Iritis
My friend suffers painfully from iritis. Can you tell me what it is, what causes it, and whether there is any homeopathic or other alternative remedy?
Iritis is an inflammation of the coloured and muscular iris of the eye. Symptoms include pain, which is worse in bright light, redness, watering of the eye and decreased vision. Although it can occur in otherwise healthy people, it has been linked with underlying conditions, including ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.
The conventional treatment is usually eye drops or ointments made of steroids, which work to relieve the inflammation. It is a serious condition and should never be ignored, warns the naturopath and medical herbalist, Rosalind Blackwell, since it can, if untreated lead to blindness and glaucoma.
Blackwell, who runs an integrative medical clinic in Somerset, is an expert on the condition since she was once a sufferer herself. There is, she says, no magical alternative remedy but plenty you can do to treat and eradicate the problem for good.
She works from the basis that most “-itis” conditions are linked in some way with a toxic bowel. A tailor-made programme using botanicals, anti-bacterial oils and nutrients will help flush out any harmful pathogens and fungi which will, in turn, help reduce the anti-inflammatory response. She also uses natural anti-inflammatories such as the Indian spice, Turmeric, and the essential fatty acids found in Evening Primrose oil and cold water fish.
*Rosalind Blackwell can be contacted on 01934-712848