How to Stop Getting Cataracts

Most people who develop cataracts go to a doctor who prescribes surgery and perhaps prescription eye drops of some kind to treat the problem. The treatment prescription usually seems reasonable, albeit scary for patients and after they go through with surgery, they never find out that there are other ways to get rid of cataracts besides surgery. Indeed, the reason why cataracts develop is often related to nutritional deficiencies, the use of corticosteroid medications in the past, or a colonization by an infectious pathogen such as Cytomegalovirus. In this discussion, we’re going to talk about the role that the endocrine system plays in causing cataracts and give you an inkling of how you can treat cataracts holistically to avoid cataracts surgery, how to stop getting cataracts, and how to avoid developing serious health issues as a result of cataract surgery and conventional cataract treatments.

Disorders of the Endocrine System and Cataracts

Grave’s disease and diabetes mellitus are the most famous endocrine disorders that involve the eyes, but there are a number of other endocrine diseases that involve ocular manifestations as well. Scientists have noted that symptoms of disease that develop in the eye are often a demonstration of disease processes occurring elsewhere in the body, particularly in the endocrine system. Though this might sound scary to patients who aren’t accustomed to thinking holistically about eye disease, in fact, a patient with an endocrine issue who has surgery done on the eyes is at an extreme disadvantage in terms of his or her ability to fully recover, regain and maintain their eyesight and also stay health in a general way. When the body is subjected to a physical trauma like surgery, this trauma must be stored in the body or released via the autonomic nervous system. Most human beings are not able to discharge trauma because social convention dictates how our bodies respond to trauma. Thus, we tend to hold trauma in our bodies, specifically in the autonomic nervous system, a part of the body that is connected in important ways to the muscles surrounding our eyes. We talk more about this later in this discussion so keep reading.  Rather than treating just the eyes with surgery or eye drops, a patient with cataracts due to hypoparathyroidism, for example, would be much better off treating the parathyroid glands directly with nutrient therapies while simultaneously using eye drops that will not harm the eyes or the body, but only support the natural ability of the eyes to heal. Most parathyroid problems originate from nutrient deficiencies overall. We recommend that patients follow the Lugol’s Iodine Protocol because this nutrient-based treatment addresses most endocrine related nutrient deficiencies that might exist and it is also a powerful anti-cancer protocol. Combining the use of Lugol’s iodine therapy with the use of eye drops that can kill infectious pathogens such as Cytomegalovirus and more provides a powerful, well-rounded treatment that does no harm, but that has the potential to heal the patient in a general way from the inside out. Of course, it makes sense that do-no-harm eye drops for cataracts and no-surgery treatments for cataracts is ideal, if the patient can find such a thing and successfully administer these treatments. It takes courage to seek out treatments or self-administer cataract treatments at home if those treatments are not recommended by the doctor. It takes some willpower to stay with those treatments through the initial stages when the course of treatment is uncertain especially when doctors promise that surgery will quickly take care of the problem. But when patients understand what they’re treating and why they’re treating their disease in a particular way, it’s easier to stick to the treatment plan. In this case, we’re highlighting the role that the endocrine system plays in causing eye diseases like cataracts. A patient who fully understands the role that the endocrine system plays in eye disease is much more likely to be successful treating cataracts at home. There are, in fact, a number of eye diseases that are caused by endocrine dysfunction. Cataracts, in fact, are often caused by long-term treatment with corticosteroid therapy. Studies have shown that corticosteroid drug treatment can lead to soft-tissue calcification of the body. In other words, when a person takes corticosteroid drugs regularly over the course of time, these drugs reduce calcium levels in bones which causes low bone density (which can lead to osteoporosis even in young children). At the same time, calcium is released into the bloodstream when a person takes corticosteroids and, if that person also happens to be deficient in vitamin K2 (Menaquinone-7), calcium must find a place to take up residence in the body so as not to harm the kidneys through excretion all at once. Thus, the excess calcium in the blood supply due to corticosteroid therapy builds up in soft tissues throughout the body. Injections of local corticosteroids can cause soft tissue calcification via the accumulation of insoluble steroids that act as a foreign body in soft tissues of the body. The insoluble steroid causes chronic granulomatous inflammation with dystrophic calcification.

