Home Remedies for RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA (RP)

RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA (RP)

(a person loses eyesight with age.)

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retinitis_pigmentosa

 

Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of inherited diseases that affects approximately one of every 3,700 people. The retina is the innermost layer that lines the eyeball. It contains photoreceptor cells that are directly connected to the brain by the optic nerve. Retinitis Pigmentosa causes these photoreceptor cells to degenerate over time. The first symptom usually is loss of night vision, beginning in adolescence or young adulthood. This is followed by loss of peripheral vision and, ultimately, blindness, which sets in anywhere between the ages of thirty and eighty. 

 

Retinitis pigmentosa causes the degeneration of photoreceptor cells in the retina. There are types of photoreceptor cells: rod cells and cone cells. The rate of decline varies depending on the genetic makeup of the disorder and also varies somewhat in individuals. A light is shone in the eye and the electroretinogram records electrical changes in the retina. They can occur in very young children causing a lifetime of blindness or rob the elderly of their precious independence. Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a rare, inherited disease in which the light-sensitive retina of the eye slowly and progressively degenerates. The rods are located in the periphery of the retina and are responsible for peripheral and night vision. 

 

RP causes the thin layer of tissue in the back of the eye, which is called the retina, to deteriorate. Photoreceptor cells capture and process light helping us to see. As these cells degenerate and die, patients experience progressive vision loss. In the progression of symptoms for RP, night blindness generally precedes tunnel vision by years or even decades. These regions of the retina reflect the cell apoptosis by having decreased nuclei in the outer nuclear layer. An exam of the retina is done using an indirect ophthalmoscope, an instrument that enables the doctor to examine the different parts of the eye through a dilated pupil. An exam of the retina is done using an indirect ophthalmoscope, an instrument that enables the doctor to examine the different parts of the eye through a dilated pupil. RP is a group of inherited disorders in which abnormalities of the photoreceptors ( rods and cones ) or the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of the retina lead to progressive visual loss. Histopathologic changes in RP have been well documented, and, more recently, specific histologic changes associated with certain gene mutations are being reported.

Causes of Retinitis Pigmentosa

There are various factors which give rise to the disease Retinitis Pigmentosa. RP may be caused by a breakdown in the function of the rods or the cones in some part of the retina. The retina is so complex that breakdowns may occur in a variety of ways and so RP is not a single disorder but a great number of disorders. The breakdown of cone function may be called Macular Degeneration. There are other disorders similar to RP like Gyrate Atrophy, Choroideremia etc. The common feature is the degeneration of the retina for one reason or another.

Symptoms of Retinitis Pigmentosa

Some of the common sign and symptoms of the diseaseRetinitis Pigmentosa are as follows:

• Vision decreased at night or in reduced lightl.
• Loss of peripheral vision.
• Loss of central vision.

 

What can I do?

 

Remedies for Retinitis pigmentosa #1: Coenzyme Q10 60 mg. daily. A powerful antioxidant that can improve retinitis pigmentosa symptoms.

 

Remedies for Retinitis pigmentosa #2: Vitamin A 15,000 IU daily. This is essential for all eye disorders plus carotenoid coplez with lutein and zeaxanthin.

 

Remedies for Retinitis pigmentosa #3: Search for the most prestigious Eye care professional who specializes in retinitis pigmentosa, very important to get an accurate diagnosis. You will want to see a specialist that has the latest equipment and technology.

 

TIP: High doses of vitamin A may be able to slow the loss of remaining eyesight by about 20 percent per year in some cases, according to a study led by Eliot Berson, M.D., professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School. At the same time, the study found that high doses of vitamin E (400 IU a day or more) can be detrimental to people with retinitis pigmentosa.

 

Remedies for Retinitis pigmentosa #4: Retinal cell transplantation and gene therapy are still in the preliminary stages of research, but both may prove to be effective in treating retinitis pigmentosa. Photoreceptor cells have been successfully transplanted into retinas of animals. The foundation fighting blindness reports that it remains to be seen whether or not this procedure would be effective with retinitis pigmentosa-type disorders. Meanwhile, researchers have identified many of the mutated genes that contribute to retinitis pigmentosa. It may become possible in the near future to use gene therapy (replace defective genes with normal ones) to treat this disorder.

Treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa

Find effective treatment methods of treating Retinitis Pigmentosa :

• These photoreceptors developed and made the necessary neural connections to the animal's retinal nerve cells, a key step in the restoration of sight .
• Controversial studies have suggested that treatment with antioxidant agents may delay the disease from getting worse.
• There is no standard treatment for retinitis pigmentosa.
• A blood test must be taken to ascertain liver function and Vitamin A levels in the blood BEFORE taking this treatment.

 

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.