Mahes Visvalingam
Post-retirement postingsPlease note that this site is under construction.
Some Experiences with Natural Medicine
and related observations
Blepharitis : Castor Oil and Camomile Tea
From 2002 to present:
My husband had a blood clot in the central vein of his good eye (the other had a congenital scar across most of the macula). He initially felt that he had something in his eye and we only became aware of the problem when there was retinal bleeding and glaucoma in 2000. He had different types of laser surgery but eventually lost the sight in his good eye, which looked red and raw for a long time. He was in a lot of discomfort and the consultant referred to it as a very sick eye and indicated that if the pain became unbearable he could remove the eye and fit a glass eye. During the long hours of waiting during our many hospital visits, we noticed that several people had infections of the eye and my husband too started with Blepharitis in 2002 (see NHS Direct Online; http://www.agingeye.net/otheragingeye/blepharitis.php
and http://www.eyesite.org/blepharitis.html).
The consultant said that the infection was due to bacteria and dandruff found on the skin, scalp and eyebrows of most people, and that even if the infection was cleared it was likely to recur given that the eye was by now sick with a detached retina and other problems. Other websites also suggest that Blepharitis is difficult to clear. He prescribed antibiotic cream for the eyes and antibiotics for in-take and suggested that the eye be washed with warm water, with Johnson's Baby Shampoo, Bicarbonate of Soda or salt. As he said, the problem kept recurring and after 8 months of being on antibiotics the eye looked increasingly red and angry, and became itchy and aggravating. See also the NHS Direct pages on Blepharitis .
Alternative Therapy
In desperation he was willing to try
washing the eyelids with camomile tea and drinking some of the tea, which is soothing. (There are more effective herbs, such as eyebright, but they are expensive and my husband was wary of them. Once the problem was under control camomile tea, ordinary tea, and just plain boiled water (cooled) are much more soothing than shampoo, salt etc. and seem to be as effective in cleaning the eye.)
applying castor oil on the outside at the edge of the eyelids at bedtime and when needed during the early days of treatment. We use Virgin Castor Oil BP ((BP stands for British Pharmacopoeia - a book listing approved drugs) produced under licence by Thornton & Ross in the UK (they have a website).
I was confident that none of these would do him any harm. The original Indian Kohl (eye make-up) was made by sublimating castor oil and using the oily soot as an eye liner to cool the eye and prevent infections. Some commercial preparations of Kohl are said to be adulterated and contaminated and their use is not approved in the US. When I was a child, women made their own kohl at home from the oil which was used once a month as a health-inducing purgative and for burning in oil-wick prayer and decorative lamps. The Tamil name for castor oil is Vilak (lamp) Ennai (oil). My husband used neat (straight from the bottle) cold pressed virgin castor oil. The oil will ooze into the eyes so there is no need to try and get it onto the eyelid edge itself.
Within 4 days there was a distinct improvement in the health of the eye and the Blepharitis was completely gone by the 11th day. On our next visit, the consultant confirmed that the Blepharitis had gone but warned that it would come back. It came back once after my husband had a bout of flu but the castor oil soon cleared it up . He has had some discomfort in the eye but in general this has been due to dryness (caused by the laser treatments) and proprietary saline drops are often sufficient to lubricate the eye and keep it comfortable.
Some references
I then copied articles containing the following text for my husband's consultant since it seemed to me that there were an awful lot of people suffering with this condition.
If used regularly as hair oil, it helps the growth of the hair and cures dandruff (H K Bakhru 1994 : 58)
Castor Oil is an excellent solvent of pure alkaloids and such solutions of Atropine, Cocaine etc. are used in ophthalmic surgery. It is also dropped into the eye to remove the after-irritation caused by the removal of foreign bodies. (Mrs M Grieve 1992 : 172).
The consultant explained that it would not be in keeping with medical procedures for him to recommend neat castor oil but he did go to the trouble of looking up research on the use of castor oil and sent me copies of a couple of articles he had found (Eike Goto et al, 2002). On our next visit he said that he would undertake some clinical testing of commercial preparations containing hydrolysed castor oil once they became available. He would seek approval from the Ethics Committee for this but felt he would not be able to test the raw product itself - perhaps due to adulteration as noted in Sairam (1999: vol 2: 244)
Some comments
Thornton & Ross's (T&R) Castor oil BP is more sticky and messy than some Indian products. I use castor oil during the hay fever season as a barrier against pollen and to sooth inflamed skin. I find that T&R castor oil BP can sting while the Indian and Malaysian cold pressed thinner oils I have used were more comfortable but the problem of adulteration is of concern. Perhaps there should be more research into methods of extraction of the oil.