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Below, we note some the eye diseases caused by endocrine dysfunction:

• Eye Diseases Caused by Hypothalamus-Pituitary Dysfunction

• • Septo-optic dysplasia (SOD) / Mosier Syndrome - This disease is related to hypopituitarism with growth hormone deficiency. Children with strabismus or nystagmus should be checked for this underlying endocrine problem. Other eye symptoms include microphthalmia, anophthalmia, hypoplasia, and optic nerve dysplasia.
  • Kallman’s Syndrome - This disease is caused by issues related to gonadotropin-releasing hormone production. It is a disorder that is often present at birth and it often includes cleft lip, cleft palate, seizure disorder, and imperfect facial fusion. Eye problems include color blindness, oculomotor abnormalities, and optic atrophy.
  • Empty Sella Syndrome - This disease involves intrasellar herniation of the suprasellar space and compression of the pituitary gland. People who are born with this disorder may have diminished visual sharpness and visual field defects including peripheral field constriction, quadrantanopia, or bitemporal hemianopia. 
  • Oliver McFarlane Syndrome - This is a rare disease that involves chorioretinal degeneration along with dwarfism, growth hormone deficiency, cerebellar dysfunction, and hair abnormalities. Patients with this syndrome have diminished vision.
  • Von Recklinghausen’s Disease  / Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF-1) - This is another inherited disease of the skin, eyes, and nervous system. Growth hormone deficiency and gonadotropin deficiency play a role in this disease process. Patients typically develop hamartomas known as Lisch nodules and optic pathway gliomas that reduces vision.

• Eye Diseases Caused by Thyroid-Parathyroid Disorders

• • McCune Albright Syndrome - This disease involves cafe-au-lait spots, dysplasia of bones, and early puberty. It is caused by endocrine dysfunction involving the thyroid gland, ovaries, adrenal glands, pituitary, and parathyroid gland. The eyes may suffer in terms of visual field defects, lack of color vision, decreased visual acuity, and optic atrophy due to optic nerve compression.

• • Primary Hyperparathyroidism - This disease can cause significant eye problems such as band keratopathy, conjunctival calcification, and conjunctivitis. Red eyes due to scleritis can also be the result of hypercalcemia. 

• • Ascher Syndrome - This disease typically includes blepharochalasis (inflammation of the eyelid), ptosis (droopy eyelids) along with thyroid enlargement (goiter). Ascher syndrome usually begins during puberty and often both of the upper eyelids are involved. Often, the natural cure for Ascher syndrome is Lugol’s iodine supplementation. Click here to read more about how to administer Lugol’s iodine to cure eye disease due to thyroid problems. 

• Eye Diseases Caused by Adrenal Gland Disorders

• • Triple A Syndrome / Allgrove’s Syndrome - This disease is caused by adrenocroticotrophic hromone (ACTH) resistant adrenal insufficiency. It involves alacrima (reduced or absent tear production), progressive neurological degeneration (degenerative brain disease) and autonomic nervous system instability. Alacrima is a hallmark of this disease. Other eye issues associated with Triple A Syndrome include keratoconjunctivitis sicca, lacrimal gland atrophy, corneal melting, and pupillary abnormalities such as sluggish pupils or tonic pupils.  

• • Cushing Syndrome - This disease involves abnormally high levels of glucocorticoids and it is common in people who take corticosteroid drugs long-term. It is rare for Cushing Syndrome to develop in someone without exposure to corticosteroids. Eye diseases that result from this adrenal disorder include increased intraocular pressure, exophthalmos (bulging of the eyes due to retro-orbital fat deposition). Cataracts often develop as a complication of corticosteroid therapy.

