Conjunctivitis

[[#x-TCM Pattern Differentiation-Latent Heat in the Spleen & Stomach or Stomach and Spleen Weakness---
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Definition:
An acute infection of the conjunctiva, which may be viral, bacterial or allergic.

Etiology:
Only 25% of cases are caused by bacteria. Allergies and viruses (esp. adenoviruses) are responsible for most of the rest, along with other irritations to the eye and cornea, such as smoke, dust, wind, sunlamps, reflection of the snow, the common cold and exanthems. In neonates, the most common causes of conjunctivitis are chemical (silver nitrate), chlamydia, gonorrhea and other bacteria (Strep pneumoniae, Staph aureus, Hemophilus influenza), and viruses (esp. Herpes simplex I and II). Bacterial infections may superimpose viral or allergic conditions.

Nutrition:
therapeutic foods: • foods rich in Vitamins A and B-Complex • foods that soothe the Liver, clear Heat

fresh juices: • carrot (Walker, p. 132) • carrot and spinach (Walker, p. 132) • carrot, beet, and cucumber (Walker, p. 132) • carrot, celery, endive, and parsley (Walker, p.132) • carrot and parsley (Walker, p. 132) • carrot and broccoli (Ni, p. 30)

specific remedies: • human milk dropped directly in eye • boil burdock root tea and expose eyes to the steam then drink the tea (Ni, p. 31) • dandelion root tea or juice for Liver Rising type (Ni, p. 36) • potato poultice for conjunctivitis (Shefi)

avoid: • hot, spicy foods, fried foods, alcohol, greasy food, fatty foods, caffeine-containing foods: coffee, tea, chocolate, cola

Botanicals
• Anemone pulsatilla (toxic): chronic, with bland yellow discharges (Felter, p. 587) • Atropa belladonna (toxic): caution with use in children, catarrhal conjunctivitis, acute stage, headache and pain in eyes (Harper-Shove, p. 40) • Berberis spp.: as eye wash (Weiss, p. 341) • Calendula officinalis: diluted as eyewash, antiseptic, hyperemia (Felter, p. 263) • Cineraria maritima: diluted, as eyewash (Weiss, p. 341) • Eucalyptus spp.: externally (with caution), ulcerative conjunctivitis (Harper-Shove, p. 40) • Euphrasia officinalis: compress of decoction and given internally; relief of redness, swelling and visual disturbances in acute and subacute eye inflammations; photophobia, copious acrid mucous discharge (Felter, p. 369; Weiss, p. 339; Harper-Shove, p. 40) • Foeniculum vulgare: conjunctivitis; blepharitis: as an eye wash (Weiss, p. 68) • Hydrastis canadensis: diluted as an eye wash; as such may be combined with Hamamelis virginiana (leaf) and Euphrasia officinalis (British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, p. 114) • Matricaria chamomilla: catarrhal, from colds (Harper-Shove, p. 40) • Phytolacca decandra (toxic) (Ellingwood, p. 375) • Quercus alba or robur: decoction used as compress (Weiss, p. 341) • Rubus idaeus (leaf): as an eyewash, combines well with Euphrasia officinalis (British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, p. 182) • Sticta pulmonaria: conjunctivitis associated with hay fever • Thuja occidentalis: trachomic eyelids (Harper-Shove, p. 40)

