EYE EMERGENCIES – HOMEOPATHIC APPROACH

 

In day-to-day practice homeopaths often have to manage cases of emergency including cases of eye emergencies. Non-accidental and non-serious eye emergencies can be managed well by homeopathy; either aiming total care or as first aid where it needs advanced critical management or reference to specialists.

 

An overview

Generally eye emergency conditions are cuts, scratches, black eye, foreign objects in the eye, burns, injury due to chemical substances and blunt injury. Untreated eye emergency condition can result in vision loss. Often eye emergencies are caused by injury due to work related accident, road traffic accident or common house hold products, exposure to chemical, fumes, aerosols, foreign objects like sand and dust. Other causes include head injury, conditions like glaucoma, iritis, conjunctivitis, orbital cellulites, etc. Symptoms during the eye emergencies are severe pain in or around the eye, decreased vision, double vision, redness of the conjunctiva, eye lids or surrounding parts, burning, itching and stinging of the eyes, bleeding from the eyes with or without cuts and wounds, sensitivity to light, sensation as if foreign object in the eye, unequal pupils, headache, and loss of vision. What can be treated should be differentiated from those needing surgery, specialists or hospitalization.

 

First aid measures normally followed

If a tiny object like dust, eyelashes, etc. in the eye, eye itself will clear it through blinking and tearing. Otherwise, the person is to be asked to not rub the eyes, and then eye is to be examined by cleanly washed hands in well-lighted area. As per contemporary reports, in order to find out the object the victim has to look up and down, then side to side. If the examiner cannot find the object, he can grasp the lower eyelid and gently pull down on it to look under the lower eyelid. To look under the upper lid, he can place a cotton-tipped swab on the outside of the upper lid, and gently flip the lid over the cotton swab. If the object is on the eyelid, it can be flushed out with water or removed with the help of a second cotton-tipped swab. If the object is on the eye, it can be expelled by rinsing the eye with water or with the help of an eyedropper positioned above the outer corner of the eye. But at no point the eye is touched by hand or cotton swab. Some mild discomfort in the eye may continue after removing the object, which will subside in 24-48hrs. If persist longer, needs medical help. If a large object stuck in the eye, both the eyes should be bandaged and get immediate medical help.

 

Incase of chemicals in the eye, it is to be flushed immediately with cool running water by holding the eyelid opened, after removing the contact lenses if victim wears. If the chemicals are also on the other parts of the body, victim can have a shower. Then immediate medical help has to be looked for. Incase of cuts, scratches and blows, cold compresses can be applied to reduce bleeding without applying any pressure, followed by getting immediate medical help.

 

Avoidance

In any case of eye emergencies, rubbing and pressing of eye is avoided. If the victim wears contact lenses, it is not to be removed unless rapid swelling is occurring or there is a chemical injury. The large foreign object, which is embedded, is not removed unless by a trained professional or an expert. Cotton swab or tweezers are not touched in the eye itself, when it is used in the eyelid.

 

How can eye emergencies be managed by homeopathy?

Whatever the emergency condition, first it has to be managed by first aid measures. Then the patient has to be mobilized to a hospital for critical emergency care, if needed. Homeopathic medicines have been prescribed after first aid measures where critical care is not needed or parallel to the critical care management. Incase of cut, black eye, bruises, etc. it helps rapid healing, where as while applied parallel to critical management, it reduces complications and lessen the damages.

 

Aconitum napellus is one of the first remedies to be given in cases of eye emergencies. Here mental affection is marked than physical injury. Victim gets frightened due to the incident, which results in anxiety, nervous irritation, great fear and great restlessness. When these mental symptoms are associated with black eye, cuts, swelling, burning, etc. Aconitum can be given as the first line remedy to make the patient calm, and then further measures can be preceded.

 

Apismellifica is indicated, where the red, swollen and oedematous lids with stinging and burning sensation. Affected part is with sudden piercing pain and may be associated with hot lachrymation. It is often called for after insect bites and styes, and prevents the recurrence of styes.

 

Arnica montana, a well known remedy for injury, acts well in the peripheral circulatory system. It relieves the soreness and, black and blue appearance around the eye in a short time. It makes the black eye faded in a few days surprisingly. If an eye injury is associated with injury in facial muscles Rhustoxicodendron is the follower. Other remedies to be followed in eye emergencies are Causticumand Staphysagria and, Ledum and Hypericum also will indicate sometimes.

 

Calendula officinalis is often used as external medication. It promotes healthy granulations and prevents excessive suppuration and disfiguring scars. Dry and swollen lids with pressive headache are the proving symptoms. Exhausted from the bleeding is one of the marked clinical indications. Heparsulphuris is indicated if there is chemical injury, especially mercury.

 

As Hypericum is a remedy for punctured and incised injury, it is often indicated for post surgical emergencies. At any point of time after surgery this drug can be given for faster healing and to prevent the emergency conditions due to complication. This remedy can relieve lockjaw associated with eye injury. Where formerly Aconitum napellus and Arnica montana were given alternately, Hypericum cures.

 

Ledumpalustre is a well-indicated remedy for contusions of eye and lid. Like Hypericum, this remedy too has more affinity on the wounds by sharp pointed instruments, but here the part would become cold and pale after few minutes of injury. During post-surgical phase, problems of incision, swelling, uncontrolled pain, etc. can be well managed by Ledumpalustre.

 

Other than these remedies, Acidumsulphuricum, Arsenicum album, Belladonna, Cedron, Echinacea purpurea, Grindelia, Lachesis, Thuja are the remedies prescribed for insect bites. In case of burns Arsenicum album, Cantharis, Causticum and Urticaurens can be given prior to critical care, to reduce the tissue damage.

 

Apart from the above internal medications, one can use reliable, sterile Cineraria maritima eye drops, which is prepared from the freshly expressed juice itself. It has been used by homeopaths and ophthalmologists for over a century and studies have reported the effectiveness of Cineraria maritima eye drops prepared from freshly expressed juice.

 

While managing emergencies, especially with sensitive organ like eye, three things play prime role in determining the right action of the medicine:

• The choice of right medicine – which is the physician’s role.
• The quality of the medicine – the factors, which influence the quality of the medicine, are procurement of raw material, the alcohol used, internal environment in which the drug is prepared, other practices which are followed in the manufacturing plant, etc. Considering this, it is always better to choose to get the medicine from the reliable manufacturing authority.
• Appropriate medical care – where the health care professionals are involved.