• • Addison’s Disease - This disease involves diminished functioning of the adrenal glands. Eye problems are not common in Addison’s but when they do occur, they include ptosis (drooping eyelids), blepharitis (swollen eyelids), blepharospasm (twitching eyelids), keratoconjunctivitis with photophobia, corneal ulcers, cataracts, episcleritis, and papilloedema.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Both Cushing syndrome and Addison’s disease can lead to the development of cataracts. Again, we recommend that patients study Lugol’s iodine as a treatment for both Cushing syndrome and Addison’s disease. Iodine and the amino acid L-tyrosine are the two ingredients used in the production of thyroid hormones in the body. Inactive thyroid hormone (T4) contains Tyrosine + 4 iodine atoms. Activated thyroid hormone (T3), contains Tyrosine + 3 iodine atoms. Tyrosine, as an amino acid, is the precursor not just to thyroid hormones, but also L-dopa. Natural L-dopa (as differentiated from the pharmaceutical named “L-dopa” or “levodopa”) is the amino acid precursor to dopamine. Dopamine, in turn, is a vital neurotransmitter and the precursor to noradrenaline and adrenaline, two neurotransmitter-hormones that govern much of the activity of the autonomic nervous system. Most people are not familiar with adrenaline as the hormone that causes the fight-or-flight response in humans.  Trauma psychology is a new branch of psychology that acknowledges and works with the autonomic nervous system as the place where the body stores emotional or physical trauma. Trauma is defined as any situation that causes the person experiencing the trauma to feel like their life is threatened. It doesn’t matter if onlookers believe that the person should feel like their life is threatened or not. This trauma response may occur due to emotional stress (Resignation Syndrome in refugee children is one of the most poignant and striking examples of a severe emotional trauma response), but on a physical level, the cells of the body can essentially close up and go into a “comatose state” following a severe infection or as a result of toxin overload. This cellular response is regulated by and related to how the autonomic nervous system views the traumatic event. Of note in terms of eye health is the fact that, in most developed countries, one of the most valuable treatments for trauma is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to release trauma from its storage location in the autonomic nervous system. Other treatments for trauma like craniosacral therapy work to release pressure on the cranial nerves that are a part of the autonomic nervous system. It’s important that readers think carefully about trauma in their lives and whether their cataracts developed following some kind of trauma (either physical or emotional) because the eyes are always involved in trauma treatment. Many people who take sacred indigenous medicines such as Iboga or psilocybin mushrooms find that their eyes move in a specific way during their “trips”. This eye movement is often similar to the movement that the eyes make during dreams. Contact us at [email protected] for more information about treatment for cataracts using sacred indigenous medicines like Kambo or Sananga.

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Healing cataracts naturally should generally take the role of trauma (emotional or physical) into consideration. Patients should work not only with nutrient therapies, natural (but powerful) antibiotics, but also trauma therapies that reset the autonomic nervous system for best results. 

• Eye Diseases Due to Reproductive Organ Dysfunction
  • Bardet-Biedl Syndrome - This is another inherited disease that can cause rod-cone dystrophy, night blindness, constriction of visual fields, along with atypical retinitis pigmentosa. The disease typically involved central obesity, developmental delays, renal dysfunction, polydactyly, and hypogonadism. Cataracts can also develop in young adults with this disease.
  • Laurence Moon Syndrome - This disease looks similar to Bardet-Biedl syndrome, but in the eyes, there is degeneration of the retinal pigment. Laurence Moon syndrome does not usually involve polydactyly.
  • Turner Syndrome - This is another genetic disease that involves an abnormality of the X chromosome in females. Typically, patients with this disease have short stature, ovarian dysgenesis, and left-sided congenital heart defects. There is often color deficiency, ptosis, hypertelorism (an increased distance between the eyes), epicanthus. Ocular hypertension and glaucoma are also common in Turner syndrome.
  • Rothmund Syndrome - This is yet another genetic disorder most commonly seen in females. It involves a facial rash (poikiloderma), hypogonadism, hypomenorrhea, head deformities, malformed fingers, premature aging, and small stature. The eyes often are widely spaced with sparse or absent eyebrows. Bilateral cataracts are also common.
  • Klinefelter’s Syndrome - This is a common chromosome abnormality that involves small testis, low testosterone levels, tall stature, increased leg length, learning difficulties, breast tumors, obesity, varicose veins, and poor glucose tolerance. The eyes often develop colobomas in the iris, the optic nerve, or choroid. Microphthalmia, and strabismus are also common.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The development of cataracts is common in genetic diseases that involve reproductive organ dysfunction. This suggests once again, the value of Lugol’s iodine therapy in the treatment of cataracts because Lugol’s iodine is one of the most important nutrients required for healthy reproductive organ function.

