Relieving Glaucoma Symptoms with Medical Cannabis in Ohio
In 2016, medical cannabis was legalized in the state of Ohio. Glaucoma was one of the many approved conditions in Ohio that allow a person to qualify for their medical cannabis recommendation. Many people suffering from glaucoma, have been treating their symptoms with medical cannabis.
If you have been diagnosed with glaucoma and are interested in getting symptom relief from medical cannabis, schedule an appointment with one of our Ohio MMJ doctors to see if it is right for you. Complete our quick and easy eligibility survey to see if you pre-qualify for your recommendation today!
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a disease that causes loss of vision. It causes fluid to build up in the front part of your eye which can result in increased pressure in your eye, damaging the optic nerve. [1] This can impair vision or cause a person to go blind completely. Glaucoma is recognized as one of the leading causes of blindness with more than 60 million diagnosis’s worldwide. In the United States alone there are over three million people who suffer from it.
There are two main types of Glaucoma:
- Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma (POAG): POAG, the most common form, is a slow progressive disorder that destroys cells in the eyes’ retina and degrades the optic nerve. [2] This type of Glaucoma is typically painless and does not cause vision changes at first.
- Angle-Closure Glaucoma: This form of Glaucoma is when the fluid in your eye – or aqueous—is unable to drain properly due to a narrow or closed drainage canal. This causes eye pressure to quickly rise, also known as an acute attack, which can cause pain, blurred vision, and nausea. [3] Most people with Angle-Closure develop it slowly and the symptoms do not appear until they suffer from an attack.
Everyone is at risk for glaucoma from infants to senior citizens, but the people over the age of 60 are more likely to develop it. Approximately 1 out of every 10,000 babies born in the United States, and young adults can get glaucoma, too. African Americans in particular are susceptible at a younger age.
Current Glaucoma Treatment Options
Glaucoma is not curable, but if caught early on, immediate treatment can delay the progression of the disease. Depending on the condition. treatments can include:
- medication in the form of pills or eyedrops,
- surgery to make a new opening for the fluid to escape
- laser trabeculoplasty to lightly burn and stretch the drainage holes.
In severe cases of glaucoma, both medical and surgical treatments may fail to lower intraocular pressure (IOP) and prevent progression toward blindness. It is a hereditary condition, so those who are at higher risk should be seen by an ophthalmologist twice a year to check eye pressure.
Medical Cannabis as Treatment for Glaucoma
While Medical Cannabis is no cure for Glaucoma, it can help people control the symptoms associated with it. Traditional medications prescribed to these patients can come along with negative side effects as well, which can be subsided by using medical cannabis products.
Though research is not conclusive on the extent of medical cannabis’s effect on glaucoma, some studies show it can reduce IOP for up to four hours. It also may act as a neuroprotectant, which potentially inhibits the advancement of Glaucoma. Patients who are looking to help treat their symptoms from glaucoma should dose themselves every few hours to ensure consistent relief.
Relieving Glaucoma Symptoms with Medical Cannabis
Symptoms of glaucoma include but are not limited to intense eye pain, anxiety, headaches, blurred vision, and severe nausea and vomiting. Medical cannabis has painkilling and anti-inflammatory properties that can go a long way toward relieving your symptoms.
There are many ways to medicate yourself with medical cannabis to treat your glaucoma symptoms. Currently, in Ohio, qualified patients can be approved for Oral, Sublingual, Inhalation, Rectal, and Topical use of cannabis. The most common ways to intake medical cannabis are:
- Smoking, the most known method, often offers the quickest symptom relief. Dispensaries in Ohio have recently been granted the ability to sell smokable flower to qualified patients.
- Vaporizing, or vaping, which is an inhalation method that brings relief almost immediately.
- Capsules allow patients to ingest the necessary dose easily and discretely while offering long-lasting relief.
- Tinctures and sublingual oils, which can be administered under the tongue or added to your food and drinks.
Medical cannabis is a great alternative if you have tried the traditional glaucoma treatments and you feel as if you need something more. It can help you find relief from your everyday symptoms without bringing on any additional unwanted side-effects.
Your Ohio Medical Cannabis doctor can discuss in further detail ways to alleviate adverse symptoms with you during your evaluation.
How to get Medical Cannabis for Glaucoma
In the state of Ohio, people diagnosed with Glaucoma qualify for their medical cannabis recommendation. If you are ready to take the next step towards bettering your health, you can schedule an appointment with one of our Ohio Medical Cannabis Doctors. After being evaluated by one of the many Ohio state-certified physicians at DocMJ, you can apply for your state medical cannabis identification card.
There are a number of dispensing organizations opened throughout the state, and there will be many more opening in the future.
If you are interested in taking the first step to alleviate your glaucoma symptoms, take our easy online eligibility survey today!
1 https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-is-glaucoma
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK224386/
3 https://www.visionaware.org/info/your-eye-condition/glaucoma/the-different-types-of-glaucoma/125