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Home » Medical Marijuana Strains for Glaucoma

Medical Marijuana Strains for Glaucoma

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Introduction
Research into the benefits of medical marijuana has shown that it can ease some of the distress caused by glaucoma. Here at Sensible Seeds we are excited to have embarked on a project of research to look into cannabis strains and treatments that will most benefit you if you are suffering from glaucoma and are searching for medical marijuana for glaucoma use. Sensible Seeds is committed to finding useful cannabis strains and associated medical marijuana information for your use. We are constantly updating our website when new discoveries come to light. Sensible Seeds have sourced information from a variety of well-established medical marijuana websites and a summary of this information is laid out for you below on Glaucoma and medical marijuana use.

 

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma describes a number of eye conditions that can affect your vision. Glaucoma usually affects both eyes, but in varying degrees. One eye may develop glaucoma quicker than the other. Glaucoma happens when the drainage tubes (trabecular meshwork) within the eye start to become blocked. As the blockage prevents eye fluid (aqueous humour) from draining as it should, excess fluid leads to a build-up of pressure and it is that which can damage the optic nerve. In England, about 480,000 people have chronic open-angle glaucoma. Among white Europeans, about 1 in 50 people over 40 years of age and 1 in 10 people over 75 years of age have chronic open-angle glaucoma. Worldwide, glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness and affects over 60 million people.  

The causes of glaucoma

There several things that can increase your risk of developing glaucoma. These include: age - glaucoma is more likely as you get older; ethnic origin – people of African or Afro-Caribbean or Asian origin are at increased risk of developing glaucoma; short sightedness (myopia);  those with ocular hypertension (OHT – raised pressure in the eye); any family history of the condition; and medical history as people with diabetes may be at increased risk.

 Types of glaucoma

There are four main types of glaucoma.

Chronic open-angle glaucoma where there are no noticeable symptoms. The condition develops very slowly and people don’t realise their sight is being damaged. Vision is lost from the outer rim of the eye (peripheral vision) slowly working inwards towards the centre.

Acute angle-closure glaucoma develops rapidly and symptoms which are severe include intense pain, eye redness and tenderness, headache, seeing halos, misty vision or loss of vision. Secondary glaucoma is caused by other conditions or eye injuries and symptoms are often confused with other illnesses. Finally developmental glaucoma which is congenital is found in children and causes large eyes due to the pressure in the eyes causing them to expand, sensitivity to light, cloudy appearance of yes and watery or jerky eyes.

 Treating glaucoma conventionally

Glaucoma can be treated with eye drops, laser treatment or surgery. Early diagnosis is vitally important as any eye damage cannot be reversed. Treatment attempts to control the condition and minimise future damage. Untreated glaucoma causes visual impairment.

Eye drops such as prostaglandin analogue increase the flow of fluid from the eye, reducing the pressure within the eye. Used once a day side effects include:

·         eye pain and irritation

·         dry eyes

·         headaches

·         enlarged blood vessels in the white part of your eye, making your eye look red

·         changes to your eye colour – it often gets darker

·         eyelashes growing thicker and darker

·         blepharitis – a condition where the rims of your eyelids become red and swollen

·         sensitivity to light

 Medical marijuana for glaucoma

There is evidence that hemp products can lower intraocular pressure (IOP) in people with glaucoma although these products are less effective than the safer medicines already available. Several studies conducted in the 1970s found that marijuana was a surprisingly effective treatment for MMJ patients suffering from intraocular pressure associated with glaucoma but 40 years later, many health care professionals remain unenlightened about medical marijuana’s potential for the treatment of this disease and no modern research studies have thus far shown that any of the 400 chemical components available in marijuana can safely and effectively lower intraocular pressure in medical marijuana patients any better than the drugs that are currently for sale on the market.

Marijuana is not generally recommended for treatment of glaucoma. This is because the high dose of medical marijuana necessary to produce any alleviating effect would require constant inhalation. There are a number of significant side effects among medical marijuana patients that are generated when medical marijuana is used - either orally or through inhalation - long-term. For this reason medical marijuana is not recommended in the treatment of glaucoma. Glaucoma is a chronic disease that requires proven and effective treatment.

In the USA, Marinol is the only marijuana currently approved at the Federal level for medical use. Marinol is a synthetic form of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is the most active component of marijuana.  It can be taken in capsule form but its effects are not remarkable.

 How may medical marijuana help?