• Eye Disease Associated with Miscellaneous Diseases
  • Werner Syndrome - This disease involves premature aging and graying hair before age 20. Werner syndrome is also associated with diabetes mellitus type 2, atherosclerosis, and osteoporosis as well as a predisposition to developing cancer. Bilateral cataracts often occur in individuals under age 30 years. Cataract surgery often leads to bullous keratoplasty. 

NOTE: L-tyrosine (and its derivative, L-dopa) are amino acids that play a powerful role in hair pigmentation as well as in autonomic nervous system function and thyroid hormone production among other things. Vitamin K2 deficiency is a common cause of both atherosclerosis and osteoporosis (which often develop together at the same time). Once again, Lugol’s iodine is connected physiologically to L-tyrosine as the second of two ingredients in thyroid hormones. Vitamin K2 is also connected to Lugol’s iodine in that, a deficiency of vitamin K2 can lead to iodine deficiency by causing a buildup of calcium in the blood (atherosclerosis) along with a deficiency of calcium in bone tissues (osteoporosis).

• • Cockayne Syndrome - This is a progressive neurological issue associated with growth failure during infancy. Children often develop retinal degeneration and extreme sensitivity to sunlight. One of the hallmark symptoms is retinal degeneration. Cataracts may occur in Cockayne syndrome as well. 
  • Kearns Sayre Syndrome / Chronic Progressive External Ophthalmoplegia - This disease involves hypoparathyroidism, reproductive organ dysfunction, diabetes mellitus, and hypopituitarism. Patients often have ptosis (drooping eyelids) that begins before puberty followed by progressive external ophthalmoplegia. Pigmentary retinopathy is also common.
  • Wolfram Syndrome / DIDMOAD - This is a genetic disease that involves diabetes insipidus, diabetes mellitus, bilateral optic atrophy, and sensorineural deafness. Patients may lose retinal ganglion neurons or they may lose myelination of the optic nerve.

• • Prader Willi Syndrome - This syndrome involves dysmorphic features along with neurological, endocrine, cognitive, and behavioral problems. Children may have developmental delays, short stature, obesity, and growth hormone insufficiency. Visual acuity may be poor. Myopia and strabismus are also common.
  • Autoimmune Polyendocrine Syndrome I (APS-I) - This is a genetic disease that involve hypoparathyroidism, adrenocortical insufficiency, and chronic Candida infection. Chronic keratitis is common in this disease including dry eyes, keratitis, cataracts, retinal detachment, iridocyclitis, and optic atrophy. The development of eye issues is often an initial manifestation of the disease. Patients with cataracts due to autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome I should learn more about Cytomegalovirus as an infection that can colonize the body to cause eye problems and consider general treatment with Lugol’s iodine therapy and Chlorine Dioxide Solution as well as bentonite. Click here to learn more about how to cure Candida.

