Understanding Eye Floaters from a TCM Perspective

Have you looked at the bright blue sky and seen spots or threads in your vision? You scrubbed your eyes, but nothing was in the sky except the clouds, and you couldn’t help but wonder what the spots might be. You might have what the medical term calls myodesopsia, or eye floaters.

Eye floaters are black or grey specks, strings, or cobwebs in your eye that disrupt your vision. Like the name entails, eye floaters may drift about when you move your eyes and disappear from vision when you try to look at them directly. They may be caused by vitreous changes due to ageing or other related diseases and conditions, such as a torn retina, eye inflammation, diabetes complications, and more.

While eye floaters are typically harmless and common as we age, they can affect our quality of life. Conventional treatments may include laser treatment (YAG laser vitreolysis) or surgery (vitrectomy) that can remove floaters within the vitreous gel or break up and vaporise them.

Nowadays, many people are exploring natural remedies like Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for a holistic approach to eye health that tackles underlying imbalances contributing to the condition. Let’s take a closer look at eye floaters' causes and how TCM views and treats them:

TCM’s Take on Eye Floaters’ Causes

For centuries, Chinese Medicine viewed eye floaters as symptoms of a deeper root cause. Patients with eye floaters were seen as having an imbalance of internal systems of their bodies.

TCM has historically been used to address eye health concerns, including floaters, by focusing on restoring internal balance. While not a guaranteed cure, some patients report improvements in their symptoms following TCM treatments.

Liver as The Meridian for the Eyes

In Chinese medicine philosophy, the line “the liver opens to the eyes” means that the liver acts as a primary energy channel that directly connects with the eyes. A healthy, balanced liver nourishes the eyes with its blood and Qi (a circulating energy that keeps a person’s spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional health in balance). A dysfunctional liver, however, can cause various eye conditions. If someone has eye floaters, a TCM practitioner will address the type of liver imbalance to decide on the right treatment.

Balancing the Harmony in the Liver & Gallbladder

Additionally, the gallbladder also plays a supporting role in TCM. In TCM, an imbalance in the gallbladder may also affect the eyes, causing some impairment in the eyes.

A TCM practitioner will address the common lifestyle factors that drive the imbalance of the liver and gallbladder. The factors include excessive alcohol consumption, medication, poor dietary habits, high cholesterol, or chronic stress. By addressing these factors, TCM can restore the blood and Qi of the liver to the eyes which may reduce the floaters.

TCM’s Treatments for Eye Floaters

For TCM, treatments mainly involve acupuncture and herbal medicine to restore the balance in the body, especially within the liver and gallbladder systems. Let’s look at how they are practised:

Acupuncture

A TCM practitioner will address the acupressure points indicated for eye floaters and insert the needles. In TCM, these specific points, such as Ganshu BL-18 and Zanshu BL-2, are believed to help the eyes by expelling damp heat and nourishing the liver blood.

To demonstrate, a well-trained practitioner will insert a needle into the inner end of the eyebrow, or on the small notch above the eye socket (Zanshu BL-2). Targeting this specific acupressure point helps expel the wind heat, restore the balance of the liver, and subdue eye floaters.

For Ganshu BL-18, the needle is inserted around two finger widths to the side of the spine, at the level of the 9th vertebra. This acupressure point allows for clearing out excess moisture and heat, and revitalising the liver’s Qi and blood.

Herbal Medicine

Eye floaters treatment may be addressed with herbal medicine. TCM practitioners select herbal formulas based on each patient’s manifestations of underlying imbalances. Let’s look at the two common formulas:

Wen Dan Tang: Transforming Phlegm & Clearing Gallbladder Heat

TCM practitioners turn to Wen Dan Tang for cases where phlegm-heat obstructs the gallbladder, which causes dizziness, nausea, or a bitter taste in the mouth. In TCM, this herbal formula can help clear the gallbladder heat, reducing phlegm, and harmonise the stomach which are thought to affect eye clarity.

Si Wu Tang: Soothing Liver’s Qi & Strengthening Blood

In TCM, this four-substance decoction gently harmonises and moves the liver’s Qi while invigorating the blood, ensuring that the eyes receive a rich supply of nourishment.

Achieve Clearer Vision with TCM Solutions

In summary, TCM helps to address the imbalances in the liver and gallbladder channels with acupuncture and herbal medicine for eye floaters’ treatments. In TCM, restoring balance to the liver and gallbladder may reduce the existing floaters but may also help prevent new ones from forming.

If you're exploring complementary approaches to support your eye health, ICU Eye Care Unit is here to help. Reach out to us today!