About Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye disease where a fluid called aqueous humor fails to drain properly causing intraocular pressure that damages the eye’s optic nerve. Glaucoma is usually inherited but it can be caused by a number of other factors such as physical or chemical damage to the eye, severe eye infection, or blocked blood vessels. Damage caused by glaucoma is permanent and cannot be reversed. Once the damage has been caused, treatments focus on maintenance and prevention of further damage.
Types of Glaucoma
There are two kinds of glaucoma. The most common type of glaucoma is open-angle glaucoma. This type is usually treated with laser surgery, microsurgery, or prescription eye drops. There are three types of eye drops used in treatment of open-angle glaucoma which are prostaglandins, beta blockers, and alpha-adrenergic agonists. Prostaglandins, like Xalatan and Lumigan, work to increase the drainage of the aqueous humor to reduce pressure on the optic nerve. Beta Blockers, like Betimol, just reduce the production of aqueous humor which lowers intraocular pressure. Alpha-adrenergic agonists, like Lopidine, does both. These prescription eye drops increase the draining of aqueous humor while simultaneously reducing its production.
Laser surgeries used to treat open-angle glaucoma include trabeculoplasty, iridotomy, and cyclophotocoagulation. With trabeculoplasty the doctor will open the drainage area. For iridotomy laser surgery the doctor will cut a tiny hole in the iris so the aqueous humor can drain, and cyclophotocoagulation treats the middle layer of the eye to reduce fluid production.
The second type of glaucoma is acute angle closure glaucoma and is considered to be a medical emergency. Acute angle-closure glaucoma generally requires both medication and surgery to reduce the intraocular pressure. (Mayo Clinic)
There has been hope for the use of medical marijuana in the treatment of glaucoma in place of current prescription eye drops, or surgeries. While studies conducted in the 1970’s showed that marijuana lowered intraocular pressure in both people with and without glaucoma, and that some derivatives of marijuana lowered intraocular pressure, these studies have failed to show marijuana or its constituents to be as effective as currently FDA approved prescription medications. (National Eye Institute)
Glaucoma and medical marijuana Treatments / Research
Glaucoma is a lifelong disease, often requiring treatment plans that last for decades. Additionally, this disease requires treatment methods that are active 24 hours a day. The 1978 study that was backed by the National Eye Institute found that the effects of marijuana as they act against intraocular pressure only last for a few hours. In order to maintain a relief of intraocular pressure by the use of Marijuana, a patient would have to smoke marijuana at least once every three to four hours. This level of marijuana ingestion would leave patients too impaired to function properly. More recent studies have born out that glaucoma is similar to Parkinson’s Disease or Alzheimers in that it may be a neurological disease. These same studies suggest that reduced blood flow to the optic nerve may also cause damage in people with glaucoma. Marijuana has been shown to reduce blood pressure across the body, and this could cause reduced blood flow to the optic effectively causing damage.(Turbert & Kern, 2017)
Given the failings of marijuana where it may play a part in treating glaucoma, the risks outweigh the positive effects and makes marijuana a poor replacement for current pharmaceutical and surgical treatments for glaucoma.
Glaucoma Research Foundation. Retrieved April 10, 2017 from http://www.glaucoma.org/treatment/medical-marijuana.php
Turbert, D., & Kern, D. (2017, June 27). Does Marijuana Help Treat Glaucoma. Retrieved April 11, 2017, from The American Academy of Opthalmology: https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/medical-marijuana-glaucoma-treament
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