Visual+Disturbances

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Definition:
Any type of abnormal visual problem.

Etiology:
There are many types of visual disturbances: • Spots (floaters): These are a common adult complaint. The spots are a result of vitreous debris from the degeneration of the membranous attachment of the vitreous body to the optic nerve and retina early in life. The spots are worse in bright light and with Valsalva straining. Although potentially bothersome, they are without pathological significance. • Retinal detachment: Usually from trauma to the head or eye, it is typically preceded by a shower of sparks in one quadrant of the visual field, followed by the sensation of a curtain falling over the the eye. Also manifest as a degenerative problem with aging. • Scotomas: A (-) scotoma is a blind spot in the visual field. It can often be unnoticed by the patient unless it occurs in the central vision. A (+) scotoma is described as a light spot or scintillating flash and occurs as a response to abnormal stimulation of some portion of the visual system (e.g. during a migraine prodrome). • Myopia (nearsightedness): This occurs as the visual image strikes in front of the retina due to an elongated eyeball or excessive refractive power. The patient can see near objects but not far ones. • Hyperopia (farsightedness): This occurs as the visual image strikes behind the retina due to a shortened eyeball or weak refractive power. It is the most common refractive error, and permits patients to see far objects but not objects that are near. Presbyopia is a hyperopia that occurs with advancing age as the lens becomes less pliable. • Astigmatism: refraction of the eyeball is unequal in its different meridians. • Anisometropia: a different refractive error in each eye. • Strabismus (cross-eyes): deviation of one eye from parallel view. If the condition is congenital, there is no diplopia, as the vision in the deviated eye is suppressed by the brain. This suppression results in amblyopia, which is reduced visual acuity. • Diplopia (double-vision): This can occur for a variety of reasons. It is often seen in acute ophthalmoplegia and extraocular muscle palsies.

Nutrition:
therapeutic foods: • foods rich in Vitamin A, B-complex • blueberries, blueberry jam, burdock root, carrot, black beans, cod liver oil, huckleberries, endive • wine and macular degeneration: In a study of 3072 individuals participating in a nutrition survey, there was an inverse association between wine consumption and the prevalence of macular degeneration. Consumption of wine was associated with a 19% reduction in risk. (Obisesan TO, et al. J Am Geriatr Soc 1998 Jan;46(1):1-7.)

therapeutic foods: » Liver Yang Rising or Liver Fire: • foods that cool, clear Heat, Descending foods, soothe the Liver

therapeutic foods: » Xue Xu (Blood Deficiency): • foods that nourish Xue (Blood), soothe the Liver, tonify the Kidney

fresh juices: • carrot (Walker, p. 53) • carrot, celery, parsley and endive (Walker, p. 53)

specific remedies: • Itchy eyes due to contacts: take Vitamin B6 • Tired vision due to overuse and strain: blueberries, fresh or in jam or extract • Blurred vision: take 15 g fresh longan fruit, 30 g lean meat, 2 slices of fresh ginger and splash of rice wine or sake, Steam and serve per day Alternatively, eat 250 g of fresh longan fruit per day (Yin-fang and Cheng-jun, p. 27) • Blurred vision, difficulty adjusting to darkness: take 3 g of dried, powdered lemon seed and infuse with boiling water. Drink one cup every evening for 5 days. (Yin-fang and Cheng-jun, p. 64)

Botanicals
• Anemone pulsatilla (toxic): weakened vision due to overuse, weak, nervous patient, "nervous blindness"; given locally and internally (Felter and Lloyd, p. 1591) • Arnica montana (toxic): failing vision (Harper-Shove, p. 44) • Cineraria maritima: weak vision due to constitutional or acute conditions (Weiss, p. 341) • Euphrasia officinalis: as a compress relieves redness, swelling and visual disturbance in acute and subacute inflammation, and fresh eye injuries (Weiss, p. 339) • Selenicereus grandiflorus (toxic): visual defects of an asthenopic character (Harper-Shove, p. 44) • Strychnos nux vomica (toxic): aggravation of eye disorders when due to general systemic atony (Felter, p. 489) • Vaccinium myrtillus (Bilberry fruit): especially with diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration or retinal inflammation. Bilberry fruit extract is most commonly sold as 80 mg capsules standardized to contain 25% anthocyanosides and dosed at 80-160 mg three times daily. (Sharrer A, et al. Klin Monatsbl Augenheilkd 1971: 158;592-597; Neumann L. Klin Monatsbl Augenheilkd 1971:158;592-597.)

consider: liver conditions: the liver is associated with the eyes in Chinese medicine