Some patients respond poorly or are unable to tolerate the side-effects of conventional medical treatments for glaucoma. In this case, medical marijuana may be considered as a viable alternative treatment. Studies published in the 1970s demonstrated that marijuana (when either smoked or eaten) could lower IOP in MMJ patients with glaucoma by approximately 25. The more marijuana a MMJ patient consumed, the higher the reduction in IOP. Because the effects only lasted between 3 to 4 hours, the MMJ patients needed to administer marijuana every 3-4 hours, every day, in order to fulfil a proper treatment regime.

 How does MMJ ease IOP?

No-one is quite clear why the use of medical marijuana reduces IOP. Theories suggest that the reduction in IOP was a result of the overall drop in blood pressure that was caused by marijuana intake. Now however, researchers believe that cannabinoids regulate the IOP, because they have found that cannabinoid receptors exist in the human eye. Researchers are now examining how to use cannabinoids in eye drops, and are looking at ways to make them more soluble and less psychoactive than would normally be associated with the use of medical marijuana.

Research seems to suggest that cannabinoids could provide other benefits in the treatment of glaucoma, including restoring circulation, inhibiting cell death and minimizing free radical damage, so cannabis may indeed be the treatment of the future for glaucoma. The Glaucoma Research Foundation continues to monitor the research community for any new and well-designed studies regarding the use of marijuana that can effectively treat glaucoma. 

Medical marijuana for glaucoma – Sensible Seeds

Sensible Seeds are constantly updating the list of the marijuana seeds available for glaucoma patients. Keep checking the Sensible Seeds websites for updates on how research is progressing into medical marijuana for glaucoma.

ativa Seed Bank - Hawaii Maui Waui - REG -  http://www.sensibleseeds.com/devsite/sativa-seedbank-hawaii-maui-waui-regular.html
 
Sativa Seed Bank - Hawaii Maui Waui - FEM  http://www.sensibleseeds.com/devsite/sativa-seedbank-hawaii-maui-waui-feminized.html
 
High Quality Seeds - Original Hawaiian Maui Wowie - REG  http://www.sensibleseeds.com/devsite/high-quality-seeds-original-hawaiian-maui-wowie-skunk-regular.html
 
White Label - Purple Haze - FEM - http://www.sensibleseeds.com/devsite/white-label-purple-haze-feminized.html
 
Positronics - Purple Haze - FEM - http://www.sensibleseeds.com/devsite/positronics-seeds-purple-haze-feminized.html
 
Ace Seeds - Purple Haze x Thai - REG - http://www.sensibleseeds.com/devsite/purple-haze-x-thai-10-regular.html
 
Jordan of the Islands - Sapphire Star - REG - http://www.sensibleseeds.com/devsite/jordan-of-the-islands-sapphire-star-regular.html
 
G13 Labs  - Purple Haze - REG - http://www.sensibleseeds.com/devsite/g13-labs-purple-haze-fem.html
 
TGA Sub Cool - Jack the Ripper - http://www.sensibleseeds.com/devsite/tga-subcool-seeds-jack-the-ripper-regular.html
 
Sagamartha - Double Bubble Berry - FEM - http://www.sensibleseeds.com/devsite/sagarmatha-seeds-double-bubbleberry-feminised.html
 
Sagamartha - Bubble Berry - REG - http://www.sensibleseeds.com/devsite/sagarmatha-seeds-bubbleberry-regular.html
 
Dinafem - OG Kush - FEM - http://www.sensibleseeds.com/devsite/dinafem-og-kush-fem.html
 
Humboldt - OG Kush - FEM - http://www.sensibleseeds.com/devsite/humboldt-seed-organisation-og-kush-feminized.html
 
Royal Queen - OG Kush - FEM - http://www.sensibleseeds.com/devsite/royal-queen-seeds-presidential-og-feminized.html

 

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Sensible Seeds source all their medical marijuana information from related MMJ sites on the web. This information comes from reliable sources though we cannot be 100% certain of its accuracy. Medical Marijuana strains listed for helping certain medical conditions are again sourced from other medical marijuana web sites and are not officially approved by any government organisation. Recommended strains usually come from individuals that discovered that a particular strain helped them for a particular condition though this may vary from person to person. Our Medical information serves only as a guideline and customers are advised to make their own independent research. Sensible Seeds are not qualified medical practitioners and source any medical info from information already present on the internet. We cannot accept any liability for any issue arising for information provided on our website.

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