PEMF for Eye Diseases
BY JONATHAN BOWEN
The Benefit of PEMF for Eye Diseases
PEMF can greatly benefit eye diseases including macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, retinitis pigmentosa and others because it is effective in increasing micro-circulation in the eye, decreasing inflammation and assisting in nerve repair.
The eyes are complex organs which are heavily reliant on a of balanced blood flow and eye pressure to perform their critical functions. The eye contains many interrelated parts that combine to transmit light to the retina where it is translated into electrical messages and sent to the brain through the optic nerve. The cornea, pupil, lens, and iris are the parts we see in the mirror, while the retina, macular and optic nerve with all their smaller parts, such as rods and cones, hide behind the scenes.
Light enters the eye through the cornea. The amount of light entering the eye is controlled by the iris and the pupil. The lens focusses the light as it travels through the vitreous liquid to the retina. The retina has small photoreceptor cells called rods and cones. The rods are responsible for detection of light in low-light environments. The cones are responsible for detection of light in bright-light environments and differentiate colour and detect detail.
When light strikes the rod and cone cells a process called phototransduction cascade is initiated where light is converted into electrical signals and then transmitted along the optic nerve to the visual cortex of the brain.
As light travels through the eye there are various diseases that impede its journey or its detection by the retina. We are going to look at the various diseases of the eyes, how they occur, what parts of the eye they effect, and how PEMF can help with each.
PEMF for Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration is the loss of vision or the distortion (blurring) of the central vision caused by the macula's progressive degeneration. This can result in difficulty recognizing faces, reading, viewing a computer screen or driving – anything requiring fine visual detection.
The macula is the tiny 5.5 mm oval-shaped area in the retina's centre, which contains the fovea at its centre. The six million cone light receptor cells responsible for detecting finer image details are spread throughout the eye but mainly concentrated in the fovea.
Macular degeneration is believed to be caused by oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation. Contributing factors have been identified as hypertension, atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, obesity, and too much wrong fat intake. Omega-3 fatty acids are helpful.
There are two types of degeneration, dry (atrophic) Age-Related Macular Degeneration (or Dry AMD) and wet (neovascular) macular degeneration (Wet MD).
DRY AMD – is caused by cellular debris accumulating between the retina and the choroid, causing scarring and degeneration of cells. (The choroid is the thin vascular area layer carrying blood between the retina and the sclera). This debris (called drusen) is a buildup of extracellular proteins and lipids in the macular which cause damage to the retina over time. As a result, the macula slowly thins out and dries or atrophies as part of the ageing process. These deposits are thought to be related to high cholesterol deposits. Between 80-90% of AMD cases are dry.
WET MD – is caused by the blood vessels between the retina and the sclera (in an area called the choroid) growing abnormally. The abnormal vessels are usually weak and can leak protein fluids or sometimes bleed (haemorrhage) behind the retina, causing scaring and damage to the photoreceptors cones.
Eye cells, like all cells, have a natural replacement process where old cells are retired in a process called autophagy. The retired cells are digested and disposed of naturally. When this process is impeded, retinal oxidative stress results and inflammation of the macular takes place, increasing macular degeneration.
A study focusing on the use of PEMF for macular degeneration concluded the following:
A PEMF system was used in the treatment of 283 eyes (177 patients) with macular damage of the retina. The treatment had a positive influence on the pathologic process in the eye, with stability of the benefit after treatment. In 152 eyes, visual acuity remained unchanged, improved in 131 (46%). In 72 eyes, the results of treatment were followed up for 6 yr, confirming the effectiveness of this method of treatment. Long-term observations have found the need to repeat the course of treatment every 3-5 months (within a year) to prevent progression of the damage. Unfortunately, we do not have information on the characteristics of the magnetic system used. Nevertheless, this study demonstrates the need for longer-term treatment to get sustainable results. When one considers the length of time it takes to regenerate neural tissues, this long-term personal, home use approach makes sense. (1)
Curatron has settings for MACULAR DEGENERATION for use with the various coils. It also has settings such as OXYGENATION that help deal with inflammation increasing the microcirculation and replacing damaged, weakened cells with strong, healthy ones. In addition, mitochondrial dysfunction is assisted by improving cell metabolism using settings such as METABOLIC DEFICIENCY.
PEMF treatment... had a positive influence
PEMF for Cataracts
The lens focuses the light that goes into the eye on the retina. Cataracts are caused when clumps of proteins or yellow-brown pigment in the lenses reduce the transmission of light to the retina at the back of the eye. Cataracts or clouded lenses result in faded colour perception, blurry vision, halos around light, trouble with bright lights and a decrease in night vision.
Diseases such as diabetic mellitus and hypertension can increase the production of cataracts. Injuries, radiation, UV light, microwaves, genetics, smoking, and certain medications can also cause cataracts.