Chinese Formulae
• Lycium, Chrysanthemum and Rehmannia F. (Qi Ju Di Huang Wan); Lycii and Chrysanthemum Tea (patent): Liver Yin Xu (Deficiency) with Kidney Yin Xu (Deficiency): eye pain and swelling, blurred vision (Lycium, Chrysanthemum and Rehmannia: Hsu, 1980, p. 598; Yeung, p. 164; Dharmananda, 1986, p. 173; Bensky and Barolet, p. 264; Lycii and Chrysanthemum Tea: Fratkin, p. 205) • Hoelen and Polygala F.: Heart Qi Xu (Deficiency): myopia (Hsu, 1984, p. 53; Bensky and Barolet, p. 381) • Rehmannia Eight F. (Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan): Kidney Yin Xu (Deficiency) and Kidney Yang Xu (Deficiency): presbyopia (farsightedness) (Hsu, 1980, p. 250; Yeung, p. 138; Dharmananda, 1986, p. 173; Bensky and Barolet, p. 381) • Bupleurum and Tang Kuei F. (Xiao Yao Wan) (available as patent): Liver Qi Stagnation: blurred vision or red painful eyes. (Zhu, p. 227; Fratkin, p. 157, Hsu, 1980, p. 94; Yeung, p. 263; Dharmananda, 1986, p. 228; Bensky and Barolet, p. 147) • Ginseng and Longan C. (Gui Pi Tang): Heart Xue Xu (Blood Deficiency) with Spleen Qi Xu (Deficiency): blurred vision, photophobia, difficulty blinking. (Hsu, 1980, p. 425; Yeung, p. 112; Dharmananda, 1986, p. 244; Bensky and Barolet, p. 255) • Chien-Li Tablets (patent): blurred vision; add Eleuthero 10+ if debility due to aging (Dharmananda, 1990, Chien-Li, p. 65; Eleuthero, p. 14)

Acupuncture
after assessing the person and palpating, consider these patterns: Liver Xue Xu (Blood Deficiency); Liver Qi Stagnation; Liver Yin Xu (Deficiency) with Kidney Yin and /or Yang Xu (Deficiency); Heart Qi Xu (Deficiency); Heart Xue Xu (Blood Deficiency) with Spleen Qi Xu (Deficiency); dysfunction of the Dai Mai (Girdle Vessel); Shi (Excess) of the Yang Qiao Mai (Yang Motility Vessel) and/or Xu (Deficiency) of the Yin Qiao Mai (Yin Motility Vessel)

» illustrative and related combinations: • GB-20, Lv-2, GB-37, LI-4, tai yang and UB-1 for blurred vision due to Heat in the Liver and Gall Bladder with invasion of Wind (Jirui and Wang, p. 224) • Lv-3, Kd-3, Sp-6, St-36, UB-1, qiu hou, tai yang, GB-37, GB-20, GV-20 and LI-4 for photopsia ("sparks before the eyes") due to Liver and Kidney Yin Xu (Deficiency) causing Liver Yang Rising (Jirui and Wang, p. 220) • GB-20, UB-1, LI-4, St-1, UB-18, UB-23, St-36 and GB-37 for optic neuritis (Lee and Cheung, p. 246) • GB-20, qiu hou, UB-1, TW-23, UB-23, UB-18, Kd-7, Sp-6 and Lv-8 for optic neuritis due to Kidney and Liver Yin Xu (Deficiency) causing Fire (Jirui and Wang, p. 228) • LI-2, LI-4, UB-18, and St-36 (D all) for red, swollen and painful eyes with diminishing vision (Shanghai, p. 683) • Lv-3 and Kd-3 (+): tonify Qi and nourish Yin of Liver and Kidney; pacify Xu (Deficiency) Fire; Liver and Kidney Yuan Source and Earth points • UB-18 and UB-23 (+): tonify Liver and Kidney; nourish Liver and Kidney Yin; Liver and Kidney Shu Transporting points • 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 • 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 • GB-41 and TW-5 open the Dai Mai (Girdle Vessel) for which eye problems are a symptom of dysfunction, esp. when unilateral

Homeopathy
• Phosphorus: only remedy when objects look red: letters appear red when reading • Pulsatilla: obscured vision, with vertigo and nausea, diplopia, starry apparitions, circles of fire, etc. (generally reflex symptoms).

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

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

Mind/Body
• Eyes represent not liking what you see in your own life. (Hay, 1984, p. 163) • Myopia: fear of the future, not trusting what is ahead. (Hay, 1984, p. 163) • Farsighted: fear of the present. (Hay, 1984, p. 163) • Crossed: not wanting to see what's out there; crossed purposes. (Hay, 1984, p. 163) • Children: not wanting to see what is going on in the family. (Hay, 1984, p. 163) • Astigmatism: "I trouble"; fear of really seeing the self. (Hay, 1984, p. 163)

• Liver ~ Gan is the home 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); controls the muscles, especially their contractility; opens into the eyes; and reflects emotional harmony and movement. » 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 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 burning eyes, irritability, bitter taste, headaches, etc.
 * Chinese psychophysiology:**

• Heart ~ Xin houses the Shen (Spirit) and reveals itself through the brightness in the eyes; governs Fire and Heat; rules the Xue (Blood) and its vessels and directs the circulation; opens into the tongue and controls speech; and relates to the integration of the organs and the personality. » Healthy expressions are warmth, vitality, excitement, inner peace, love, and joy. » Heart Xu (Deficiency) signs include sadness; absence of laughter; depression; fear; anxiety; shortness of breath (Seem, p. 28); cold feeling in the chest and limbs; palpitations; cold sweat; inability to speak; memory failure; nocturnal emissions; and restless sleep. Chronic Yin Xu (Deficiency) predisposes to Empty Fire, acute and chronic. » The Heart is the Emperor of the bodily realm so that when the Heart is disturbed all the other organs will be disrupted.