Hypoparathyroidism and Cataracts

The parathyroid glands are two structures that sit on either side of the thyroid gland. They work with the thyroid gland to regulate calcium levels in the bones and blood. A deficiency of boron can lead to hypoparathyroidism, which in turn can lead to imbalances in calcium levels in the blood. Studies have shown that hypoparathyroidism can cause cataracts to develop. Boron supplementation (at 3-6 mg per day) can prevent the development of cataracts, on the other hand, and treat the problem in some individuals. We typically recommend that anyone with eye disease (including cataracts) begin by working with the Lugol’s iodine therapy protocol (which includes boron supplementation) to balance the immune system and get rid of colonizing infectious pathogens, to rebalance the endocrine system (especially the thyroid glands, parathyroid glands, adrenal glands, and the reproductive organs), to balance the autonomic nervous system (in large part via the restored production of hormones such as adrenaline) and to heal the parts of the body that have been most negatively impacted by corticosteroid drug therapy.

Click here to read more about Lugol’s iodine therapy.

Click here to read more about the importance of parathyroid health in promoting reproductive organ health and, in turn, eye health.

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Bromide-Containing Anesthetics and Bromide-Containing Eye Drops and Eye Disease

Some of our clients have brought the fact to our attention that there are currently certain eye drops on the market that contain bromide / bromine. If your doctor has prescribed eye drops to you in the past for an eye disease, check to see if those eye drops contained bromide / bromine. Be aware, however, that sometimes this ingredient is not listed as an ingredient. Bromide and bromine are bioaccumulative and they can cause health problems for years after they’re administered. To remove bromide and bromine, follow the Lugol’s iodine therapy protocol.

Also note that often, anesthesia used during surgical procedures such as cataract surgery contains bromide which can cause immune-system dysfunction including the development of autoimmune disease long after the surgery is complete.

Click here to read more about drugs that contain bromide and how these drugs harm your health and make you sicker over time.

Also, read more here about government-sponsored nutrient deficiencies that cause cataracts and other diseases and the relationship between bromide-containing insecticides and organophosphate insecticides.

The Autonomic Nervous System and Eye Disease

The production of tears (both basal and reflex production) as well as pupillary accommodation is under parasympathetic nervous system control. If the autonomic nervous system is not functioning properly or is imbalanced, the lacrimal glands and pupils will behave abnormally. This is true, for example, in diseases like Triple A Syndrome. 

Cataracts and especially cataract surgery invariably involve the autonomic nervous system via the oculocardiac reflex. The oculocardiac reflex (also known as the Aschner reflex or sometimes the trigeminal-vagal reflex) was first observed back in 1908 as a reduction in heart rate that occurs directly as a result of pressure placed on the eyeballs. This reflex can cause a decrease in heart rate of more than 20% after pressure is applied to the eyes or if traction is applied to the extraocular muscles during surgery. The reflex can cause sinus bradycardia, a reduction in blood pressure, heart arrhythmia, asystole, and cardiac arrest.

During cataract surgery, administration of anesthesia can cause major heart-related issues as a result of the oculocardiac reflex (even if the anesthesia does not contain bromide / bromine). Indeed, some doctors who perform cataract surgery have noted that patients often develop heart rate and rhythm abnormalities as a result of cataract removal surgery. These heart problems are due to the connection between the muscles surrounding the eyes and heart rate variability. Note once again that Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a major trauma treatment in the developed world and that EMDR primarily works with eye muscles to enhance heart rate variability and other bodily functions that are powerful indicators of overall health. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is something that is reduced when a person is sick and put on a ventilator for example. This is one of the arguments against the use of ventilator treatment—a reduction in HRV ultimately means a powerful reduction in the body’s ability to adapt to stress and to heal.

Click here to do a free trial of EMDR online.

Cytomegalovirus Infection and Cataracts

In addition to endocrine disorders, autonomic nervous system issues or immune system dysfunction, cataracts can also develop as a result of Cytomegalovirus infection. Cytomegalovirus is a DNA virus that belongs to the same family of viruses as herpes simplex, Epstein-Barr virus, or the virus that causes chickenpox. Cytomegalovirus is able to evade the immune system and colonize areas of the body. It is known to lie dormant in myeloid progenitor cells. It becomes active when the immune system is suppressed due to physical or emotional stress / trauma, nutritional deficiency, or infection by another invading pathogen.

