My grandmother wasn’t impressed when I told her I had bought some bilberry for her to try and treat her glaucoma. She basically asked me if I was crazy and trying to kill her by buying some bush on the internet and then wanting her to drink it like it was Earl Grey tea.

I love my grandmother dearly but her glaucoma is getting worse and the glaucoma treatment options available are a little scary for her at her age (now 86 years old). I figured trying the bilberry would do no harm.

As an extract of the European blueberry, bilberry can be obtained via post and in some health food stores. It is often advertised as an antioxidant supplement to improve eye health. The ads say that it makes the capillaries in the eye walls stronger so is effective in protecting against glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration. The jury is still out on this natural glaucoma cure. There is evidence showing that bilberry may improve night vision and recovery time from glare but not much evidence showing it as an effective treatment for glaucoma.

My grandma was all over me asking if this bilberry stuff I had bought for her was FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved. I told that no it wasn’t and she then proceeded to harangue me on the fact that if the FDA has not tested homeopathic remedies for safety the user is at risk. She also proceeded to lecture me on the fact that homeopathic remedies sometimes do not contain consistent ingredients , or that the dosage recommendations are sometimes inaccurate. I agreed with everything she said but told her that if she didn’t try new things then she would be stuck complaining for the rest of her life.

Disclaimer: It is always best to take the medical advice of your own physician as they know you best.