I Can See! A Testimonial to Herbs and Eyesight

When poor eyesight is caused by a lack of nutrients, herbs can restore eyesight safely and sometimes very quickly. My husband is a good testimonial for this wonderful herbal “side effect.” When I met him he wore glasses, he had chronic sinusitis that was long standing, and he was getting shots in his nose by his allergist, which didn’t seem to alleviate his suffering much. He suffered from stress because of his high-pressure job and other circumstances at the time. He also had mild digestive and intestinal distress and symptoms of fluctuating blood sugar.
The last thing I was concerned about for him was his eyesight. But I think it’s interesting to note how these other problems may tie in with vision.
Here’s the herbal program I put him on:
A combination for stress that included: chamomile flowers, passion flowers, hops flowers, fennel seeds, marshmallow root, and feverfew herb. A combination for his allergies that included: burdock root, ephedra, golden seal, capsicum, parsley, horehound, althea, and yerba santa. Bifidophilus to improve his digestion and absorption of nutrients. A fiber supplement for his bowel that included a mixture of psyllium, oat, and apple fibers.
A soothing combo for his digestive tract that contained: slippery elm bark, marshmallow
root, plantain herb, chamomile flowers, rose hips, and bugleweed herb.
Licorice root to help his body produce natural cortisone (he was getting cortisone shots in
his nose, and so he thought he’d try this natural alternative). Licorice root also balances
the blood sugar levels, which can have an effect on eyesight.
An enzyme designed to help him break down proteins. The enzyme also included hydrochloric acid.
And a combination to support his blood sugar levels and nourish the prostate that included:
golden seal, juniper berries, uva ursi leaves, cedar berries, mullein leaves, garlic bulb,
yarrow flowers, slippery elm bark, capsicum fruit, dandelion root, marshmallow root,
nettle herb, white oak bark, and licorice root. Within two weeks on this program, he was absolutely amazed to find that his sinuses cleared up almost entirely. Within two months he was completely Kleenex-free! His digestion improved dramatically, his stress level eased, and he became even more grateful he met me! However, after about four months using the herbs he began to get headaches. We finally came to the conclusion that his prescription glasses probably needed an update.
They sure did! A trip to see his eye doctor resulted in the recycling of his glasses because his vision had returned to 20/20! It’s nice to know that herbs can fill in nutritional voids and that your body will begin to restore the undernourished areas whether you “focus” on a particular ailment or not. That was over four years ago, my husband still takes his daily herbal supplements and continues to be sinusitis- and eyeglass-free!

Bilberry: Focusing on the Problem

Bilberry fruit (Vaccinium myrtillus) is a potent herbal antioxidant source. Its ability to neutralize free radicals in the brain and the eyes makes it a powerful protector for the eyes. The part used historically is the fruit, sometimes also called huckleberry or blueberry.
British pilots during World War II used bilberry to improve their vision for night flying. Some reported improved vision within two weeks of using bilberry, and longterm use of this safe herb will prove most beneficial. Bilberry’s ability to strengthen blood capillaries also makes it an excellent tonic for people who bruise easily. Bilberry used with eyebright and beta carotene makes a powerful combination to nourish and protect the eyes and to strengthen vision. It also works well for lightsensitive individuals. Bilberry is also used for diabetes, diarrhea, and mild inflammation.
Zinc and vitamins E, A, and C all work well to protect our vision and are all contained in eyebright and bilberry. Another practice you can choose to help tone the eyes is a cold water splash every morning and each night. Simply fill your sink with some cold water, cup the water in your hands, and splash your eyes. The cold will help muscles retract, will tighten capillaries, and will tone your eyes. Many find this very refreshing and strengthening to their eyes.

Eyebright: A Sight for Sore Eyes

Appropriately named, eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) is an herb used to nourish, cleanse, tone, and strengthen the eyes. It contains a component that strengthens the blood capillaries, which improves circulation to the eyes. Eyebright has been used internally and externally for eye problems of all sorts. For better vision take internally. Eyebright usually comes in capsules and is many times found with other astringent herbs. Its antibacterial effects make it an excellent tea to be used as an eyewash for conjunctivitis (pink eye) or sore, irritated, or itchy eyes.
To use eyebright as an external eyewash, you have two options. If you have the herb in a capsule, empty one capsule per cup of water (one cup at a time should be more than sufficient). If you are using the herb in bulk form, four heaping teaspoons equals about one capsule of powder. Then follow these steps:

1. Put herb in a cup of water, and bring to a boil.
2. Boil 10 minutes.
3. Let cool, and strain mixture well. (That’s better than a sharp stick in the eye!)
4. Use a glass dropper to administer to eyes as needed. Do not touch the glass dropper to the eye, however; this will contaminate the mixture with the dropper, unless you sterilize it first.
5. Store the mixture in a glass container in the refrigerator. Do not keep mixture longer than three to four days.

Eyes Got an Herb for You

The eyes are the windows to the soul, and sight is one of our most valued senses, however sometimes we take it for granted until we begin to lose our perfect vision. Most often it is some type of malnourishment that causes our eyes to loose focus. Sometimes it is a symptom of another progressive disease. But for the common eyesight degeneration, I have seen people reclaim their good vision several months after incorporating an herbal program into their life. I have also seen people who have worked on their core problem with herbs improve their eyesight as a side effect of taking herbs and supplements.
You can use herbs to tone the eye muscles, relieve and nourish stressed or irritated eyes, and bring circulation to the eyes. All this can help restore better vision and increase the general health of your eyes.