People spend long periods in front of screens, making eye fatigue and premature aging common ailments of modern life. To protect your vision, in addition to breaking habits that harm the eyes, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbs can be excellent allies.
Dr. Chungyi Hsin, Director of Dr. Hsin’s Herbal Clinic, introduced two eye-protecting herbs — Astragalus (Huangqi) and Dendrobium (Shihu) — on the New Tang Dynasty (NTD) program Health 1+1.
Astragalus is the dried root of a plant in the legume family. It is a widely used “Qi-tonifying” herb, renowned for nourishing vital energy. Regarding eye health, research indicates that Astragalus polysaccharides can help prevent and treat retinopathy; studies have also found that astragaloside IV can lower intraocular pressure and improve conditions associated with glaucoma.
Dendrobium is derived from the stem of an orchid-family plant. It nourishes Yin (replenishing bodily fluids) and benefits both the kidneys and the liver. TCM holds that a deficiency in liver and kidney energy deprives the eyes of nourishment, leading to dryness and blurred vision. Dendrobium is particularly beneficial for treating dry eye syndrome.
Natural herbal teas and warm porridges nourish essential bodily energy
The two herbs mentioned above are frequently used not only in medicinal prescriptions, but also in dietary therapy. Dr. Hsin recommends a simple herbal tea: “Vision-Enhancing Tea.” In addition to the two herbs mentioned, common eye-protecting ingredients, goji (wolfberry) and chrysanthemum, are added. Goji is rich in antioxidants, such as carotenoids, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E, while chrysanthemum helps protect the retina.
The preparation requires 10 g goji, 5 chrysanthemum, 3 g dendrobium, and 2 slices of astragalus. Simmer the ingredients in water over low heat for 15 minutes, then let the tea steep (covered) for 30 minutes before drinking. Do not consume this if you have a cold or fever, and pregnant or menstruating women should use caution.
Postpartum women or women going through menopause may experience blurred vision or eye soreness due to a deficiency in Qi and blood. For them, add longan pulp (dried longan) and red dates to the recipe. For those experiencing high stress, red eyes, elevated intraocular pressure, or constipation, add Cassia seeds (Jue Ming Zi) and Prunella vulgaris (Xia Ku Cao) to the mix.
Dr. Hsin also introduced a medicinal porridge designed to protect the eyes, which is suitable for individuals suffering from visual fatigue due to overuse. This dish nourishes the liver and kidneys while strengthening the spleen and stomach, thereby ensuring the eyes receive ample nourishment.
For the Eye-Nourishing Medicinal Porridge, gather 3-5 g each of wolfberries (goji berries), mulberries, astragalus root, and Chinese yam (Huai Shan); 4 red dates; and 1 cup of japonica rice. Rinse the ingredients, place them in a pot, add enough water, and simmer until the mixture turns into porridge. Eat this for breakfast 2-3 times a week.
Holistic traditional treatments address underlying internal causes of ocular decline
When discussing the differences between Western and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in treating eye disorders, Dr. Hsin noted that Western medicine excels at “structural interventions” — such as replacing the lens during cataract surgery. TCM, by contrast, emphasizes “regulating the body’s overall internal environment” and “preventing disease before it manifests.”
Take dry eye syndrome as an example: Western medicine often prescribes artificial tears, but long-term use can trigger the body’s feedback mechanisms, potentially leading to even less natural tear secretion. In contrast, TCM focuses on regulating the body’s constitution to restore lacrimal and meibomian gland function.
From a TCM perspective, eye health reflects the function of internal organs and the circulation of Qi and blood — particularly the liver. The classic TCM book The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon (Huangdi Neijing) states that “the liver opens into the eyes,” meaning the liver’s health status can be observed through the eyes.
For treatment, TCM uses acupuncture alongside herbal medicine. Dr. Hsin shared clinical insights highlighting TCM’s unique strengths in addressing “optic nerve regeneration” and “pseudo myopia.” Through acupuncture targeting acupoints around the eyes, many children with amblyopia (lazy eye) have shown significant improvement within months.
In one case, a 78-year-old woman who could not open her eye due to trauma regained her vision after two months of ocular acupuncture treatment. Furthermore, for adolescents with -1.50 to -2.50 diopters of pseudo myopia, acupuncture often yields better results than the use of pupil-dilating drops. In addition to professional acupuncture treatments, daily self-massage of acupoints around the eyes is also highly effective for eye care.
Dangerous daily habits actively destroy fragile structures inside the eyes
Dr. Hsin emphasized that “recovery relies 30% on the physician and 70% on the patient.” Only by changing unhealthy lifestyle habits and combining them with TCM’s internal and external regulatory therapies can we keep our eyes bright and healthy well into old age. Considering modern lifestyles, Dr. Hsin highlights six specific bad habits that harm the eyes:
- Using a smartphone in the dark: In the dark, the pupils dilate, and the phone’s intense light shines directly into the eyes like a flashlight. The brain may fail to signal the eyes to blink, which can damage the eyeball and retina or even trigger macular degeneration. Case reports indicate that using a phone with the light off in the dark can cause temporary blindness.
- Poor posture and shoulder and neck stiffness: Using a phone while lying flat or on your side can worsen astigmatism and myopia. Additionally, excessive fatigue in the shoulder and neck fascia impairs blood circulation to the head and neck, depriving the eyes of sufficient blood and oxygen and causing eye pain and a sensation of pressure.
- Rubbing the eyes: Some patients with dry eye syndrome rub their eyes when they feel dry or itchy, which is very dangerous. When tear secretion is insufficient, grit or particles may remain in the eye. Rubbing can scratch the cornea or even induce keratoconus. Blinking or gently pulling the eyelid is better than rubbing.
- Wearing contact lenses for extended periods: Remove contact lenses after 6 to 8 hours of wear. In some cases, wearing them for a week without removal caused the cornea to be “ripped out” (corneal avulsion).
- Residual eye makeup: Leftover mascara or eyeshadow can clog the meibomian glands, hinder the secretion of the protective oil film, and lead to dry eye syndrome and styes (hordeolum).
- Ignoring ultraviolet (UV) rays: Wear sunglasses in strong sunlight, especially if you’re predisposed to cataracts, to prevent UV rays from accelerating damage.
Simple protective routines keep your vision sharp and clear long-term
Breaking bad habits is the first step. Adopting the following five simple methods will further help protect your “windows of the soul”:
- The 20-20-20 rule: After 20 minutes of eye use, look at an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds and blink 20 times. Warm compresses: Apply a warm towel to your eyes while bathing — one minute at a time, repeated three times.
- Adequate sleep: Going to bed early is the best remedy for eye health. The hours between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. are crucial for liver protection, so it is best to fall asleep before 11 p.m.
- Colorful diet: Eat plenty of green and colorful vegetables to obtain natural lutein and carotene.
- Emotional management: Maintaining a calm state of mind allows liver energy to flow smoothly, making it less likely for intraocular pressure to spike.
Translated by Patty Zhang and reviewed by Amanda
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