Cataracts: Eye Drops and Natural Ways to Treat Cataracts

Don’t wait to start eye drops and natural ways to treat cataracts with lifestyle change, diet, and supplements.

Introduction: Eye Drops and Natural Ways to Treat Cataracts

Cataracts cloud the lens of the eye, and reduces light going to the retina, resulting in blurry vision. Don’t wait to start many of the lifestyle changes, dietary habits and supplements which may prevent or improve blurred vision from cataracts. This information reviews eye drops and natural ways to treat cataracts so that one may even possibly avoid the need for cataract surgery.

The National Eye Institute (NEI), reviewed these important points about cataracts:

• The number of cataracts in the U.S. will more than double from 24 million in 2010 to 50 million in 2050.
• Diabetes increases the risk of cataracts, and therefore preventing Diabetes will reduce the risk. See How to Prevent Diabetes – 7 Basic Points
• Avoid smoking and alcohol use which can increase the risk of cataracts
• Obtain an eye exam annually once you turn 60.
• Sunglasses to block ultraviolet light (UV) light will help prevent cataracts from sun exposure.
• Consume a healthy diet high in fruits and vegetables.

Diet as a Natural Way to Treat Cataracts

• The AREDS (4) and AREDS2 (5) studies revealed the relationship between nutrient intake and cataracts. The nutrients zinc. vitamin C, lutein, beta carotene, omega-3, zeanthin, and vitamin E showed some promise of benefit, but did not show statistically significant data that these nutrients prevent cataracts.
• Liu XH et al (8) reviewed 8 studies which compared the intake of lutein and zeaxanthin to cataract risk in a meta-analysis. The authors found that subjects with higher levels of lutein and zeaxanthin in the blood had a 37% and 27% lower risk of forming cataracts on average, respectively. Review the foods with the highest lutein and zeaxanthin. 

• Rautiainen S. et al (6) followed over 30,000 women in Sweden aged 49-83 were for 7.7 years. Women with the highest intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and coffee were found to have a 13% lower risk of cataracts than those women with the lowest intake of these same foods. Vegetables and fruits appeared to contribute to the greatest benefit in lowering the risk of cataracts.
• Jacques PF et al (7) tracked the nutrition intake of 408 nurses age 52 to 74 from the Nurses Health Study for 5 years. The authors found that cataracts were less severe as the intake of riboflavin, thiamine increased and as vitamin E supplement use increased.

Medications to Avoid for Prevention of Cataracts

Corticosteroid medications increase the risk of cataract formation. These include dexamethasone, methylprednisolone, prednisolone, prednisone, hydrocortisone, and cortisone acetate. If possible, avoid the use of both steroid eye drops and steroid medications taken by mouth.

Statin medications are widely prescribed for lowering cholesterol and include atorvastatin (Lipitor),fluvastatin (Lescol, Lescol XL), lovastatin (Mevacor, Altoprev), pravastatin (Pravachol), rosuvastatin (Crestor), simvastatin (Zocor), and pitavastatin (Livalo). The AREDS2 Research Group (5) found that statin medications taken for lowering cholesterol were associated with a higher risk of cataract formation. Those taking statin medication were also at a higher risk for requiring cataract surgery.

Eye Drops for Cataracts

Eye drops and natural ways to treat cataracts includes a 1% N-acetylcarnosine solution used twice daily. A randomized placebo controlled trial by Babizhayev MA et al (1) studied 49 subjects with cataracts at an average age of 65.3 years old. The eye drops used in the study contained 1% N-acetylcarnosine (NAC) twice daily. The following improvements in cataracts were noted compared to placebo:

• After 6 months of the eye drops, 90% showed sharper vision measured by visual acuity testing.
• Significant improvements in glare sensitivity were seen.
• Over 40% of subjects showed improvement in their ability to analyze images.
• Benefits of the eye drops were sustained for 2 years after 6 months of treatment.
• The control group had significant worsening over that time compared to the initial assessment.
• The eye drops were well tolerated with no major adverse reactions or allergies.

In 2014, Babizhayev and Yegorov outlined many benefits of the 1% N-acetylcarnosine eye drops for dogs and other small animals (2).

Electing to Have Surgery for Cataracts

Many times the cataract has progressed to the point that natural ways to treat cataracts is not effective to improve vision. If you elect to undergo surgery for your cataracts, ask your physician if you should discontinue certain medications. If you are taking Flomax (tamulosin) for BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) or for high blood pressure, consider holding the Flomax (tamulosin) 2 weeks prior to and 2 weeks after surgery. Bell et al found that Flomax (tamulosin) resulted in more surgical complications after cataract surgery including retinal detachment, lost lens or lens fragment, or endophthalmitis (9). Endophthalmitis is inflammation of the inner eye which can result in loss of vision.

References for Eye Drops and Natural Ways to Treat Cataracts

1.Babizhayev MA, Deyev AI, Yermakova VN, Semiletov YA, Davydova NG, Doroshenko VS, Zhukotskii AV, Goldman IM. Efficacy of N-acetylcarnosine in the treatment of cataracts. Drugs R D. 2002;3(2):87-103. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12001824

2.Babizhayev MA, Yegorov YE. Biomarkers of oxidative stress and cataract. Novel drug delivery therapeutic strategies targeting telomere reduction and the expression of telomerase activity in the lens epithelial cells with N-acetylcarnosine lubricant eye drops: anti-cataract which helps to prevent and treat cataracts in the eyes of dogs and other animals. Curr Drug Deliv. 2014;11(1):24-61. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24783234

3.The National Eye Institute. Department of Health and Human Services. The National Institutes of Health. USA.gov. Aceessed 10/11/2016. https://nei.nih.gov/

4.AREDS Research Group. Associations of mortality with ocular disorders and an intervention of high-dose antioxidants and zinc in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study. AREDS Report No. 13. Arch Ophthalmol. 122:716-726, 2004. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1473208

5.AREDS2 Research Group, Al-Holou SN, Tucker WR, Agrón E, Clemons TE, Sperduto RD, Ferris FL 3rd, Chew EY. The Association of Statin Use with Cataract Progression and Cataract Surgery: The AREDS2 Report Number 8. Ophthalmology. 2016 Apr;123(4):916-7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26686966

6.Rautiainen S, Lindblad BE, Morgenstern R, Wolk A. Total antioxidant capacity of the diet and risk of age-related cataract: a population-based prospective cohort of women. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2014 Mar;132(3):247-52. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24370844

7.Jacques PF, Taylor A, Moeller S, Hankinson SE, Rogers G, Tung W, Ludovico J, Willett WC, Chylack LT Jr. Long-term nutrient intake and 5-year change in nuclear lens opacities. Arch Ophthalmol. 2005 Apr;123(4):517-26. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15824226

8.Liu XH, Yu RB, Liu R, Hao ZX, Han CC, Zhu ZH, Ma L. Association between lutein and zeaxanthin status and the risk of cataract: a meta-analysis. Nutrients. 2014 Jan 22;6(1):452-65. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24451312

9. Bell CM, Hatch WV, Fischer HD, Cernat G, Paterson JM, Gruneir A, Gill SS, Bronskill SE, Anderson GM, Rochon PA. Association between tamsulosin and serious ophthalmic adverse events in older men following cataract surgery. JAMA. 2009 May 20;301(19):1991-6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19454637