| Sherry 2004-10-21, 7:12 pm |
| Since a post or two recently has mentioned vision I thought that I would
post this info that I read today.
Sherry
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...lements_eyes_dc
By Alison McCook
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Many herbal remedies and nutritional supplements
can damage the eyes, including some alternative therapies that are used by
people trying to correct eye problems, new research reports.
According to a review of reported cases and medical literature, commonly
used supplements including chamomile, ginkgo biloba, licorice, vitamin A and
echinacea can cause a myriad of eye problems.
Study author Dr. Frederick Fraunfelder explained that supplements become
dangerous to the eyes when people take them in large doses. They can cause
problems including severe conjunctivitis, eye irritation, retinal bleeding
and temporary loss of vision, the study found.
"Tell your physician what you take, as these products interact with other
drugs," Fraunfelder advises. "Recognize even herbal products and nutritional
supplements have adverse reactions."
People who choose to take supplements that can damage eyes should schedule
an eye exam before beginning the treatment, then visit an eye doctor every
year to monitor their eyes, he told Reuters Health.
Fraunfelder, who is based at the Casey Eye Institute in Portland, Oregon,
explained that most people are unaware of how damaging supplements can be to
the eyes. "Most consumers assume because a product is naturally occurring it
is safe," he said.
As a result, about forty percent of people who use alternative therapies do
not discuss them with their doctors.
To investigate which supplements can cause the most eye damage, Fraunfelder
reviewed all eye-related case reports submitted to the World Health
Organization (news - web sites), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(news - web sites) and the National Registry of Drug-Induced Ocular Side
Effects, which contains data from as far back as 1976. He also combed the
medical literature for additional reports of eye problems caused by
supplements.
Fraunfelder, who presented his findings in the American Journal of
Ophthalmology, found 30 instances in which canthaxanthine, a carotenoid that
produces an artificial suntan when taken orally, caused changes to users'
retinas, including crystal deposits.
The researcher uncovered seven cases in which people rinsed their eyes with
chamomile tea to treat styes and irritation, and instead developed severe
conjunctivitis.
Echinacea is widely touted as useful for treating the common cold and flu,
but Fraunfelder found seven cases in which users developed irritation and
conjunctivitis after using it topically.
The researcher also discovered five cases of temporary vision loss
apparently caused by licorice consumption, and 71 cases of niacin causing
eye problems.
Fraunfelder noted that vitamin A is a particularly big threat to the eyes at
high doses, and ginkgo biloba, a blood thinner, can cause retinal bleeding
when combined with other blood thinners.
Most people were using the supplements for reasons unrelated to their eyes,
including arthritis, inflammation and digestive problems.
SOURCE: American Journal of Ophthalmology, October 2004.
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