Herbs for cataract

As always you should ideally consult with an acupuncturist in your local town. But two general rules - individual herbs from a Chinese perspective are rarely used as they can cause more side effects and not be very effective compared to properly prepared formulas which are more commonly used. Also, Chinese Medicine generally does not treat "x" condition - but the underlying pattern which comes from a proper diagnosis from a trained professional (see What Does Acupuncture Treat?).

All that said cataracts and most eye problems come from what we call "liver" system issues in most cases. Generally you can have liver yin deficiency or liver fire - in the case of yin deficiency you may have more heat signs (night sweats, anxiety, etc. feelings of heat generally) and in the other case you have possibly (pressure in the had, possibly blood pressure issues, headaches, anger/irritability, etc.) - see My Liver is What? for a general discussion of this system.

A common cause is liver yin deficiency and the herbal formula Ming Mu Di Huang Wan is often used. As I said, however, other patterns are possible and a diagnosis is the only way to be certain.

Hiya,

I used to practice in Dublin, so here are some bits of advice I would give you knowing a little of what life is like over in Ireland:

1) Stay off the drink. Alcohol really messes up your liver and stomach, which then cause problems for your eyes;

2) Cut down on the dairy as much as possible, seriously! Dairy consumed in the quantities we do in these parts creates a lot of "dampness", which really does not help with the cataracts;

3) If you suffer from palpitations, lay of f the tea as well. The heart in Chinese Medicine has a hand in the health of the eyes too.

I think the Acupuncture Foundation of Ireland, one of the main Chinese Medicine schools in Ireland, has or had a branch down in Galway, the main one being up in Atha Cliath. I&#39m sure if you got in contact with them, you could track down one of their Chinese professors. Certainly I would recommend Dr Jin Hui De, who is an absolute wiz at this kind of thing. They&#39d be able to get you the herbs too.

Also, I used to depend completely on a certain Dr Li, a lady who had a practice called "Health & Harmony" , which I think was on Camden Street, Dublin, right up towards the canal. I don&#39t know if she&#39s still there. If she is, or if you can locate her, you will be in really safe hands. She was brilliant, and saved my skin on more than one occasion. Also, the quality of her herbs was excellent.