To this day, scientists are still trying to determine what causes glaucoma. Because the eye ailment raises eye pressure and harms the optic nerve, it eventually causes vision loss. There are currently no medicines that can reverse the disease, merely slow it down. Cannabis is increasingly being investigated by scientists as a potential source of treatments. If you intend to use cannabis to manage glaucoma while residing in Chesapeake, having a medical marijuana card Chesapeake is essential for legal access to medical marijuana.
Glaucoma is an eye illness that causes a variety of symptoms, including progressive vision loss. Conventional treatments just halt the condition’s growth because researchers are unsure of what causes it. Currently, scientists are examining cannabis for potential beneficial compounds.
What Is Glaucoma?
The optic nerve, a part of the central nervous system that carries electrical signals from the eyes to the brain, degenerates due to a series of illnesses that cause glaucoma. Although it can affect people of all ages, persons over 60 have a higher risk of acquiring glaucoma, which is the second most common cause of blindness in the world. There are currently estimated to be more than 70 million cases of glaucoma worldwide. Only 10 to 50 percent of this population is aware of their ailment because the symptoms can be difficult to identify.
Knowing the important eye systems and parts that are involved in glaucoma is helpful in understanding the condition. Find out more about them here:
- Retina: This layer of tissue, which is found in the back of the eye near the optic nerve, contains cone- and rod-shaped photoreceptors that translate light into electrical signals.
- Retinal ganglion cells: The optic nerve is made up of these neurons. They work together to transfer visual information from the retina to particular parts of the brain.
- Aqueous humor: This transparent liquid has larger concentrations of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and lactic acid than it does of protein and glucose. Aqueous humor, which is initially created in the ciliary body, a muscle tissue, travels through chambers in the eye where it distributes these nutrients along with oxygen.
- Trabecular meshwork: The trabecular meshwork, which is situated in the front of the eye, is a porous tissue that helps to drain aqueous humor from the eyes and, in doing so, aids in controlling intraocular pressure, also known as eye pressure
- Iris: The coloured part of the eye (some of us have green iris, some blue or brown or other colors). By opening and shutting the pupil in response to light intensity, this structure in the eye helps to control how much light enters the eye.
- Cornea: The cornea serves as protection for the eyes as the outermost lens. Additionally, it focuses and refractive bends light onto the retina.
- Posterior chamber: Aqueous humor is produced in the ciliary body and then moves through the posterior chamber, an area between the pupil and the iris.
- Anterior chamber: Aqueous humor exits the anterior chamber, which is located between the iris and the cornea, and travels to the trabecular meshwork after passing through the pupil.
Now that you are aware of certain essential parts of eye anatomy, let’s examine two of the main glaucoma kinds and how they impact vision.
The Impact of Glaucoma on Vision
Exactly how does glaucoma impact eyesight, then? Well, aqueous humour flow blockages that cause intraocular pressure (IOP) and subsequent ocular nerve injury are a big factor. The two main types of glaucoma and how they cause nerve damage and eventually blindness are discussed here. Both kinds of glaucoma have an elusive specific cause. However, scientists have discovered that either the anterior or posterior chambers narrowing is what causes IOP to build up.
Primary open-angle glaucoma: The iris collapses into the posterior chamber as a result of this form of glaucoma. This causes a backflow that raises IOP by lessening the flow of aqueous humor across the pupil. Additionally, a forward-collapsing portion of the iris prevents aqueous humor flow from reaching the trabecular meshwork. As a result, the structures near the back of the eye are subjected to mechanical stress, which produces compression, deformation, and disturbed nervous system firing. Additionally, this obstruction makes it impossible for trophic factors—substances that promote the health of nerve cells—to reach the retinal ganglion cells, which causes neurodegeneration. It’s interesting to note that some patients with high IOP don’t experience further glaucoma symptoms.
Primary closed-angle glaucoma: This type of glaucoma develops when the trabecular meshwork that drains aqueous humor from the anterior chamber experiences increased resistance. While aqueous humor is able to exit the pupil unhindered, the outflow via the trabecular meshwork is impeded, increasing intraocular pressure (IOP).
