How Chinese medicine views vision loss
The liver is the most important organ that relates to the health of the eyes in Chinese medicine. It is written that “the liver opens into the eyes, and the eyes reflect the function of the liver.” When the liver is functioning properly, the eyes receive the proper nutrients they require and one can see. When the liver is out of balance, the eyes lose this proper nutrition and begin to degenerate. Macular degeneration is no exception to this statement.
This is why ARMD is often diagnosed as Liver and Kidney depletion. The two organ systems are over burdened and cannot provide the proper nourishment to the eyes, resulting in degeneration.
Remember in the last blog entry when we discussed drusen? This is the fatty waste material that forms on the retina in ARMD. Chinese medicine describes this material as ‘phlegm-dampness.’ It is seen as the result of improper digestion caused by a poor diet or a weak digestive system.
Now you can see that poorly functioning liver, kidneys, and digestive system (resulting in phlegm-dampness) will all result in the deterioration of the eyes.
How Chinese medicine treats vision loss due to ARMD
- Acupuncture
- Herbal medicine
- Nutrition
- Massage
- Exercise
Utilizing these therapies one can help nourish the deficient organ systems, improve circulation, and increase nourishment to the eyes.
Specific points on the body can be stimulated with acupuncture and massage to strengthen the liver and kidneys and increase circulation to the eyes. It is important to find a licensed acupuncturist trained with experience in treating these eye disorders to obtain the best results.
Some of the basic principles of nutrition were discussed in the last blog entry. It is important to nourish your eyes with foods containing Omega 3 fatty acids, colorful vegetables and fruits that are high in antioxidants, and foods high in macular protecting pigments containing lutein and zeaxanthin.
Chinese herbal medicine is a very complex topic of it’s own, but a well trained herbalist can make you a formula that is specific to your diagnosis. There are herbs that are used to get rid of ‘phlegm-dampness’ (drusen), and other herbs to help strengthen the liver and kidneys.
Three common formulas used to strength the liver and kidneys to benefit the eyes are:
- Ming Mu Di Huang Wan
- Qi Ju Di Huang Wan
- Zhu Jing Wan
An effective formula to get rid of ‘phlegm-dampness’ is:
- modified San Ren Tang
There are a couple simple single herbs that can also help benefit the eyes like:
- Gou Qi Zi (Goji berries, lycium fruit)
- Ju Hua (Chrysanthemum flowers)
Conclusion
This blog entry begins to explain the unique approach Chinese medicine takes in healing the eyes. Macular degeneration can take two forms – wet type and dry type. This article is primarily discussing the dry type, as the wet type is more serious and can cause serious damage to your eye very quickly. If you are suffering from the wet type, then it is important to visit your ophthamologist to try and stop the bleeding as soon as possible. After the bleeding is under control you can look into the above methods of further healing your eyes. Western medicine and Chinese medicine each have their benefits, and when dealing with such complicated diseases like macular degeneration it’s prudent to get the best of both worlds.
David Russell, L.Ac, is a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist, with a Master’s degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine and postgraduate studies in Hangzhou, China. Inspired to holistically heal vision conditions, David Russell studied under the nationally acclaimed Dr. Andy Rosenfarb. Now David brings to you a specialized system of acupuncture, nutrition, herbs, and functional medicine to help heal your eyes and restore the health of your body.