Chinese Formulae
• Gardenia and Vitex C.; Gentiana C. (Long Dan Xie Gan Tang) (available as patent) plus morus leaf (sang ye) and chrysanthemum flower (ju hua); Ming Mu Shang Ching Pien (patent); Gentiana 12 (patent): Liver Fire Blazing Upward. (Gardenia and Vitex: Hsu, 1980, p. 599; Dharmananda, 1986, p. 227; Gentiana C: Hsu, 1980, p. 181; Yeung, p. 154; Dharmananda, 1986, p. 229; Bensky and Barolet, p. 96; patent: Zhu, p. 172; Fratkin, p. 82; Ming Mu: Fratkin, p. 83; Gentiana 12: Dharmananda, 1990, p. 69) • Morus and Chrysanthemum C. (Sang Ju Yin); Forsythia 18 (patent); Ilex 15 (patent); Gan Mao Dan (patent): Wind-Heat. (Morus and Chrysanthemum C.: Hsu, 1980, p. 78; Yeung, p. 191; Bensky and Barolet, p. 44; Forsythia 18: Dharmananda, 1990, p. 67; Ilex 15: Dharmananda, 1990, p. 70; Gan Mao Dan: Zhu, p. 45) • Sweet Combination: Damp-Heat with Xue Yu (Blood Stasis) (Hsu, 1980, p. 177) • Xie Qing Wan: Liver Qi Stagnation with Liver Fire Blazing Upwards: red, sore and swollen eyes, restlessness and irritability, dark urine, constipation; tremors may also be present (Bensky and Barolet, p. 97) • Minor Blue Dragon C. (Xiao Qing Long Tang): Lung Invaded by Wind-Cold: chills and fever with no sweating (Hsu, 1980, p. 43; Yeung, p. 261; Dharmananda, 1986, p. 127; Bensky and Barolet, p. 38)

Acupuncture
after assessing the person and palpating, consider these patterns: Wind-Heat; Liver Fire Blazing Upward; Damp-Heat with Xue Yu (Blood Stasis); Shi (Excess) of the Yang Qiao Mai (Yang Motility Vessel) and/or Xu (Deficiency) of the Yin Qiao Mai (Yin Motility Vessel)

» illustrative combinations: • UB-2, tai yang, GB-20 and LI-4 for acute conjunctivitis (Shanghai, p. 147) • GB-20, tai yang and LI-4; also consider: UB-1 and GB-8 for conjunctivitis (Shanghai, p. 682) • GB-20, LI-4, UB-1 and GB-8 for conjunctivitis (Lee and Cheung, p. 243) • TW-23, GB-1, GB-14, UB-1, St-2, PC-7, LI-4, LI-20, LI-5, GB-42, GB-4, UB-10, GB-20, GV-14, GV-12, UB-18 and UB-20 for conjunctivitis (Lee and Cheung, p. 344) • TW-5, LI-4 and GB-3; St-8, SI-3, GB-20 and UB-10; GV-14 and SI-18; St-44, GB-15 and TW-3; UB-1, TW-23, Lv-2 and PC-8 for conjunctivitis (Mann, p. 140) • TW-10, St-36 and GB-3; SI-4 and LI-2 for blepharitis (Mann, p. 140) • GB-14, UB-2, UB-1 and TW-23; or other circumorbital points for pterygium (Chamfrault after Tsou Lieun as per Mann, p. 141) • UB-62 and SI-3: open the Yang Qiao Mai (Yang Motility Vessel) which transports Yang, moistens the eyes, and controls the opening and closing of the eyes, and for which eye conditions are a Shi (Excess) symptom • Kd-6 and Lu-7: open the Yin Qiao Mai (Yin Motility Vessel) which transports Yin, moistens the eyes, and controls the opening and closing of the eyes, and for which eye conditions are a Xu (Deficiency) symptom

