Imagine living in a world where you cannot see your loved ones, or play with your children or grandchildren; where you are unable to enjoy the visual stimulation of a summer’s day or a beautiful sunset.

It is easy to take your eyes for granted. Aside from your skin, your eyes are the only organs exposed to the outside world. This means they are exposed to contamination, pollution and foreign bodies, as well as on the inside being exposed to toxins, nutrient deficiencies and more.

Description

Amblyopia (Lazy Eye)
Behçet's Disease
Bietti's Crystalline Drystrophy
Corneal Disease
Dry Eye
Diabetic Eye Disease
Retinopathy
Floaters
Glaucoma
Presbyopia
Retinal Detachment
Usher Syndrome
Vitreous Detachment

There are many eye disorders and diseases that can be prevented and treated. One of the most prevalent disorders is Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

AMD is associated with aging. It gradually destroys the sharpness of your central vision. The greatest risk factor is age. If you are over 60 you are at a much greater risk than any other age group. Seeing objects clearly and performing common daily tasks such as reading and driving become more difficult and may lead to a loss of vision in one or both of your eyes.

There are 2 types of AMD:

Dry AMD - where an area of the retina becomes diseased;

Wet AMD – where new blood vessels begin to grow as the dry AMD worsens.

In brief, other common conditions include:

Amblyopia (Lazy eye)

Amblyopia is when the vision in one of your eyes is reduced because your eye and your brain are not functioning properly together.

Behçet's Disease of the Eye

Behçet's disease is an autoimmune disease (where the immune system attacks and harms the body's own tissues). This results from damage to blood vessels throughout your body, particularly your veins.

Bietti's Crystalline Dystrophy

Bietti's crystalline dystrophy (BCD) is an inherited eye disease, meaning that you receive one degenerative gene from either of your parents.

Blepharitis (Granulated eyelids)

Blepharitis is a common condition that causes inflammation of your eyelids.

There are 2 types of Blepharitis:

Cataracts

Cataracts is a condition where one or both of the lenses in your eyes clouds over causing loss of vision. If you are over the age of 60 you are at higher risk.

Corneal Disease

Stemming from:

Allergies, especially those relating to pollen, and

Conjunctivitis (‘Pink Eye’), caused by bacterial or viral infection, or environmental irritants.

Dry Eye

This common eye condition produces fewer or less quality tears and is unable to keep its surface lubricated and comfortable, causing discomfort, eye weakness, redness and burning sensations.

Diabetic Eye Disease

Diabetes can cause major organ problems like heart disease, kidney failure, amputations and eye conditions, even blinding. It is therefore essential that people with diabetes take regular eye tests (at least once a year) with a professional ophthalmologist.

Eye problems that may affect people with diabetes include:

• Diabetic retinopathy (damage to the blood vessels of the retina)
• Cataract
• Glaucoma (increase of fluid pressure inside the eye).

Retinopathy

A non-inflammatory degenerative disease of the retina, commonly found as a complication of diabetes.

Studies of patients with various types of retinopathy have been conducted in Europe to investigate the effects of anthocyanosides on the retinal vessels. They have resulted in showing a positive influence on permeability.

Floaters

Floaters are ‘specks’ that float about in your field of vision. They are small, dark, shadowy shapes. They look like spots that seem to move around in front of your eyes. As your look from one side to the other they appear to move with you and tend to ‘dart’ away when you try to look directly at them.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is where the normal fluid pressure inside your eyes gradually rises. It can result in optic nerve damage and eventual loss of vision.

Presbyopia

A slow loss of ability to see close objects or small print.

Retinal Detachment

A detached retina (the light sensitive part of the back of your eye) is where your retina is lifted from its normal position. Untreated it can cause permanent vision loss. In some cases there may be small areas of the retina that are torn. These areas can lead to retinal detachment.

