Depression Archives - Natural Eye Care Blog: News & Research on Vision

Cognitive Problems in Young Adults: Social Isolation and Excessive Screen Time

Young person using the computer screen excessively and looking sad and isolated. Cognitive issues are not only affecting seniors as they are living longer, but a new study shows that more younger Americans, ages 10–39, are struggling with cognitive problems than just a decade ago. Issues include trouble concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.[1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Prevalence of Cognitive Disability Among Young and Older Adults — United States, 2011–2015.”]

Recent changes in cognitive trends are influenced by various factors. Increased engagement with digital media is affecting brain development and attention patterns. At the same time, structural disadvantages such as lower income and reduced access to education are linked to a greater prevalence of cognitive difficulties. Continue reading “Cognitive Problems in Young Adults: Social Isolation and Excessive Screen Time”

How Mitochondrial Function Affects the Eyes and the Brain

The “battery” of the cell, the mitochondria, is crucial to good health. However, when mitochondrial function is compromised, it can lead to a host of health issues, ranging from neurodegenerative disorders to cardiovascular diseases. Understanding the intricate relationship between mitochondrial health and overall well-being is essential, particularly when it comes to brain and eye health. What roles do mitochondria play in memory, cognition, and the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease? How do chronic stress and oxidative stress impact mitochondrial function? Do certain nutrients and dietary habits support these vital organelles? Can exercises help to maintain optimal mitochondrial health and, therefore, overall health? Continue reading “How Mitochondrial Function Affects the Eyes and the Brain”

Wi-Fi, Cellphones & EMF Pollution

emf phone Exposure to electromagnetic fields has been considered a potential contributor or cause to many chronic illnesses for about 20 years. What is becoming more apparent is that EMF pollution when combined with toxins and poor diet makes chronic disease more likely.

Toxins are found in foods, the environment, and prescription drugs.
Poor diet (standard western diet) is comprised of mostly carbohydrates, too much sugar, too much fat, and foods contaminated by pesticides, herbicides and fungicides.

It has been difficult to do any properly Continue reading “Wi-Fi, Cellphones & EMF Pollution”

S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) Supplements May Improve Depression Medication Results

A pilot study has found that for patients who were not responding well to depression medication, adding the over-the-counter supplement S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) improved their condition. The research appeared in the April 2015 edition of Advances in Integrative Medicine, a peer-reviewed journal.

About 40% of depressed patients who take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) have mixed results, and 30% have poor results. SSRI is a standard pharmaceutical treatment for clinical depression, and the medication can have side effects Continue reading “S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) Supplements May Improve Depression Medication Results”

Diminished Cognitive Function in Elderly Linked to Homocysteine

Homocysteine is an amino acid that can be measured with a simple blood test. The study, which appeared in the Journal of Affective Disorders in August 2013, studied 358 people aged 50 and up who had symptoms of depression.

They gave the subjects cognitive tests that looked at immediate and delayed memory, as well as global cognitive performance. They measured Continue reading “Diminished Cognitive Function in Elderly Linked to Homocysteine”

Cancer Drug May Help Alzheimer’s Disease

alzheimer's patient There is no cure for the degenerative brain disease called Alzheimer’s, and current conventional treatments have a limited effect. However, research into a drug used to treat skin cancer may show “stunning” potential to help with Alzheimer’s disease.

The drug is called bexarotene. So far, the experiments have only been done on mice. The research was done at Case Western Reserve University.

Alzheimer’s occurs in older people, and symptoms include a pattern of forgetfulness, disorientation, misplacing things, short attention span, difficulty in performing routine tasks, poor judgment, language problems, problems with thinking, depression, irritability, paranoia, hostility, and lack of initiative. It is also called “Elderly Dementia.”

The disease is not fully understood, and its cause — or causes — are not yet clear. Patients with Alzheimer’s disease cannot properly clear the protein amyloid beta from their brains. The excessive amount of the protein accumulate as plaque, which blocks synapses and kills nerve cells.

Bexarotene — also known as Targretin — wipes out amyloid beta. Continue reading “Cancer Drug May Help Alzheimer’s Disease”

Eye Contact Avoided by Bipolar Children

A recent study showed that bipolar children spend less time making eye contact with people – looking at their eyes – versus typical children. Instead of looking at the eyes, bipolar children and children with severe mood dysregulation in the study spent less time looking at the eyes when observing faces. Instead, they spent more time with their eyes on the mouth and nose.

U.S. National Institute of Mental Health investigators suggested the eye contact habits of bipolar children as a possible explanation why these children have trouble determining how other people feel.

This study has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, so it should be considered preliminary. If accepted by the psychiatric community, this eye contact research may help develop treatment plans that education bipolar children guess the emotional state of people by looking more often at the eyes. In turn, they may process emotional information more accurately, which could help them regulate their feelings when interacting with others.

Continue reading “Eye Contact Avoided by Bipolar Children”

Depression Increases Arthritis Pain

There is more evidence supporting the power of the mind-body connection.

A new study finds that depression can cause an increase in the pain associated with arthritis of the knee.

A study in South Korea of 660 men and women over age 65 suffering from osteoarthritis of the knees were evaluated using X-rays. They were also screened for depression. Those with joint damage were more likely to report high levels of pain, which one would expect. Researchers also discovered, however, that people with depression who seemed to have mild cases of arthritis based on the X-rays had much higher levels of reported pain.

Study author Dr. Tae Kyun Kim says “The relationship between pain and depression suggests that both should be considered by physicians when treating patients with knee osteoarthritis, particularly in those with X-rays not indicating severe damage to the joint.”

The study appeared in Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Source: https://www.healthfinder.gov

Learn more about natural treatment options for osteoarthritis at our website.

Acupuncture Relieves Depression, Allergies, Eye Disease

Depression often emerges in post-menopausal women, but a new study out of Norway shows that many women find relief through regular acupuncture sessions.

Previous research found a connection between the occurrence of hot flashes and the emergence of depression, so this study focused on 72 women suffering from sever hot flashes. At the start of the study 30% reported depression symptoms. At the end of 12 weeks the rate of participants with depression had fallen to 14%. Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21242821

Acupuncture is also known to help relieve allergies.

The topic of eye health and how Chinese Medicine (including acupuncture) can help improve eye health is so rich, we wrote the book on it.

Diabetes and Depression Linked to Fatal Heart Attacks In Women

face in hands — image via healthfinder.gov

A new study out of the Harvard School of Public Health finds that women who have diabetes and/or depression are more likely to die of a heart attack than women without those conditions.

According to the study of nearly 80,ooo older women, those with depression were 44% more likely to die of a heart attack. Those who had diabetes were 35% more likely to suffer a fatal heart attack. Women with both conditions ran twice the risk of dying of a heart attack compared to those free of both depression and diabetes.

Source: lef.org/

Do your heart a favor and learn more about how to prevent and treat diabetes.