People with severe visual impairment can easily apply the oil themselves with a clean finger. It is best to decant a little oil into a clean eggcup and use the oil from this for a day or two. The remaining oil in the egg cup should be discarded, and the container should be washed before re-use. Virgin castor oil is very cheap. In comparison to the short shelf life of homogenised castor oil, raw castor oil seems to have a long shelf life. The researchers felt that low concentration castor oil was preferred because it did not cause blurring of vision caused by the neat oil. By applying it to the outside of the eye and allowing the oil to seep into the eye, we have not noticed any blurring of the vision. But as noted above, T&R's castor oil BP is thick and sticky and it is possible to get the glasses smeared if the eyes are rubbed while wearing glasses.
The medical profession is unwilling to recommend neat castor oil but will use proprietary hydrolysed castor oil drops once it has passed clinical trials. Visually impaired people find it very difficult to self administer eye drops. For example, my husband being blind in his right eye, cannot judge where the nozzle is relative to the eye and finds it difficult to administer drops. He was recently prescribed a lubricant which was rather viscous. It had to be squeezed from a tube onto the edge of the eye lid (where kohl was traditionally applied). I found it difficult to do this for him and I cannot imagine him doing this himself. So, until we have preparations that are fit for the visually impaired, we will stick with neat castor oil in our home, especially since it has other uses as well.
SUMMARY of our observations to date of treatments which have and have not worked. Positive outcome (used together) Zero or negative outcome for us Camomile - for washing during infection
Castor oil - for long-lasting cure to-date
Lukewarm water - for washing eye prior to application of prescribed dropsYoghurt - I did not tumble to this until I saw a post by Tomreiki. Friendly bacteria in biolive natural yoghurt will reduce yeast and other fungal blooms in the gut and elsewhere in the body. We often have natural biolive yoghurt with prunes and fruit - so this might have been another beneficial factor.
Johnson's Baby Shampoo/ Bicarbonate of Soda/salt - too harsh when lids were infected
Prescribed antibiotics - transient cureSupport Group(s) http://blepharitisforum.com/forum/index.php?board=2.0 Reports on the experience of others and provides feedback from people who have tried castor oil. See update 9th Sep 09.
Blepharitis and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction are quite common, so castor oil may not be universally effective. I would appreciate comments which indicate a) the use of castor oil for Blepharitis by people who cannot afford proprietary medicines, and b) its effectiveness. Furthermore, many treatments cease to be effective after some time. If you have found some other treatment which has worked for you, please let us know through my web log on Castor Oil cure for Blepharitis? Please click here for relevant information on Community Server used to power the web log. Your comments will be summarised in this website for easy access by researchers and others.
Disclaimer
© Mahes Visvalingam, 15 Jun 2006
Updates
Found on 14 Sep 2006: In American Family Physician.
posted on 12 April 2007: The following was posted at: http://blepharitisforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=48.25
My niece's husband (Joe) who is a vet says that animals get blepharitis due to a mite called demodex and that people can catch the mite and blepharitis from especially horses and dogs. I dont know if castor oil will help these cases. It looks like there are many causes of blepharitis - and they may not all respond to the same treatments, even castor oil.
On 22 April 2007: reports started coming in that tea tree oil was helping to clear blepharitis and demodex at:
http://blepharitisforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=165.0
The two reports on clinical trials are at:
http://bjo.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/89/11/1468
http://rosacea.ii.net/news/2007/03/ocular-demodex-tea-tree-oil-as.html
I will ask Joe to test it out on animals and report on the outcomes.
I bought Thursday Plantation's 100% tea tree oil for treating my wart in 2005. I started with allergic symptoms similar to hay fever which abated when I stopped using the oil. However, I have not reacted badly to Tea Tree shampoo (cannot recall the brand). It is unwise to use concentrated essential oils since they can lead to kidney problems. So, if you are sensitive to Tea Tree oil, do not use it at even 50% concentration as used in the trials.
Noted on 27 April 2007: Castor oil will not cure eye irritation caused by allergens
I note below problems which a 10 year old boy and I have had where castor oil has not eliminated eye irritation.
The boy has been suffering from itching, inflammation and crusting of the eyes since last year. Castor oil helped but the problem kept coming back. I then remembered that I used to have problems with my eyes and sinuses when I used swimming pools and wondered if it could be due to the chlorinated water. I pointed this out to his mum, my niece. The boy did not go swimming over Easter 2007 and the condition improved but it came back when he started swimming again. (Update: the same thing happened after the summer vacation).