Usher Syndrome

Usher Syndrome is an inherited condition that causes gradual vision loss. It is caused by a group of diseases that cause night-blindness and peripheral vision loss as the retina degenerates.

Vitreous Detachment

Vitreous Detachment is where the vitreous (the thick jelly-like material that fills the back of the eye in front of the retina) slowly shrinks. Fibers pull on the retinal surface and break. It often affects people aged 50+ and is more common in people aged 80+. If you are nearsighted you are also at high risk.

We can show the enormity of eye health problems through the following statistics.

General

US only

Further detailed and individual statistics tell us more...

AMD

• 25-30 million people are affected with AMD worldwide. (AMD Alliance International).
• Women tend to be at greater risk than men.
• Smoking increases the risk of AMD.
• A family history of AMD puts you at higher risk of developing the disease.
• Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness for people over 50 in the Western world).

Amblyopia (Lazy Eye)

This is the most common cause of visual impairment in children.

• It affects 3 out of every 100 children.
• If untreated it usually continues into adulthood

Biettis Crystallie Dystrphy

This condition appears to be more common in people of Asian background.

Diabetic Eye Disease

Between 40-45% of diabetics have some degree of retinopathy.

Glaucoma

• Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the United States.
• Ethnic people over the age of 40 are at higher risk, as is anyone over the age of 60.
• More than 1 million Americans are at risk of going blind from glaucoma.

Retinal Detachment

Retinal detachment is more common in people over 40.
It affects men more than women and white people more than African Americans.
You are more at risk if you are nearsighted, have a family history of RD, or have had other eye disorders or injuries.

Assessing the causes of eye disease and weakness is of course an extensive task given the continual rise in number of conditions. Research continues into eye disease, the best way to treat it and of course how to prevent it and keep our eyes healthy and strong.

Many common causes, from medical conditions to aging, have been noted and experts consider the nutritional detriment involved in all these areas of most importance. Clinical studies seem to back their findings.

The effects of vitamins, minerals, herbs and other nutrients continues to be studied to increase preventative abilities and find ways to reverse acute and chronic eye problems.

Some of the many causes of eye health problems include:

Related eye conditions, such as strabismus (an imbalance in the positioning of the two eyes), nearsightedness, farsightedness, blocked tear ducts, or astigmatic conditions that cause other ongoing more serious eye problems or weakness.

Protein adjustments as we age resulting in a clouding of the lens of the eye.

Smoking and Diabetes.

Climate change (e.g. dry air).

Other medical conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis or Sjögren's syndrome.

Infections, inflammation, hemorrhages and eye injuries.

Plus, the use of certain drugs, e.g. antihistamines, nasal decongestants, tranquilizers and anti-depressants.

Once symptoms are noticed diagnosis is usually through eye examination. 

Eye drops are usually used to dilate and enlarge the pupils, to enable the medical professional to see clearly inside and to the back of the eye. 

Visual tests, such as an Amster grid, may be used to test for specific problems and problem severity.

Eye conditions have their specific symptoms (which is beneficial as part of a diagnosis). However, the majority of general symptoms permits us to denote whether a problem or weakenss has arisen and allow us to take both treatment advice and preventative action.

Symptoms pertaining to eye health problems include: 

• Blurred vision
• Vision distortion
• Pain and redness in or around the eye
• Night blindness, visual field constriction
• Excess tearing, stinging, itching or light sensitivity
• Red, swollen eyes or lids, dry eyes, eyelid or eye crusting. 
• Glare from artificial light, dull colours 
• A ‘waterfall’ or ‘halo’ effect in the peripheral vision 
• Watery discharge 
• Heaviness 
• Increased floaters 
• Light flashes 
• Corneal crystals (yellow, shiny deposits on the retina) 
• Headaches or tired eyes. 
• Mouth sores, inflammation in the eye and skin problems are also associated.

Untreated eye conditions such as glaucoma, cataract, macular degeneration and retinopathy can all lead to blindness. 

