How CBD Oil could help for Glaucoma

The aqueous humor is a colorless liquid that nourishes and oxygenates the structures of the eyeball without blood supply, such as the cornea and the lens. It is produced in the ciliary bodies of the posterior chamber of the eye and travels through the pupil to the anterior chamber, where it is reabsorbed by the trabecular meshwork. Any factor that slows or blocks the flow will cause a pathological increase in intraocular pressure (IOP), which generates glaucoma.

Glaucoma can be hereditary, congenital, occur as an adverse effect of some drugs or due to chronic diseases such as diabetes. As the disease progresses, nerve fibers in the optic nerve are progressively lost, which can lead to vision loss. The usual treatment of glaucoma, one of the main causes of blindness in the world, consists of the administration of drugs that reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) or the drainage of excess aqueous humour.

Current studies suggest that CBD can reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) and could be used effectively in therapies for neurodegenerative diseases of the retina, either alone or as a combined treatment with other drugs. The use of CBD in conditions such as glaucoma focuses mainly on the use of CBD oils that allow controlled use and without psychoactive effects that prevent the person from performing in their day to day life.

For this reason, CBD is well tolerated after application and is attributed a neuroprotective effect on retinal ganglion cells. There are also more and more scientific observations that indicate that endocannabinoids are relevant in ocular physiology, influencing the maintenance of intraocular pressure, the physiology of photoreception and neurotransmission in the retina, as well as neuroprotection of neurons. retinal ganglion.

The findings on the beneficial effect of CBD as ocular hypotensives and their neuroprotective effect, send us a hopeful message about the role that they could play in the field of glaucoma, although in order to confirm their safety and efficacy profile, clinical trials would be necessary. aimed at assessing its applicability in daily clinical practice.