Patients who wish to treat cytomegalovirus infection at home can work with Jim Humble’s Chlorine Dioxide Solution Eye Protocol. If cataracts are caused by a Cytomegalovirus infection of the eyes (which is likely exacerbated by Lugol’s iodine deficiency and other nutrient deficiencies), the Chlorine Dioxide Solution Eye Protocol will directly address the infection in the eyes to jump-start treatment as you also begin working with nutrient therapies (see the Lugol’s Iodine Therapy Protocol) and other at-home eye drops for cataracts.

Click here to learn how to do the Chlorine Dioxide Solution Eye Protocol. 

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Click here to learn more about the Lugol’s Iodine Therapy Protocol.

Click here to read more about non-prescription eye drops for cataracts.

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Summary

Above, we’ve summarized some of the most important considerations for patients who wish to treat cataracts naturally at home. In the discussion that follows, we talk at length about eye drops that can treat cataracts at home. Some of these eye drops work by killing the Cytomegalovirus. Anyone with cataracts can benefit from doing Lugol’s iodine therapy (which involves administration of Lugol’s iodine along with a series of other nutrients and sometimes herbs to support proper absorption), the primary nutrient that supports immune system function via its ability to balance thyroid and reproductive organ function. Lugol’s iodine is the primary nutrient that feeds the thyroid gland as well as the reproductive organs (two important endocrine glands that play a role in eye disease). Boron is the main nutrient needed by the parathyroid glands and this nutrient supports the work of the thyroid gland by managing calcium levels in the blood and bone tissues. Calcium, as we’ve discussed above, plays a role in the development of cataracts particularly when patients have been exposed to long-term corticosteroid therapy.

Click here to learn about Lugol’s iodine therapy for eye disease.

I Don’t Want Cataract Surgery

If you’re committed to doing at-home treatment for cataracts, expect that this process will take some time. Usually, 6 months to 1 year is needed to get to a point where you feel like you’ve overcome cataracts using natural treatments. Experiment with the natural treatments available and maintain patience working with these treatments. Doctors often sell cataract surgery to patients by appealing to their desire to overcome blindness and an inability to see clearly quickly. Makes sense, but, once you’ve had the surgery, you can’t undo whatever damage is done during that procedure.    

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References:

Li, Y. (2022). Bilateral hypocalcemic cataracts due to idiopathic parathyroid insufficiency: A case report. Retrieved January 3, 2024 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9477687/ 

Chopra, R. et al. (2012). The eye as a window to rare endocrine disorders. Retrieved January 3, 2024 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3354836/ 

Park, H. B. et al. (2019). Association of steroid injection with soft-tissue calcification in lateral epicondylitis. Retrieved January 3, 2024 from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1058274618307407 

Willenberg, T. et al. (2010). Impact of Long-term Corticosteroid Therapy on the Distribution Pattern of Lower Limb Atherosclerosis. Retrieved January 3, 2024 from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1078588410000067 

Fox, T. P. et al. (2013). Plantar fascia calcification a sequelae of corticosteroid injection in the treatment of recalcitrant plantar fasciitis. Retrieved January 3, 2024 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3762432/ 

Conti, R. J. and Shinder, M. (1991). Soft tissue calcifications induced by local corticosteroid injection. Retrieved January 3, 2024 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2002185/ 

Mukit, F. A. (2023).Cytomegalovirus Anterior Uveitis Retrieved January 3, 2024 from https://eyewiki.aao.org/Cytomegalovirus_Anterior_Uveitis 

Dunville, L. M. et al. (2022). Oculocardiac Reflex. Retrieved January 3, 2024 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499832/ Gao, L. et al. (1997). Oculocardiac reflex in senile cataract operation. Retrieved January 3, 2024 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10451974/