Hair loss is a prevalent concern, affecting both men and women. Surprisingly, there may be a connection between hair loss and eye conditions. This intriguing link stems from healthy vision being closely tied to overall bodily health. Chronic conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, and hypertension are associated with declining eye health. The root causes of many chronic conditions, such as incomplete nutrition and chronic inflammation, can damage hair and impede hair growth. Certain autoimmune diseases can cause alopecia. Both an underactive and overactive thyroid can cause hair loss and affect the eyes. Menopause impacts both the eyes and hair. In this article, we will explore androgenetic alopecia, hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, eyelash loss (madarosis), menopause, diet and vitamin deficiencies, and insights from Traditional Chinese Medicine. Continue reading “How Are Hair Loss and Eye Conditions Connected?”
Category: Hypothyroidism
Solutions for Dark Circles Under the Eyes and Puffy Eyes
Do you dread looking in the bathroom mirror when you first wake up? Scared of seeing baggy, puffy eyes or horrible dark circles under your eyes?
Well, flick on the bathroom light and gaze at your reflection! There are natural solutions to these eye problems. You don’t have to walk around looking like you stayed up all night or got into a fight.
The skin around your eyes is very thin and sensitive. This thin eye skin helps your eyes move easily. Unfortunately, this thin skin easily reveals color changes and swelling.
Instead of skulking around in dark glasses, look into natural eye care that can help with dark circles under the eyes and puffy eyes. Continue reading “Solutions for Dark Circles Under the Eyes and Puffy Eyes”
4 Conditions That Can Contribute to Glaucoma
Hypothyroidism
A study of 600 men with recent a diagnosis of glaucoma were shown to be twice as likely to have hypothyroidism than a similar portion of the population without the eye disease. Researchers at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, in Birmingham, Alabama assert that there seems to be a convincing correlation be correlation between glaucoma and an under-active thyroid.
When this study was published the authors were not ready to state whether thyroid replacement therapy would help fend off glaucoma.
We recommend considering natural approaches to the treatment of hypothyroidism including iodine supplementation and limiting exposure to lead and other chemicals.
Source: scienceblog.com
Hypertension
Researchers tie blood pressure and ocular perfusion pressure to glaucoma
Although intraocular pressure (IOP) is considered a primary risk factor for the development of glaucoma, there is evidence to suggest that glaucoma may continue to progress despite lowering patients’ IOP to targeted levels.
Several recent studies point to vascular risk factors in the development of glaucoma. This new research indicates that blood pressure (BP) and ocular perfusion pressure have become increasingly important in understanding and treating glaucoma.
Although doctors cannot currently visualize ocular blood flow directly, they can easily measure glaucoma patients’ BP and IOP to calculate their ocular perfusion pressure and quantify the vascular changes.
An article published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology explores the relationships between BP and IOP, BP and glaucoma, and perfusion pressure and glaucoma. Study authors suggest that ocular perfusion pressure and its fluctuation may be parameters that need to be measured in the treatment of glaucoma patients.
Learn more about glaucoma, including self-help tips
SOURCE: Blood Pressure and Glaucoma, Costa, et al, Br J Ophthalmol, 30 March 2009, doi:10.1136/bjo.2008.149047.
Thyroid Link
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham believe that thyroid disorders may increase the risk of glaucoma. Their study, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, reviewed data from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey to quantify the association between a self-reported diagnosis of glaucoma and a self-reported history of thyroid problems.
Of the 12,376 survey participants, 4.6% reported glaucoma, and 11.9% reported a history of thyroid problems. The prevalence of glaucoma among those who reported thyroid problems was 6.5% compared with 4.4% among those who did not report thyroid problems. This association between glaucoma and thyroid problems remained after adjusting for differences in age, gender, race and smoking status.
The results of this study lend support to the hypothesis that thyroid disorders may increase the risk of glaucoma. Although further research on the topic is expected, study authors suspect that hypothyroidism may diminish outflow in the eye.
SOURCE: The association between thyroid problems and glaucoma, Cross, et al, British Journal of Ophthalmology 2008;92:1503-1505.
Herpes Virus
Three of the eight strains of the herpes virus can cause vision loss, including varicella zoster virus (VZV), which causes chickenpox and also shingles, and herpes simplex virus-1 and -2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2). Shingles, which can affect older adults who have had chickenpox earlier in their lives, is marked by a rash that wraps around one side of the body, generally on the face or trunk. When the rash appears on the face it can affect the corneal tissue and this can lead to keratitis (inflammation and scarring of the cornea), inflammation of the retina or optic nerve, glaucoma, or cataracts, any of which may also result in blurred vision or blindness.
Both HSV-1 (transferred through saliva) and HSV-2 (genital) can cause ocular herpes, a recurrent infection, and the most common cause of corneal blindness in the United States. Once people develop ocular herpes, they have a 50% chance of recurrence within weeks or years, possibly triggered by fever, stress, sunlight, or eye injury. Approximately 400,000 Americans have ocular herpes, with 50,000 new or recurring cases every year. In 12% of cases, both eyes are affected.
Source: https://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com/reports/vision/1538-1.html
Common Food Additive Bromide Endangers Thyroid Function
Bromide is a common food additive and pesticide that is known to be an endocrine disruptor (exogenous substances that act like hormones in the endocrine system and disrupt the physiologic function of endogenous hormones). It is also a halide, meaning that it competes for the same receptors that the thyroid gland uses to capture the iodine that is essential for the production of vital thyroid hormones and thus contribute to hypothyroidism. Bromide is most commonly found in the form of methyl bromide, a common pesticide used on strawberries; as brominated vegetable oil which is often added to citrus drinks and asthma inhalers; as a fire retardant in fabrics and mattresses; and as potassium bromate, a dough conditioner found in commercial bakery products and some flours.
Source: NaturalTthyroid Choices
Link Discovered Between Glaucoma and WDR36 Gene
In glaucoma, cells in the optic nerve die, preventing the brain from understanding what patients see, first in peripheral vision and gradually in all vision. It is associated with high levels of intraocular pressure and connected to risk factors to and from a number of other conditions including stroke, herpes virus, hypothyroid conditions, and many lifestyle factors.
Researchers have thought for some time that there may be a tie between the WDR36 gene and glaucoma. However, they’ve not been able to understand exactly why that gene has an effect and why some patients with that gene mutated or varied have glaucoma but other patients do not.
A new study indicates that glaucoma develops as a result of changes in several different genes, not only WDR36. This explains the mixed results. The researchers found that 10% of glaucoma incidents arise due to genes that have been understood – the idea of simultaneous changes in several different genes explains much.
The function of the WDR36 gene is to help make specific molecules known as ribosomes that are instrumental in creating proteins to help optic nerve cells function properly. If WDR36 changes and does not help produce ribosome, the entire process falters. Another gene that is critical to the process is STI1 which adapts the ribosome-created proteins to a form that the cell can utilize. So if WDR36 doesn’t produce ribosomes properly AND STI1 doesn’t “package” properly – the 2 mutations synergistically cause glaucoma.
Learn more about glaucoma
Researcher: Dr. Michael Walter and associates, University of Alberta, Department of Medical Genetics in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry
Published: “Genetic Sleuth Solves Glaucoma Mystery”, University of Alberta Express News, March 20, 2009