Friday, December 7, 2012

Abstract: Traditional Chinese medicine in dry eye

Dry eye is a common health problem worldwide, causing significant discomfort and inconvenience to sufferers. The conventional treatment of dry eye via topical administration of eye drops is deemed palliative and unsatisfactory to many. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has shown some promise in dry eye treatment; however, the extent of its use and acceptance is uncertain. We evaluated the knowledge, attitude, and practice of institutional TCM practitioners in the treatment of dry eye in Singapore. A questionnaire was generated to address the study aims and sent to TCM practitioners listed in the Singapore TCM practitioners' board database. About three quarters of respondents thought that dry eye was not severe enough to be a public health burden but most thought that TCM was effective in the treatment of dry eye. Acupuncture and herbal medicine were most commonly used TCM modalities in dry eye treatment, and a single TCM treatment session would be charged S$20-50 by the practitioner. The majority of surveyed institutional TCM practitioners in Singapore believe that TCM is relevant in dry eye treatment. Public awareness should be raised regarding the availability of TCM as alternative medicine for dry eye.

ScientificWorldJournal. 2012;2012:923059. doi: 10.1100/2012/923059. Epub 2012 Nov 8.
Lan W, Lee SY, Lee MX, Tong L.
Singapore Eye Research Institute, 11 Third Hospital Avenue, Singapore 168751 ; Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597.

1 comment:

CH said...

I am a six year dry-eye sufferer and a believer. I went into trying acupuncture two years ago with a healthy dose of skepticism. I read about the possibilities of using it for dry eye on the Internet and by chance found an Acupuncturist in Kansas City, MO who had treated dry eye patients before. I gave him a try (Sherman She is his name) and having done nothing else different in my routine have gone from living behind moisture chamber goggles during waking hours to being able to wear “regular” glasses when I am home in my humidity/draft controlled environment and more and more often in “good” conditions in other places (very limited air movement). It is one person's experience and I believe having an Acupuncturist that knows dry eye is critical but I could not be happier with where I am today compared to two years back.