for the past 2 months, i've been trying to cure my extreme dry eyes that have ruined the top layer, the tear film of my eyes. this breakdown of the tear film causes blurry vision that gets worse as the day goes on.
the onset of this condition was very sudden and scary. one day my contacts weren't sitting well on my eyes and the next day my vision was totally blurry even with my glasses on.
after visiting my optometrist i was told to just lubricate and patiently wait while the tear film regenerated itself. according to her, this tear film breakdown is quite common for people who wear contact lenses for many years and for prolonged periods. as i was explaining my symptoms, she nodded knowingly. this appeased my shock and i almost felt like this condition wasn't such a big deal after all.
initially she told me that my eyes would clear up in 2-3 weeks. after 2 weeks my eyes hadn't made any progress and she said that in extreme cases it could take 2-3 months for the tear film to regenerate. but just in case, i was referred to an ophthalmologist who ended up prescribing the same treatment: lubricate many times a day with artificial tears and wait. i was told that if i still had blurry vision at my one month followup appointment, then he would prescribe antibiotics.
frustrated from not seeing any progress after 7 weeks, i booked an acupuncture session with my traditional chinese medicine doctor, cindy. i'm happy to say that after 2 intensive sessions and daily doses of dry heave inducing herbal concoctions, i'm starting to see an improvement with my vision!
i also noticed a huge improvement after seeing a chiropractor who practices gentle chiropractic, which uses gentle touches to make adjustments to the spine, back and neck. she also uses the network spinal analysis to hone in on my eye problem. she believes that by having a healthy spine, you can release tension and stress build up in your body that affects the productivity, creativity and relationships in your life.
it all seems so new age-y and too good to be true, but after not seeing any improvement with my vision, the fact that i can see better in just 1 week of seeing these two doctors makes me a total believer.
western medicine: 0
eastern/alternative medicine: 1
5 comments:
Hmmm. (Pause) Hmmm. From the perspective of someone who graduated in biological psychology (nerves, rat brain surgery, etc), I don't think I'd score it quite so quickly and utterly...
Maybe we can chat about the brain's tendency to look for causal connections sometime...
causal connection = the placebo effect??
as you can see i have no science background so would definitely be up for a chat :)
Use whatever works.
do you use extended wear contacts (the ones you can sleep in)?? i found my eyes were always getting really dry from the normal monthly disposables and the extended wear (for me) are much much better. i rarely sleep in them but i do wear them for +12 hours a day. they were recommended to me after my last eye appointment showed some tissue damage due to lack of oxygen getting to my eyes -- probably just a sales pitch but for me they are worth the extra cost.
hope your eyes get better soooon! yes, do whatever works!!
i did use extended wear contacts where technically you can have the same pair in your eyes 26/7 for 2 weeks straight!?
i never, ever did that, but just prolonged wear and du-du-duuum, showering with them in causes a drastic moisture imbalance :(
but this slight improvement is making me very happy!!!
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