Rod-Cone Dystrophy
Myths:
Nothing can be done to help prevent vision loss.
Facts:
Is it possible to slow down vision loss and possibly maintain healthy vision through lifestyle considerations, diet, specific nutritional protocols and energy moving modalities such as acupuncture and microcurrent stimulation.
Overview:
Rod-Cone Dystrophy is the name given to a wide range of eye conditions. The common link is a problem with the rod and cone photoreceptors. Photoreceptor cells convert light into nerve signals that ultimately get transmitted to our brain through our optic nerve. There are two types of photoreceptor cells; cones which help us detect color and fine details and account for our central vision; while the rods help us see in low light and help us with night and peripheral vision. With Rod-Cone Dystrophy, one’s photoreceptor cells may not work from childhood, or may lose their ability to function over time.
Synonyms for cone-rod dystrophy include:
- Retinal Cone Degeneration
- Retinal Cone-Rod Dystrophy
- Cone-Rod Dystrophy
- Combined Cone-Rod Degeneration
- Cone-Rod Degeneration
- Cone-Rod Degeneration
- Progressive Cone-Rod Dystrophy
- Retinal Cone Dystrophy
- Retinal Cone-Rod Dystrophy
Other eye conditions where the rod and cone photoreceptor cells do not work properly include: Leber’s Amaurosis, Retinitis Pigmentosa, Usher’s Syndrome and Batten’s Disease.
Rod and cone photoreceptors are good at seeing different things. Here are some examples:
Rods are good at ‘seeing’:
- things that move but only in black and white
- seeing in the dark
- seeing things on the sides of us (peripheral vision)
Cones are good at ‘seeing’:
- things that are still
- fine details of thing in daylight
- objects in color
- things in fine detail including reading, looking at photographs and recognizing faces
Symptoms:
- gradual loss of night vision
- gradual loss of peripheral vision
Young children with Rod-Cone Dystrophy may develop:
- Fast ‘to and fro’ movements of the eyes. This is referred to Nystagmus.
- ‘Roving’ eye movements where the eyes appear to slowly wander around not fixing and staying still on any objects.
- ‘Eye Poking’ where the child touches their eyes with their fingers.
Parents will often notice these signs by the way the child acts.
Causes:
There are many different causes of Rod-Cone Dystrophies. Often one does not know why a child has a Rod-Cone Dystrophy. When no cause can be identified this is called Idiopathic.
Most Rod-Cone Dystrophies are genetically based and result from “misprints” in a child’s genes, and are typically carried forward from the parents genes although sometimes by chance a new mistake occurs in the child’s genes and the parent’s genes are normal.
Conventional Treatment:
There is no good convential way to stop the sight loss in Rod-Cone Dystrophy.
Complementary Treatment:
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Recommended Vitamins, Supplements, Herbs & Other Nutritional Products
Since we consider most eye conditions to be a reflection of the health of the whole body, lifestyle choices and diet can play a major factor in getting and maintaining good vision. Below are some recommendations:
The Vision Diet - recommended in Natural Eye Care: An Encyclopedia on CD, authored by Marc Grossman, O.D., L.Ac. and Michael Edson, MS, L.Ac. This CD covers 29 major eye conditions including Rod Cone Dystrophy with specific nutrient, diet, exercise and juicing instructions by eye condition, plus much more.
- Reduce or eliminate drinking caffeine and sodas, avoid aspartame (labeled diet foods)and man made fats (corn oil and safflower oil, trans fats and hydrogenated vegetable oils including canola oil, and especially margarines).
- Eliminate deep fat fried foods, monosodium glutanate (MSG) used as a flavor enhancer which is a potential retinal toxin (Inv Oph 1996; 37: 1618-24), and fat blockers like Olestra which impair the absorption of carotenoids (Argus, August 1996;19:18:July 1996;19:22). Eating greater amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol appear to increase the risk of
AMD.
- Limit your alcohol consumption to 1 glass of red wine at night. Alcohol interferes with liver functions, reducing protective glutathione levels (Alcohol 1993;10;469-75).
- Eliminate smoking. Smoking among other things produces cyanide, a retinal toxin.
- Supplement your diet with an excellent eye multivitamin such as Vital Eyes Complete. This formula is the most comprehensive eye multi formula on we have found.
- Limit the amount of medications (both prescription and non-prescription as much as possible. Make sure to work closely with your doctor.
- Exercise daily - do at least 20 minutes of aerobic exercise daily. Walking and swimming are two excellent forms of exercise.
- Managing your emotional health is very important in maintaining physical health. Fear (fear of failure, responsibility, of being alone, of death, etc.) is at the root of many of life’s problems, and is a major factor in many diseases. Take up the practice of meditation, yoga, tai chi, walks in the woods or prayer on a daily basis.
- Eye exercises can help to bring energy and blood to the eyes, thereby helping to drain away toxins or congestion to the eyes. These are free general eye exercises and acupressure points for overall eye health.