Susan from Florida found that castor oil did not help her blepharitis nor her chalazion (a lump in the eye lid caused by an inflammation of a gland). I only suggested that she might be allergic to her make up in early May 2007. On her doctor's recommendation, she used lid scrubs, took flaxseed oil capsules, and applied antibiotic creams on eye margins. She also stopped using makeup near her eyes. Her rapid recovery by 16th May (within a fortnight or so) seems to suggest that her blepharitis might have been an allergic reaction to her make-up.
One effect of global warming is that trees and plants are not only blooming early, but they are also not flowering in the usual sequence. We live in a hollow very near the river, where dust, pollen, diesel fumes and pollution from traffic on the nearby bypass collect. I am allergic to all sorts of things and this spring my eyes became exceptionally aggravated, itchy and inflamed. Hot humid weather makes the condition worse. I was beginning to think that I might have got an infection. However, we were away for 4 days (22-25 April) and my eyes recovered by the first evening. The itchiness and aggravation have re-started on return. I recall that after I arrived in Malaysia in 2005, my eyes discharged a lot of thick sticky yellow catarrh and I was ill with flu-like symptoms for 2 weeks. I had similar problems on return to UK and having spoken to others who had sinus problems, sore throats and chest problems after long-haul flights, I think that it might be a reaction to fumigation of the plane. I have since found out that it could be due to cabin air becoming contaminated by recirculation of air. I will provide a link for this in due course (Update - here is my report on my reaction to polluted cabin air with links to online reports.
Castor oil seems to work when the symptoms are caused by a local infection, such as by bacteria or fungus. It does not help when symptoms of blepharitis and conjunctivitis are due to allergens. This is probably because the symptoms are due to a more general immune system response (e.g. causing flu-like symptoms or a burning sensation in exposed parts of the body, such as the face). The inflammation of the eye lids, causes one to close the eyes, which shields the eye itself from allergens and pollutants. It might be the body's way of protecting the eyes. It is not always possible to avoid allergens and pollutants. I react badly to anti-histamines, which are widely used to counteract allergies. Some others & I have found that during the pollen season, sitting in front of a fan or in air-conditioning (even in a car) brings some relief. I also take homeopathic eyebright to reduce the burning and itching of the eyes.
If castor oil does not clear your blepharitis, ask your doctor or pharmacy about anti-histamines. If they help, try to find the allergen and eliminate it if you can. Check out household cleaning agents which contain bleach, solvents etc. This section on allergies is really out of place in a page on blepharitis and I will write more in a page on allergens in due course.
11 Dec 2007
Castor oil for blepharitis is now discussed in several forums, e.g. at : http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/printthread.php?t=3424
Yes, the oil will irritate inflamed lids but this will settle down within a week. Use chamomile tea to wash the eye in the morning and soothe it.
28 Feb 2008
After being unable to get Virgin Castor Oil from all the chemists I visited in one town, many of us wondered if it had been withdrawn. I visited chemists in another town and found one which stocked it. Apparently, each pharmacy (even if it is part of a chain) is independent. Not all branches of even the same chain may have an account with a supplier, such as Thornton & Ross. I found two chemists (one of which is a Boots) who were willing to order items even if they did not stock them. So, try the branch of Boots in the nearest large town and ask if they will order it for you.
While I was trying to find out if castor oil had been withdrawn for some reason, I came across the following which you might find interesting. Castor oil is used in animal feed, as a colon cleanser (http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/CAR_CAU/CASTOR_OIL.html), for inducing labour in midwifery (http://www.radmid.demon.co.uk/alternative.htm), and for dry, bruised or inflamed skin (http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/castor_oil_for_bruises.php; Zinc and castor oil is still used for nappy rash).
The diesel engine invented by the German engineer Rudolf Diesel in 1892 was said to have run on peanut and castor oils; the latter is being investigated as a renewable source of biodiesel given some of the unique properties of derivatives. Castrol (an engine lubricant) takes its name from castor oil. There is quite a lot of information on various industrial uses of castor oil at: http://www.castoroil.in/, which also includes a page on methods for extracting the oil. A more concise account can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castor_oil.
