyzer.

The threshold test was 120 points.

After PEMF stimulation, the deficit of visual field dropped by 10% in 72% of the cases (31/43 eyes).

It increased in three eyes and was unaffected in nine.

On average, it decreased by 22.4%, compared to the initial measurement.

After 4-5 months, however, these changes were negligible.

Thus, we can conclude that PEMF therapy is a powerful form of treatment of glaucoma.

However, its stimulation needs to be performed on a regular, daily basis, as the effects do not last for a long time after the initial application.

 

Other Benefits of PEMF Therapy

PEMF therapy works on the cellular level, so it has many other great health benefits not only for humans, but for plants and animals, as well.

Let’s explore some of the most common health conditions that you can treat with PEMF therapy.

 

Bone Healing

PEMF therapy can support your efforts to stimulate bone healing.

This effect of PEMF stimulation is especially important in the case of nonunion fractures, or fractures that do not heal in the predicted timespan.

They sometimes require surgery in order to be repaired.

However, a study completed in Bangladesh in 1999 showed that surgery can be unnecessary.

In most cases, PEMF therapy can lead to complete healing of nonunion fractures.

This study lasted for 14 weeks, after which 11 out of 13 patients experienced complete bone healing. (3)

 

Migraines

PEMF therapy is also a successful form of treatment for migraines.

Numerous studies show that PEMF stimulation can reduce the frequency of migraine attacks, as well as lower their intensity.

One study on this topic was conducted in 1999 in the United States that lasted for one month.

It included patients who reported severe migraine attacks before PEMF stimulation.

However, after the treatment, all patients reported significantly fewer migraine attacks with much milder symptoms. (4)

 

Depression

PEMF therapy can support your struggles with depression.

A lot of people, unfortunately, do not find the cure for depression in antidepressants.

Many of them also experience numerous side effects.

That is why Danish scientists’ findings are important.

These showed that PEMF therapy can decrease the side effects of antidepressants, and at the same time increase the medications’ efficiency.

PEMF therapy can also be used on its own as a treatment for depression.

However, it should as a rule be used as a secondary form of treatment. (5)

 

Pain

Instead of taking strong and often harmful painkillers, scientists at the International Pain Research Institute discovered that PEMF therapy is another powerful way of addressing pain.

They examined how PEMF stimulation would affect pelvic pain in women.

Their findings showed that PEMF therapy significantly reduced the amount of pain the subjects in the study experienced, and this treatment can be applied to other sources of pain, as well. (6)

 

Arthritis

PEMF is also a powerful way to deal with the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

This is a progressive disease that affects the joints in the body and causes pain, swelling, and inflammation.

Because it advances quickly, the treatment is life-long.

A study completed in India in 1998 showed that PEMF stimulation could successfully reduce the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, and control the disease.

Therefore, PEMF is a new source of hope for patients of this debilitating disease which can severely affect overall quality of life. (7)

 

Poor Blood Flow

Poor blood flow can cause mild health problems such as cold extremities, numbness, tingling, and so on.

However, it can also result in much more serious health problems, such as heart disease and stroke.

Scientists at Wake Forest University conducted a study that proved that PEMF therapy causes vasodilatation in the treated area.

After the PEMF stimulation in the study, the treated area received a much higher volume of blood, including more oxygen and nutrients. (8)

 

Nerve Damage

A study was conducted in 1993 at the Bioelectromagnetics Society on rats with induced sciatic nerve damage.

The purpose of the study was to examine whether PEMF therapy could affect sciatic nerve damage, causing it to heal faster.

The results of the study were quite encouraging.

The outcome showed that the rats that were pre-treated with PEMF therapy showed much higher rates of nerve repair than those that did not receive any PEMF stimulation. (9)

 

Conclusion

Glaucoma is a serious disease that needs to be treated using all possible means.

If the treatment begins early, the illness can usually be controlled, and its progression can be stopped.

However, if left unaddressed, it can lead to excruciating pain and complete blindness.

Traditional forms of treatment include eyedrops, medication, and surgery.

However, these are not always effective, and often lead to side effects.

On the other hand, PEMF therapy as an alternative form of treatment has no side effects, and can be used by patients for prolonged periods and on a daily basis.

The studies show that PEMF therapy can successfully reduce the pressure on the optic nerve caused by glaucoma, and in that way prevent further damage to it.

We have shared two prominent Russian studies in this article, but there are many others to which you can refer, and we encourage you to do so.

Finally, PEMF therapy can be used on a daily basis to support the treatment and prevention of many other common health conditions, also without the risk of any side effects.

The best results can be achieved if PEMF stimulation is administered on a daily basis, so getting a home PEMF device is a great choice you can make for your and your family’s health.