Chinese medicine for dry eyes

  In the 21st century, the popularity of cell phones, computers and the fast-paced modern lifestyle have led to a significant increase in the incidence of dry eye, which has now become the most common ocular surface disease in China and the world. Dry eye is a type of disease in which the tear film is unstable due to abnormalities in the quality and quantity of tears or abnormal fluid dynamics, leading to symptoms of ocular discomfort and even ocular surface damage. Clinical onset is commonly seen in both eyes, with a range of symptoms including eye fatigue, congestion, tearing, foreign body sensation, dryness, burning sensation, and eye pain. If there are only symptoms and no signs, it is called dry eye disease, and if there are both symptoms and signs, it is called dry eye disease. The current treatment for dry eye includes topical artificial tears, lubricants, anti-inflammatory, autologous serum, and immunosuppressive agents. However, all commercially available eye drops contain different degrees of preservatives, and this disease is a chronic disease, if long-term use of eye drops may aggravate the disease, especially eye surgery and glaucoma patients need a long time or even lifelong medication, combined with the use of a variety of eye drops. Therefore, Chinese medicine uses acupuncture and massage points, eye care, food therapy, and oral tonics to regulate dry eye disease, which can reduce symptoms and thus take advantage of its unique advantages. These four methods are described below.  First, acupuncture and acupressure The eye is the main division of vision, for light receptors, the light of the gods is sent over here. The “Spiritual Pivot – Evil Qi Visceral Disease” said: “Twelve meridians, 365 veins, blood and gas are on the face and go to the empty orifice, its essence of Yang Qi goes up to the eyes and for the eyes.” The “Ling Shu – Eye Question” says: “The eye, the gathering of the clan veins.” All of the above indicates that the eyes are closely related to the meridians. The cause of dry eyes is related to visual fatigue and overuse of eyesight, and Chinese medicine mostly believes that the meridians are not smooth and the veins are stagnant. The meridians and tendons of the three yang channels of the hands and feet are all grouped around the eyes, passing through the outer and inner canthus of the eyes and acting together to open and close the eyelids and rotate the eyes. Therefore, acupuncture or massage of selected points around the eyes of the three Yang meridians of the hand and foot, as well as points of the Directing Vessel, can effectively treat dry eyes. Main acupuncture points: Baihui, Miming, Zhangshu, Yuzhang, Sizhukong, Sun, Sibai, Fengchi. Acupuncture once a day, ten times for a course of treatment, and with the acupuncture point massage, each point two minutes, no less than ten minutes.  Second, eye care methods First of all, regular rest and rest, reasonable time, improve efficiency, try not to stay up late. If you need to stay up late, then use wolfberry, chrysanthemum, cassia seeds multi-bubble tea uninterrupted drinking, and distance from the cup fumigation for tens of seconds. Second, reading computer posture eye distance from the video more than 60 cm, and slightly below the eye level. Writing posture to follow the eye and video, desk, pen “a foot, a fist, an inch” distance. Both pay attention to the relaxation of the head and neck muscles. Third, increase the number of blinking transient eyes, can effectively improve the evaporation of excessive dry eye syndrome. Fourth, two times a day to do eye exercises to promote eye blood circulation and relieve fatigue. Fifth, the frequent use of daily ironing techniques, that is, the palms of both hands rubbed together to heat up, with the palms of both hands covered in both eyes. The effect is the same as doing eye exercises to improve blood circulation in the eyes. Sixth, cleaning the skin of the lid margin every night and using a hot towel on the eyes for ten minutes can be effective for dry eyes of the lid gland dysfunction type.  Third, diet therapy Improper diet, drug abuse, damage to the spleen and stomach, and lack of qi and blood biochemistry can lead to dry eyes. Therefore, dietary therapy can improve the symptoms of blurred vision and dryness in dry eyes. Here we provide two dietary recipes: Chinese wolfberry yam porridge and Chinese wolfberry pig liver porridge, which can be eaten at dinner or night snack every day. In addition, we should pay attention to the selection of suitable food in daily life, not too light, moderate intake of milk, lean meat, pig liver, wheat germ, eggs, carrots, as well as a large daily intake of fruits and vegetables, avoiding garlic, chili, greasy and fatty products.  Fourth, the identification of evidence for treatment “Ling Shu. Dazed Theory” said: “The essence of the five viscera and six internal organs are all injected into the eyes as the essence.” It means that the five viscera and six internal organs are closely related to the eye, and the essence and blood produced by them reach up to moisten the eye orifice. Clinically, I often treat dry eyes according to the four types of TCM viscera identification. The oral administration of tonics can significantly reduce the symptoms of double eye discomfort, and the effect can be changed to proprietary Chinese medicine to consolidate the effect.  In conclusion, in clinical work, the combined treatment of dry eye disease from the perspective of Chinese medicine is indeed effective. In the future, if the therapeutic effects of the Western eye drop group, the Chinese medicine group, and the combined Chinese and Western medicine group are set to be confirmed, more patients with dry eye disease will have the confidence to accept Chinese medicine to treat this modern disease, thus allowing patients to obtain a better quality of life.