Homeopathy
• Aconitum napellus: following surgical operations or resulting from a foreign body in eye (if fails then sulph.); great deal of heat, dryness and burning in the eye; eye feels as if filled with sand, exceedingly sensitive; pains so intense wishes to die; eyeball feels as if forced out of orbit and aches; worse when moved or touched; intense photophobia; pupils contracted; blue circle around cornea; worse sunlight; profuse watering after exposure to dry and cold winds, reflection from snow • Allium cepa: sensitive to light, profuse bland lacrimation; > open air. • Apis mellifica: for granular, > cold applications, for pustular cornea; eyes are oversensitive to light; conjunctiva reddened or puffy and chemotic; < evening; lids swollen, red, edematous; burning of the tarsi with agglutination of lids; sudden very severe pains shoot through the eyes; no thirst, < heat, > open air • Argentum nitricum: granular; same symptoms as puls. but in more marked degree, to be used if puls. fails; discharge abundant and purulent; < warmth, sweets, > cold • Arsenicum album: burning in eyes with acrid lacrimation, edema around eyes, intense photophobia; > warmth • Belladonna: dry; staring; brilliant; photophobia • Euphrasia: catarrhal; eyes water all the time; marked inflammation of the entire eye; thick excoriating discharge; permanent blinking • Graphites: chronic or blepharitis; eyelids red and swollen; eczema of lids, fissured; photophobia; unhealthy skin; thick gluey exudate • Mercurius solubilis: profuse, burning acrid discharge, after exposure to glare of fire (foundry men); red and swollen lids; < air, warmth, fire, radiation and light • Pulsatilla: > cold applications; granular pustular cornea; when discharge is thick, yellow or yellow green and bland; indicated when symptoms have matured; invaluable in ophthalmia, after measles in purulent ophthalmia and in ophthalmia neonatorum (whether gonorrheal origin or not); if fails consider arg-n.; < night with agglutination of lids in morning; lids inflamed; < heat; > fresh air • Rhus toxicodendron: granular pustular cornea; useful in conjunctivitis caused by getting wet • Sepia: pustular granular cornea; inflammation is of sluggish type occurring generally in scrofulous children; symptoms are subacute; muco-purulent discharge in morning; eyes feel comparatively comfortable during the day; in evening annoying dryness of conjunctiva • Sulphur: pustular granular cornea; from irritation of foreign bodies when acon. fails; burning ulceration on margin of lids; burning in eyes; worse 1-3 a.m.

Subtle Support
• notes: A#, B, C, D#, E, G, G#

• chords: diminished 8th, C Major, D# Major, G# Major (Gimbel, p. 116)

Mind/Body
• Connected with loss and grief. (Epstein, p. 84) • Anger and frustration at what you are looking at in life. (Hay, 1984, p. 160) • Inflammation/Infection: fear; inflamed thinking; seeing red; anger and frustration about seeing conditions in one's life. (Hay, 1984, p. 170-1) • Conjunctivitis involves not wanting to see a conflict. It leads to pain in the eyes which can only be eased by closing the eyes, not looking directly at the conflict. (Dethlefsen, p. 151)

• Liver ~ Gan is the residence of the Hun (Ethereal Soul); it relates to decisiveness, control, and the principle of emergence; stores and cleanses the Xue (Blood); maintains smooth flow of Qi and Xue (Blood); reflects emotional harmony and movement; and opens into the eyes. » Healthy expressions are kindness, spontaneity, and ease of movement. » Liver Xu (Deficiency) signs include impotence; frigidity; pain in thighs, pelvic region, and throat; ready tendency to "the blahs" (Seem, p. 28); timidity; depression; irritability; vertigo; pruritus; dry eyes, skin, and/or tendons; asthma; aching at the waist; hernia; and difficulty raising head up and down. Liver Yin Xu (Deficiency) predisposes to the Shi (Excess) conditions of Liver Wind, Liver Yang Rising, and Liver Fire Blazing. » Liver Qi Stagnation reflects and accentuates emotional constraint as the Liver's function of facilitating smooth flow in the body is constricted. Stagnation is associated with frustration, irritability, tension, and feeling stuck. With time this pattern tends to produce a gloomy emotional state of constant resentment, repressed anger or depression, along with tightness in the chest, frequent sighing, abdominal tension or distension, and/or a feeling of a lump in the throat with difficulty in swallowing. (Maciocia, p. 216) » Liver Shi (Excess) signs include discontent; anger; pain in lumbar region and genitals (Seem, p. 28); muscular tension; excessive sex drive; insomnia; moodiness; excitability; genital diseases; red, tearing eyes; compulsive energy; and bitter taste in the mouth. Chronically suppressed anger can implode and give rise to Fire in the Liver and Gall Bladder with symptoms of irritability, bitter taste, headaches, etc.
 * Chinese psychophysiology:**