As many of you may know, I fell upon Chinese Medical Ophthalmology because of my grandma. I was still in Chinese Medicine school when she was diagnosed with Macular Degeneration, and like all close knit families, my mother called me and asked, "Can Chinese Medicine do anything for Macular Degeneration?" I honestly had no idea, and I hadn't heard anything specifically about it from any of my professors, in spite of Chinese Medicine's complex understanding of the eye. It was not until I mentioned the grief of my grandmother going blind to a dear friend and colleague that everything changed.

 

"She doesn't have to go blind!" She said. "There is an acupuncturist in Denmark who specializes in and teaches how to manage low vison disorders. I'm going to go -- come with me!"

 

And off we went, to the Boels in Copenhagen, Denmark to learn from the forefathers of Chinese Medical Ophthalmology.

 

Upon my return and my grandmother's next visit to California, I performed the protocol and restored some vision to her right eye. She can now see through it, though blurry, and can read well with her glasses. We continue to work on it whenever she's in town (about once a year).

 

Since then, I have studied with Dr. Andy Rosenfarb, the leader in eye diseases in the United States, to be TCM Ophthalmology certified and Micro Acupuncture 48 Certified. 

 

These styles and systems of acupuncture, which are different than the classical systems used for women's health, immune and cancer support, and many other conditions, successfully helps manage dry eye syndrome, macular degeneration, and optic nerve impact (to name a few). Based on Dr. Rosenfarb's and Dr. Boel's teachings and success as well as my own practice, t hese low vision disorders require treatment twice a day, twice a week for 10-20 sessions before re-evaluation. It may sound like a lot, but if it's a chance to regain vision, it is worth it!

 

People often take their eyes for granted until they can't see. We depend a lot on our sight for a full life, and without it, much of how we define ourselves, changes. Here's something everyone can do to help protect their eyes: wear Gunnar glasses (or a knock off brand), apply a blue light blocking screen to your computer or install Flux software to protect your eyes from daily exposure to blue light. All this screen time reduces our normal blinking from 22x per minute to 7x per minute and thins our retinas, which can lead to dry eye syndrome, irritated eyes and even retinal tears and more chronic issues. Empower yourself to be proactive about your vision!

Other than advising the use of protective polarized sunglasses and offering  tests of visual acuity,  most health professionals don't spend a great deal of time on eye care. Prevention of eye problems and enhancement of vision are typically not big topics. As individuals age, however, and as the population continues to radically increase device and computer screen time, the need for eye care looms larger. 

 

Eye conditions reflect whole body conditions. Cardiovascular concerns such as hypertension and poor blood sugar control top the list. Lifestyle choices complicate the picture.  Anything that increases free radical production contributes to poor eye health, and anything that decreases free radicals is beneficial. In this regard, smoking is particularly unwise.  Consuming an antioxidant rich, anti inflammatory diet is helpful. Carotenoid and anthocyanin rich vegetables and fruits, and anti inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids top the list of eye healthy foods. Think kale and spinach, sweet potatoes, salmon, blueberries and strawberries, citrus fruits, eggs, nuts and seeds.

 

Targeted supplementation is also available, as it is rare to take in a therapeutic level of antioxidants even in a very good diet. Eye health formulas include both water and fat soluble antioxidants in the form of lutein, zeaxanthin, astaxanthin, vitamins A, C, E and zinc.  Taking in some of these nutrients in I.V. form is very useful when absorption is an issue. 

 

Dry eyes are more effectively treated from the inside out, with therapeutic doses of essential fatty acids and N acetyl cysteine or glutathione, which can also be administered intraveneously. These remedies have been proven more effective than simply using artificial tears.

 

Eye discomfort can often be addressed with compresses. Warm black tea bags (not herbal, just your standard black tea), because of their high tannin content, can reduce inflammation and draw infection from the eye lids. Styes often respond to this treatment. Those cucumber slices covering the eyes of spa goers do serve a purpose, as do raw potato slices, which soothe puffy eyes and reduce swelling. Homeopathic eye drops such as the Similasan series sold in health stores, can alleviate many eye symptoms.

 

Palming, one of the Bates eye exercises, also does wonders for tired eyes. Just create friction between your hands by rubbing your palms together, then cup your palms over your eyes and do some conscious breathing. Other Bates type exercises teach eye movement, focusing, muscle relaxation and more, all of which can enhance vision. 

 

Environmentally, light exposure makes a big difference. Artificial lighting is disruptive to sleep, mood and circadian rhythm, affecting many aspects of your health (a topic for another time), but also specifically affecting the eyes. LCDs, some LEDs, fluorescent bulbs and so on are fatiguing to the eyes, and may diminish vision. UV and IR radiation can cause lesions in the cornea and in the lens of the eye, UV from sunlight exposure being a known cause of cataracts. These exposures can be counteracted with protective lenses (blue light protection when using computer screens, polarized lenses when in the sun). Even better is taking the time to bathe the eyes in natural lighting in outdoor environments.

 

In addition to the above suggestions, breath movement exercises, therapeutic yoga, and acupuncture treatments can help relieve eye fatigue and normalize vision. Acupuncture treats a number of eye conditions. (See Anandini's article in this newsletter. You may also request a free short consult with Anandini to see if she can help you with your eye condition.)  Therapeutic yoga from October here at Pacific Naturopathic. (See Adrianna's therapeutic eye exercises in her article.)