Taking preventative measures before an eye condition develops is of course the best approach. Obviously it is important to follow a healthy lifestyle, with a favourable diet and adequate exercise to ensure good blood flow to your eyes and optimum immune strength to fight any infection. 

There are a number of treatments that can be used to help relieve various eye conditions if they do occur, treatments that will help slow the progression of the condition or even help to reverse it.

Common medical procedures for eye disease include:

• Laser surgery
• Open surgery
• Freezing

Pain relief only, or management of / adjustment to the condition.
The most common treatment however is prescriptive medication. Such synthetic medications provide a superficial and sometimes overpowering treatment and, varying with their category type, all come with many unwanted side effects. Common medications prescribed for eye disease

Corticosteroid Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, or Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs – equivalent to Ibuprofen preparations).

• Antibiotics - for certain bacteria, e.g. Sulfacetamide, Erythromycin, Gentamicin, Tobramycin, Ciprofloxacin, Ofloxacin.
• Immune system suppressants.
• Steroid eye drops.
• Antihistaine decongestant eye drops.
• Antibacterial / Antifungal treatments.
• Glaucoma medications – Beta blockers (Tomfool, Metipranolol); Alpha agonists (Brimonidine, Iopidine); Prostaglandin analogues (Latanoprost); Adenergic agonists (Epinephrine, Dipivefrin).
• Antivirals – Triflurthymidine, Adenine arabinoside and Idoxuridine.
• Anti-allergy medications – Livostin, Patanol, Cromolyn, Alomide, Pheniramine.

Side effects

Medications of this nature may have many potential side effects, some even contradictory to their alleged action.

Typical side effects include:

• Eye drops can cause ocular side effects such as redness, stinging, blurred vision, sensitivity to light and constriction of the pupils, as well as headaches, or even systemic effects such as stomach cramps, diarrhea and sweating.
• Anti-inflammatory medications, corticosteroids may cause cataracts, glaucoma and other eye infections.
• Decongestant drops (Visine, Murine plus) can cause a type of acute glaucoma.
• Anaesthetic drops can cause severe damage to the cornea.

Beta-blockers (Timoptic, Betagan, Betoptic) may cause severe adverse reactions, such as slowing of heart rate, asthma attacks, drop in blood pressure, loss of memory and loss of sex drive in some cases.

The further a disease progresses the harder it will be to deal with using oral products (whether they are on prescription or natural), so the key to eye health must be prevention.

We know that exercise, good fluid and dietary intake, adequate sleep patterns, low levels of stress and a well chosen lifestyle are all good for our health generally and our eyes as a consequence. This is not enough however to ensure your eyes are protected against disease or hereditary weakness.

Many natural ingredients have a plethora of clinical evidence to support their use and success. Experts worldwide have studied these ingredients and confirm their importance, not only in a treatment formula but also in your daily routine to maintain your eye health.

Here are some key natural ingredients for eye health…
 

Individually these ingredients can help aspects of general eye weakness. However, for worthwhile disease prevention or treatment they need combining in specific dosages, together with trace elements such as essential minerals, active enzymes, herbal extracts and co-factors, to provide a powerful formula capable of delivering advanced nutrition to your body.

Xtend-Life has created such a formula that provides amazing results for eye health specifically as well as supplying essential nutrition for overall well-being and increased immune strength.

This formula is called Xtend-Life Total Balance and contains the above and other high potency ingredients to aid restoration and sustain normal organ function. It is the most effective anti-aging supplement program available and is detailed in our recommended natural protocol.

Xtend-Life Total Balance is recommended in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle and a good diet.

NB: Please note that we develop our formulas in a way that minimizes possibilities of interaction. However, as with all natural supplements there is still potential for ingredients to interact with prescription drugs. You are advised to either check with your physician or Contact Us with details of your medicines so that we can check our databases for potential problems. Please also check our legal notices found in About Us.