18 April 2008
In April 2007 I reported the irritation to eye and sinuses which seemed to be local to my home town. I have for long thought that this was caused by the pollen of some specific tree coming into bloom. I am now beginning to think that the problem may be due to the discharge of agricultural and industrial effluents. The BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7354538.stm) and several newspapers ( http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/east-winds-blow-in-europong-811676.html & http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3773520.ece) reported the Euro pong over Southern England on 18th April 2008. I had already started to feel unwell on the 16th and on the 17th we had a very strong whiff of this in Derbyshire. Not only did it irritate my eyes, nose, and face but also my throat and chest. I had a very painful chest and was coughing compulsively. I had left the kitchen door open and the smell had got trapped in there. There was a pong first thing on 18th morning as well. As soon as it started to rain heavily, my chest pain and cough abated - but even as of 23 April 08 my eyes & nose are runny, itchy and burning. Having a shower and washing the hair only provides temporary relief. In the afternoon I wore wrap round sunglasses and was working in the garden for several hours. Although my nose was aggravated, my eyes started to get better. When I changed into my normal prescription glasses, the eye started to itch again. Most people treat the Euro pong as a joke and have only noticed it because the odours had built up in stagnant air before being blown over to UK. I know we are breathing this stuff more often than we think - being allergic to it, I can smell it when others cannot. Sometimes I can also get a whiff of a Brasso like smell in the air. If the smell coming from the Dutch/Belgian/German borderland is all over England, I guess we just got to suffer it until the European Union decides to do something about it. How are small children and elderly with respiratory problems coping with this?
TIP for cleaning castor oil. Castor oil is highly penetrative and will soil clothes and carpets. We normally ignore stains on bedclothes caused by overnight use of the oil for blepharitis. When I tried to shift a half bottle of oil I had spilt on an oatmeal coloured carpet - I found it virtually impossible to remove with soap, detergent, vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and dry cleaners. Months later (even after the oil had dried into the carpet) repeated applications of Vanish soap did remove it to an extent where the carpet looks as good as new. Vanish soap will also shift bad tea stains (but test it on your carpet first to check its effect on colour). Don't try to remove the stain in one go since you may damage the fibres. Dampen the carpet with clean lukewarm water. Then use the Vanish soap rubbed onto a cleaning cloth to dab it into the pile. Leave it to do its work as instructed and then use a damp cloth to sponge it off with clean water. Do not rub the carpet - just dab and press gently into the pile. Let it dry out completely before repeating the treatment. I spilt half a mug of tea with milk on my carpet and it has all gone without trace. But, it looks like our builder has fitted good quality carpets which could stand the Varnish treatment. Some carpets may discolour - so please check.
9 June 2008
I have noticed that several posts on the blepharitis forum tend to confuse blepharitis with conjunctivitis - here is a good general reference on different eye conditions.
http://www.contamac.com/resource/conditions.asp
Many are confused about anterior and posterior blepharitis. This site explains it quite well.
http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/40025334/
AMB has pointed out another site which has a diagram; if you place the mouse cursor over the condition, you can see a pictorial example.
http://www.agingeye.net/otheragingeye/blepharitis.php
21 Dec 2008
If a) your eyes are red and inflamed, b) if castor oil and even chamomile tea make it sting, and c) if there is no sign of an infection, it could be because of calcite deposits. My husband's blind eye is shrinking and tends to get calcite crystals from time to time. These have in the past caused sharp pain like needles in the eye but the crystals have usually broken up and dispersed of their own accord. However, he had been having problems since October 2008 and the eye was getting worse and worse - quite red, inflamed and painful. Castor oil and camomile tea were starting to cause stinging pain. On 17 Dec 08, he went to the eye clinic and I was shown the eye through a slit lamp (which has a blue light). There was quite a large crystal of calcite from the bottom of the eye ball extending over the cornea, which glistened like a fish scale. This had lacerated the eyelid, causing ulceration, and also scratched the cornea. Large parts of this flake were removed and the rest were left to be dispersed by Atropine and an antibiotic cream. Although this made the pain worse initially, the inflammation started to go down after two days. The antibiotic cream is very sticky like castor oil and has to be cleaned off before every new application. We use chamomile tea for this and it no longer causes any aggravation.
What this tends to show is that aggravation caused by castor oil and chamomile may be due to some pre-existing ulceration. However, those who are allergic to the American ragweed, may also have a cross reaction to chamomile and related plants.
8 Feb 2009
Betty reported that consumption of Chrysanthemum tea on the advice of Chinese herbalists has got rid of the blepharitis she has suffered from for 7 years. It has also reduced her night sweats and heat, which can cause itchiness.http://blepharitisforum.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=1a7d52d5933a3aca0d9155fe3d8ce567&topic=665.0
9 Sep 2009
The blepharitisforum.com site was put up for sale without content in the summer of 2009 by the site owner. I would like to thank the site owner and especially the administrator for having kept it going for as long as they did. It is a pity that we were not forewarned so that we could have extracted content of interest to many bleph sufferers.
Last updated on 09/09/09