Chinese Herbs for Detached Retinas

Detached retinas are a leading cause of vision loss and blindness. Conventional treatments consist of various corrective surgeries. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), however, Chinese herbs are used to correct energy imbalances to prevent and treat retinal detachment.

TCM Doctrine

• The Chinese view of the cause of detached retinas as a depletion of kidney yin energy, which compromises the vitreous fluid of the eye. The goal of treatment with Chinese herbs for detached retinas is to balance the "original water" of the kidneys by restoring yin and reducing the "fire" of the liver and gallbladder.

Bushen Guijing Wan

• This formula is designed to return yin to the kidneys and dispel damp heat from the liver and gallbladder. It contains ginseng, buddleia, peony, chrysanthemum, licorice and Chiang-huo.

Yiqi Congming Tang

• This formula is composed of ginseng, astragalus and pueraria and is intended to nourish the spleen as a means of improving kidney water and clearing dry deficiency of the liver and gallbladder.

Qi Ju Dihuang Wan

• This herbal formula improves kidney and liver deficiency with chrysanthemum, wolfberry and di huang.

Considerations

• Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Director for the Institute for Traditional Medicine in Oregon, points out that while these formulas are well known in TCM, there is no proof that they are effective.