5 Ways Medical Marijuana Helps Florida Glaucoma Patients

Florida medical marijuana doctors are now more confident in prescribing cannabis therapy for glaucoma patients all though the jury is still out on the efficiency. However, there are many benefits submitted by Florida medical marijuana users.

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Analgesic

The more common types of glaucoma are not painful, but the rarest of the types closed angle glaucoma, give the patient rapid loss of vision characterized by frequent sharp and stabbing pains in the eye. Closed-angle is an effect of a blockage of the eye’s drainage system, trabecular network. The blockage is a result of a sudden forward bulging of the iris.

Florida medical cannabis, according to closed angle glaucoma patients, acts as an analgesic, muscle relaxant, as well as a mood enhancer.

Reduces Eye Pressure

A rise in the intraocular pressure otherwise referred to as ocular hypertension is the leading cause of glaucoma, especially open-angle glaucoma. When it goes without treatment, it can lead to total blindness. Professor Manley West of the University of West Indies did research on the potential benefits of glaucoma. With the help of Dr. Albert Lockhart, they studied the use of cannabis in Jamaica, and they produced cannabis-based eye drops.

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The results were a significant reduction in the intraocular pressure. The use of cannabis in the eye drops also made the effectiveness of other glaucoma treatments to work, especially, Timolol.

Anti-Inflammatory

Florida medical marijuana doctors suspect that the persistent and low-level inflammation in the trabecular network plays a significant role in the growth of chronic types of glaucoma. These kinds include open angle glaucoma, as well as uveitis.

The use of medical marijuana has Florida medical marijuana doctors convinced that it has positive effects and is useful for its anti-inflammatory properties for glaucoma treatment.

Antiemetic

The rarer form of glaucoma, closed angle glaucoma, comes along with secondary symptoms of vomiting and nausea in a phenomenon known as an oculoemetic reflex. A post surgery effect of glaucoma also induces feelings of nausea and vomiting in over 40% of the patients.

Cannabinoid receptors like THC help to reduce the feeling of nausea and vomiting.

Miotic

Miotic drugs assist in the relaxation of the muscles in the iris causing the pupil to constrict allowing for proper drainage of the aqueous humor. Cannabis has the same effect on the iris and pupil as the mitoic drugs.

For glaucoma patients, it is important that they get a Florida medical marijuana card. Treatment of glaucoma with cannabis should be with advice from Florida medical marijuana doctors.