Dry eye disease is an extremely common condition worldwide, affecting up to 50 percent of all adults at some point. Though cases range in severity, some people are bothered by their dry eyes to the point where they seek treatment, including Chinese medicinal herbs like Nu Zhen Zi.
What Causes Dry Eyes?
Western medicine observes a large number of causes and risk factors linked to dry eyes, though in general, dry eyes are the result of either poor tear production or poor-quality tears.
Some of the most common causes of the above include:
- Aging
- Medications like decongestants, antihistamines and blood pressure medications
- Some medical conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, thyroid problems or certain vitamin deficiencies (vitamin A, specifically)
- Contact lens use
- Laser eye surgery
- Nerve damage
- Eye allergies
- Tear gland dysfunction
- Wind, low humidity or airborne pollution
- Some of the preservatives used in some eye drops
With so many potential causes, it’s common for a patient’s dry eye to go unexplained.
In Chinese medicine, dry eyes are associated with yin deficiency. Yin is one of the essential life energies that practitioners observe, and it’s typically associated with the substantive, nutrient-delivering parts of the body, including the blood and eye fluids. With age, our reserves of yin energy are depleted, and health problems can deplete it even further.
How Can Nu Zhen Zi Help with Dry Eyes?
The goal for Chinese medicine practitioners is to improve, or tonify, the patient’s yin energy. This can be done through acupuncture and through herbal therapies. One popular herbal therapy for dry eyes is Nu Zhen Zi.
Nu Zhen Zi is a cool herb that targets the kidney and liver channels when administered. Once it enters these channels, it nourishes the kidney yin and liver, restores yin energy levels, improves tear production, and helps reduce the severity of eye dryness, giving patients some much-needed relief.