Most people assume that the only doctors that can help eye-related problems are “eye” doctors (or ophthalmologists). Even though eye doctors play a critical role in the care of those with eye-related problems, it is imperative that such patients also seek the help of a naturopathic physician. The reason is that the eyes are a part of a very complicated machinery called the body. The overall health status of the body (and mind) has much to do with the health of the eyes. As naturopathic physicians, we help improve the health of the body which will consequently INDIRECTLY help the health of the eyes. We also DIRECTLY help with the health of the eyes using various natural supplements (such as a specific berry syrup supplement that we carry at our dispensary).
I have successfully treated several eye conditions that are rather difficult to treat using conventional drugs. Listed here are the top most common eye-related conditions I have treated in my practice: Macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, uveitis, retinal detachment, diabetic retinopathy, floaters, eye pain, and basic poor vision. Many of such patients either have these conditions and are rather healthy otherwise. Or, they might have a systemic disease that could have precipitated their eye condition. Regardless of whether the patient is healthy overall, or they have a systemic disease at the root of their eye condition, they can often be helped with natural therapies.
Let’s take a systemic disease such as sarcoidosis that can negatively affect the eyes. Sarcoidosis is an autoimmune condition that is associated with ailments in various organs, including the heart, lungs, skin, eyes, etc. Sarcoidosis can cause uveitis, glaucoma and cataracts, three different eye conditions. If the patient has sarcoidosis, you must treat the immune system (i.e. digestive system) in order to improve the health of the eyes. Such a patient cant suffice with steroid eye drops only! The eye drops keep the local inflammation in the eyes down, but do not offer any help to the rest of the body where the ROOT of the problem resides. This is exactly why you cant suffice with only seeing an eye doctor if you have eye-related problems.
I did, in fact, once have a sarcoidosis patient who was on three different eye drops. When I spoke with her eye doctor regarding the state of my patient’s eyes, the doctor responded by saying that if any of the drops were to be discontinued, our patient could lose her eye sight due to the severe inflammation in the eyes (which was a reflection of the severity of inflammation in the rest of her body). I helped guide this patient through the “7 Steps to Healing” (refer to this article under the Educational Articles page on this website) over a period of several months. Month after month, this patient’s eye conditions (glaucoma and uveitis) improved, and she was eventually able to go off of two of her eye medications and lessen the dose of the last eye medication by half. This process did take several months, but the patient, the eye doctor, and I were very pleased with the results. Id like to also mention that the patient’s eyesight improved drastically as well. (When she first came to my office, she could not read the flip charts sitting 7-8 feet away from her chair, but she could read them fine without any glasses within 2-3 months after our initial visit.)
It makes sense that you should see a generalist (such a naturopathic physician) if you have a vision problem that is caused by a systemic disease. However, its not as obvious that you should see a generalist if you feel rather healthy in every way, but suffer from an eye condition(s) only. Even in such cases, you must consider seeing a generalist in addition to an eye doctor. Again, this is due to the fact that the health of the eyes is directly controlled by the health of the rest of the body, most importantly the digestive system. If you are not digesting your food and not properly absorbing the nutrients from your food, clearly you will suffer from some consequences in your vision, it will likely just be a matter of time.
Of course, there are numerous other systemic diseases (such as diabetes mellitus) that can cause eye-related problems (i.e. diabetic retinopathy). My approach in treating such conditions will be similar no matter what the disease might be- I basically guide the patient through the 7 Steps to Healing, which includes proper lifestyle/diet, detoxification, homeopathy, bodywork, nutritional supplements (general nutrients plus the ones specific for eye health), and sometimes palliation. Note that in the case of diabetes mellitus, clearly the blood sugar has to remain low in order to help with prevention as well as treatment of diabetic retinopathy. Most of my diabetic patients do take pharmaceutical medications as well as natural supplements to help lower their blood sugar and to help with eye health, and they surprise their eye doctor with their unremarkable annual eye exam.
Here, Id like to mention a specific eye condition that is rather easy to treat- macular degeneration. In fact, I have had a few cases of macular degeneration in my office, and they have all improved significantly when they followed my recommendations which is 7 Steps to Healing tailored specifically for them. Eating organic blueberries is always one of my top recommendations for treating macular degeneration. However, remember that we dont just treat a condition in naturopathic medicine, we treat the entire body. Therefore, treating macular degeneration, or any other eye condition, is not about taking several specific supplements- you must also improve the health of the rest of the body.
Another condition of the eye that responds well to naturopathic medicine, and is indeed rather serious and can lead to blindness, if untreated, is glaucoma. I cant say I have cured this condition in my patients, but I can definitely say that the pressure in the eyes of glaucoma patients does appear to decrease over time as they follow the “7 Steps to Healing.” This reduction in pressure can be very significant in some patients, and can save their vision.
Your mental/emotional attitude and outlook on life also plays a role in the health of your eyes. I have had a few patients with a very serious condition of the eyes called retinitis pigmentosa, which can eventually lead to blindness.
Even though this condition is thought to be genetic, I have noticed that all of my retinitis pigmentosa patients appeared to have a tendency to literally block seeing painful aspects of their life which I believe is also partly responsible for their blinding condition.
Last, but not least, there is a homeopathic eye drop that I prescribe to my patients with cataracts. So far, a couple of these patients have returned after at least 6 months of using the homeopathic cataracts medication, and reported significant reversal of their cataracts!
Clearly, the recommendations in this blog are too general, and do not replace a visit to an eye doctor and a naturopathic physician.
Always remember that as the body heals overall, so do the eyes!
Dr. Sharif