Your eyes and your health

The eye reflects one’s health and many common conditions are first seen in the eyes. Similarly many eye troubles are actually a reflection of problems in areas of the body seemingly unconnected with the eye e.g. the liver, kidney or bladder.

When I was a child my eyes were covered in stys sometimes 14 at a time, which made it very difficult to see out at times. My parents and grandparents sovereign treatment was to rub the eye with a gold wedding ring. I assume there is something in the gold that helps this condition but I have never read of it anywhere. Later as a teenager I learnt that stys can be as a result of lack of Vitamin C. This would fit with my herbal approach, which would describe styes as a run down condition.

Most people know about night blindness and eating carrots to remedy this condition. That is because night blindness can be due to a lack of Vitamin A. Carrots contain pro-vitamin A, which is converted to the former in the body. Bilberries will also correct night blindness.

Macular degeneration is on the increase. This is a condition where there is a loss of central vision making peoples faces go blurred. It is a result of free radical damage to the lens of the eye and can be prevented by eating foods with carotenoids e.g. peaches, spinach, oranges, papaya, tangerines, broccoli, celery, kale, peas, red pepper, tomatoes and water melon. Bilberries are also very good for this condition.

In fact Bilberries are excellent for the eyes. They enhance vision by increasing the amount of blood that is able to reach the eye by strengthening the capillaries of the retina. Retinal damage is thereby prevented as well as inflammation or haemorrhage. Bilberries are also helpful to correct myopia (nearsightedness) prevent glaucoma and cataract.

For inflamed eyes a lotion of Rose water or Marigold flowers or Elderflower are all soothing and anti-inflammatory and can be applied to the eye via an eyebath. Infuse the herb in boiled water and when just warm strain and use.

Sore eyes and inflamed eyelids respond to fennel seeds. Steep a couple of teaspoons of the seeds in boiled water for five- ten minutes, strain and apply a cotton wool pad soaked in the liquid.

©Anne Chiotis Medical Herbalist, Birmingham, Stourbridge, Wolverhampton

© Anne Chiotis B.Sc. (Hons), ARCS, M.N.I.M.H. Consultant Medical Herbalist Member of the National Institite of Medical Herbalists Tel: 01902 404 347 mob: 07812711463 email: anne@lifeherbs.co.uk Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Stourbridge, West Midlands

Herbal Treatment Center Sage House 88 Green Lanes Wolverhampton WV14 6DA	Erdington Osteopathic & Natural Health Center, 9 Coton Road Erdington Birmingham, B23 6TP Tel: 0121 350 2018	Body Balance, Victoria Passage, Stourbridge, West Midlands Tel: 01384 442 091

Anne Chiotis B.Sc. (Hons), ARCS, M.N.I.M.H. Consultant Medical Herbalist, Member of National Insitute of Medical Herbalists: Erdington Osteopathic & Natural Health Center, 9 Coton Road Erdington Birmingham, B23 6TP, West Midlands, UK.. Tel: 0121 350 2018, Body Balance, Victoria Passage, Stourbridge, West Midlands UK Tel: 01384 442 091, Herbal Treatment Center, Sage House, 88 Green Lanes, Wolverhampton, WV14 6DA, West Midlands, UK, Herbs Shop UK, Herbalist and herbs Wolverhampton, Hebalist and Herbs in Birmingham, herbalist and herbs Sutton Coldfield, Cannock, Solihull, Herbalist and herbs in Moseley, Warwick, Leicester, herbalist and herbs Leamington Spa, herbalist and herbs in Nottingham, West Bromwich, herbalist and herbs in Shrewsbury, Derby, herbalist and herbs Stourbridge, Walsall, Coventry, Stafford, herbs in Dudley, Kidderminster, Lichfield, West Midlands.