Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Treatment for Dry Eye Disease: Two Case Reports

Abstract

Abstract Background: Dry eye is a common problem in both elderly and the menopausal women. The conventional therapy is topical use of artificial tears, which have limited effectiveness for treating moderate-to-severe dry eye disease. Objective: The aim of this report is to demonstrate the incorporation of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of dry eye disease. Design and Patient: Two case reports—one concerns a 65-year-old man, and the other concerns a 49-year-old menopausal woman. Both patients had severe dryness and a stinging sensation in their eyes. Intervention: Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine were used in both cases. The main acupoints used were: ST 2, GB 14, KI 3, and KI 7. Chinese herbal medicine was prescribed individually based on each patient's Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis. Main Outcome Measures: The main outcomes sought for these patients were decreases in dryness and in stinging sensation in the eyes, and less use of artificial tears. Results: In the eld...