Symptoms of Glaucoma
These glaucoma-related mechanisms cause a variety of symptoms, such as:
- Severe eye pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Headache
- Red eyes
- Tender eyes
- Seeing rings around lights
- Blurred vision
- Vision loss
Standard Therapies and Potential Risk Factors
Many risk factors increase a person’s likelihood of developing glaucoma. These consist of:
- Being over age 60
- Family history of glaucoma
- Being of African, Asian, or Hispanic descent
- Having thin corneas
- Medical conditions including diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure
- Eye injuries
While there is presently no cure for glaucoma, there are a number of traditional therapy approaches that can be used to lower IOP and slow the loss of vision. These consist of:
- Oral drugs, including carbonic anhydrase inhibitors.
- Surgery, treatments, and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS), among others, include laser therapy.
- Eye drop medications including prostaglandins, alpha-adrenergic agonists, and beta-blockers.
Cannabis and Glaucoma
So where does marijuana fit into this? The ability of chemicals included in the cannabis plant to lower IOP and safeguard the optic nerve is currently being investigated by researchers. We need to look at the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and how this regulatory mechanism functions in the eye to understand how the herb can cause these effects. We’ll go over the available studies on various cannabis components and glaucoma after discussing the function of the ECS.
THC and Glaucoma
Every cannabis user is familiar with THC. This chemical, also known as -9-tetrahydrocannabinol, is what causes the central nervous system’s CB1 receptor to become activated, which results in the psychoactive effects of cannabis. THC is a mixture of terpenes and phenols known as a meroterpene. This substance binds to the CB1 receptor and also stimulates the CB2 receptor.
In order to evaluate whether the ECS may be used as a therapeutic target in cases of glaucoma, past research was examined in a review published in the journal Neural Plasticity. The authors claim that cannabinoids influence IOP by citing a number of rodent, rabbit, monkey, and human studies. Current human studies are evaluating THC and synthetic cannabinoids in glaucoma patients to investigate if these substances can lower IOP and the glaucoma-related symptoms.
However, cannabinoids may be useful in ways other than just reducing IOP. Despite medications that lower IOP, glaucoma patients continue to lose their eyesight. The review highlights investigations on the neuroprotective properties of cannabis, which may, in theory, assist to protect the visual nerve. Studies on THC’s neuroprotective properties include ones that pit the cannabinoid against Parkinson’s disease model organisms.
CBD and Glaucoma
In recent years, CBD has become more well-known in the cannabis industry. This chemical, which is the second-most prevalent cannabinoid in most current cultivars, has no psychoactive effects. Breeders, however, have created strains that are low in THC and high in CBD. Both the CB1 and CBD 2 receptors have a low affinity for CBD. However, it is able to affect the activity of an ECS enzyme and binds to TRPV-1.
But how does CBD factor into discussions about marijuana’s potential benefits for treating glaucoma? Lowered anandamide levels may contribute to the disease, according to the studies mentioned above. It’s interesting to note that CBD may contribute to increased levels of this endocannabinoid by momentarily blocking the enzymes responsible for its breakdown.
Despite this encouraging result, some studies reveal less encouraging results. Numerous studies suggest that CBD may increase intraocular pressure, which puts glaucoma patients at risk. The evidence is still not conclusive, though. Studies that are still in progress compare CBD to models of nausea and discomfort, two glaucoma symptoms.
Cannabis and Glaucoma: An Intricate Connection
Early research has thus far indicated some promise for THC and CBG. On the other hand, CBD seems to increase intraocular pressure. To determine if this chemical can improve outcomes or worsen them, more research is needed. We advise speaking with your doctor if you’re considering taking marijuana for glaucoma in order to rule out any medicine interactions or health issues. For accessing medical cannabis, obtaining a medical marijuana card is mandatory. You can easily apply for your medical marijuana card online from the comfort of your home.
