Eliminate Dry Eyes With Acupuncture

Do your eyes feel like a DESERT at times? You may have noticed them especially at the end of a workday - after staring at a computer screen for hours. Hopefully your boss doesn’t need you to do overtime because your dry eyes will likely be screaming “NO MORE!”. The worst are evening events. You always know you’ll be feeling the urge to switch into glasses mid-way through the night. Party pooper.

Wouldn’t it be great if your eyes could just self regulate? Wouldn’t it be great if they felt adequately moist, and not dry or stingy at all? Well, did you know that acupuncture is great for treating dry eyes? Not only does acupuncture help with alleviating dry eyes, but acupuncture also treats the underlying causes leading to dryness of the eyes. Don’t worry, the needles don’t go anywhere near your actual eyes.

You may have been told that this is just a sign of aging, that you have a higher level of inflammation in your eyes, or that your eyes just don’t produce enough tears. You may have also been told that you would likely have to live with this condition for the rest of your life. Although valid points, at AcuSoul we believe your body has the ability to change. By looking at your health from a different perspective, we can find alternative solutions to dry eyes that western science may have missed.

The liver in Chinese Medicine is related to hypochondriac pain, tendons, healthy nails, and last but not least your eyes. According to western medicine the liver is an organ that filters toxins from your blood. Many things can lead to an accumulation of toxins in the liver, such as: alcohol, pharmaceutical drugs, pesticides, fried foods, and junk food.

At AcuSoul we also take into consideration your mental-emotional health. Emotions like frustration, anger, or constantly feeling under pressure can cause the liver’s performance to decline. An overworked or toxic liver can lead to inflammation - manifesting as DRYNESS OF THE EYES.

So how does acupuncture for dry eyes work?

With the above condition, we would use acupoints on the liver meridian to help detox the organ and eliminate dry eyes. The Liver meridian is an energetic channel that connects to the organ, with accessible points along your legs and feet.

You might also be wondering how many acupuncture treatments it would take to eliminate the dry eyes? Everybody heals at a different rate, but typically we recommend starting with 8-10 treatments. Over the course of these treatments you can see for yourself the progress we are making after each acupuncture session.

If you’ve never tried acupuncture before, we use an extremely gentle technique with thinner needles, leading to a pain-free experience. We usually target leg, abdomen, or back points, so nothing actually near the eyes. We also provide dietary recommendations so your body can continue detoxifying the liver in between treatments. We have 2 acupuncture clinic locations in Toronto, 1. Downtown (Adelaide & Peter St), and 2. Forest Hill (St. Clair & Warren Road). So, if you’re in Toronto, and looking to get rid of irritating dry eyes with acupuncture, book a session today - You won’t regret it!

Dry Skin? Try These Natural Remedies

With this year's extreme cold winter we have had in Toronto, you may have turned up the heat on full blast just to keep temperatures moderate indoors. As a result, you may have noticed drier skin. You might even be waking with a dry mouth and nose.

The worst part is your hands and feet are like a desert! No amount of lotion or Vaseline seems to keep them from drying up again. 

In this blog I'm going to share with you a few simple solutions to re-hydrate your body from the inside out. In doing so, you won't have to apply as much lotion continuously, and your mouth and nose should not be as dry when you wake up in the mornings. 

First let's dive into why this is happening. With dryness, there's actually 2 factors going on. 1. External dryness, 2. Internal heat. Dryness can be moistened with foods that help generate more fluid in the body. Here's a few that can help:

1. Honey

Honey has so many healing properties. Moistening dryness is just one!

2. Kiwis & Bananas

Great for relieving thirst. Bananas also have moistening properties that are good for regular bowel movements and help dry skin.

3. Oatmeal

Any kind of porridge is good for restoring fluids. In asian culture congee is one made with rice and water in a ratio of 1:6.

Heat on the other hand doesn't disappear by moistening it. You actually have to clear it out of your system. 

But where is this heat coming from? It's the middle of winter, so if it's not externally generated, it must be coming from within.

"What generates heat internally though?" you might wonder. And the answer is stress.

That could be tight deadlines, or having to multi-task non-stop. You can think about a computer overheating, when it has too much to process, or hasn't been shut off in a while. Our brains need the same "TIME OFF". Otherwise, we crash and burn.

Add more meditation, or go for a weekend getaway. This is great for bringing down stress levels. In addition, here are some foods you can add to your diet to clear the heat/inflammation from your body:

1. Peppermint

Great for clearing heat, emotional frustration, and ‘chilling you out’.

2. Pears

Pears are a 2-in-1 combo. Not only do they clear heat, but they also moisten dryness. This is the go-to for feelings of thirst, especially if you have been eating spicy lately, or fried foods. The heat clearing properties will get you feeling refreshed and thirst quenched.

3. Watermelon

Great for clearing heat from your system. In fact watermelon is something we typically crave during the intense summer heat. However, due to its cooling nature, it should be eaten in moderation.

I hope you enjoyed these tips. Feel free to book an acupuncture & food therapy session to dive deeper into your health concerns.