There are several types of cataracts. For instance, nuclear sclerosis is when the centre of the lens (nucleolus) can become hardened as a concentration of brown pigment is built up. Cortical cataracts occur when the outer layer of the lens (cortex) becomes opaque due to fluid-causing fissures. Finally, posterior subcapsular cataracts occur when the back of the lens becomes cloudy.
PEMF can help reduce the progression and development of cataracts by increasing eye microcirculation. It reduces oxidative stress by encouraging the natural flow of fluids in and out of the eye, reducing the buildup of proteins or the yellow-brown pigment that clouds the lens. The increase in microcirculation allows blood cells to reach low vascular areas bringing oxygen, nutrients, and healthy fats and removing wastes rather than having them build up and create fibrous layers in the lenses, causing cloudiness in vision. PEMF also can treat some root causes, such as diabetes and hypertension.
In a scientific study published in the journal Ophthalmologica, the following was reported:
In previous mostly clinical studies, it has been shown that so-called low-frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) have a beneficial effect in wound healing, resorption of inflammatory edema or bleeds in various organs by stimulating metabolic processes, blood circulation and activating cell proliferation….
In the eye, the successful use of PEMF has been reported in corneal wound healing, dry eye syndrome, acute keratoconus, glaucoma, endocrine ophthalmopathy and various optic nerve lesions. (2)
PEMF for Glaucoma
Glaucoma causes vision loss due to damage to the optic nerve. Although there are many types of glaucoma, the most prevalent are Open-Angle Glaucoma and Closed-Angle Glaucoma.
Normal eye function requires the production of a plasma-like liquid called aqueous humor which keeps the shape of the eye by maintaining a constant pressure. It also transports nutrients for parts of the eye and provides infection projection against pathogens and foreign objects. The drainage network (called the trabecular meshwork) sits at the angle formed by the cornea and the iris.
Open-Angel Glaucoma is believed to be caused by the aqueous humor in the front of the lens not draining quickly enough through the drainage network and into the blood. This causes a gradual buildup of pressure on the optic nerve in the eye. As a result, open-Angle Glaucoma occurs gradually over time, affecting the peripheral and central vision. This is the most common form of Glaucoma, affecting 90% of people with Glaucoma in the USA.
Closed-Angle Glaucoma is caused by a sudden buildup of pressure on the eye’s optic nerve due to the complete blockage of the drainage network by the iris against the cornea, closing the angle altogether. It may come on suddenly (although not always) and can cause pain, blurred vision, mid-dilated pupils, redness of the eyes and may result in nausea. Closed-Angel Glaucoma is more prevalent in East Asian countries due to the genetic shape of the eye.
It is believed the pressure in the eye pushing against the optic nerve causes optic nerve compression trauma, a decrease in optic nerve blood flow, the degeneration of the axions and ganglions (nerve message transporters) and a host of other issues affecting the immune system, the loss of nerve fibres and neurons.
PEMF increases the microcirculation in the eyes, increasing the flow of the aqueous humor, and helping restore normal eye pressure. Curatron has settings such as OXYGENATION and WELLNESS that improve circulation. In addition, inflammation causing the blockage of fluid can be reduced, opening the pathways of the trabecular drainage meshwork using settings such as OEDEMA. PEMF also stimulates nerve repair and reduces neuritis (or inflammation of the nerves) using settings on the Curatron such as NEURITIS and NEUROSCLEROSIS.
Scientific studies have been conducted which conclude:
The influence of pulse electromagnetic field on the hydrodynamics of the eye in open-angle glaucoma has been studied…. Observations over 150 patients (283 eyes) with latent, initial and advanced glaucoma have shown that the usage of pulse electromagnetic field exerts influence on the hydrodynamics of the eye in open-angle glaucoma; stimulates the rise of aqueous outflow and production, the reduction of the Becker’s coefficient. At the latent stage of the disease, normalization of outflow was recorded in 25% of cases, at the initial and advanced stages–in 17.8% and 16.0% of cases, respectively. The investigations carried out allow to recommend the mentioned method for a complex treatment of open-angle glaucoma. (3)
In a later study the scientists concluded:
Courses of magnetotherapy (MT)… were administered to 31 patients (43 eyes) with primary open-angle glaucoma with compensated intraocular pressure.… The patients were examined before and 4 to 5 months after magnetotherap course. Vision acuity improved by 0.16 diopters, on an average, in 29 eyes (96.7%) out of 30 with vision acuity below 1.0 before treatment….
Magnetotherapy brought about an improvement of spatial contrast sensitivity by at least 7 values of 12 levels in 22 (84.6%) out of 26 eyes and was unchanged in 4 eyes.
After a course of magnetotherapy, visual field deficit decreased by at least 10% in 31 (72%) out of 43 eyes, increased in 3, and was unchanged in 9 eyes; on an average, visual field deficit decreased by 22.4% vs. the initial value.
After 4 to 5 months the changes in the vision acuity and visual field deficit were negligible. In controls these parameters did not appreciably change over the entire follow-up period. (4)
PEMF & Glaucoma
The influence of pulse electromagnetic field... stimulates the rise of aqueous outflow and production