The Natural Connection

Conventional wisdom dictates that we write best about what we have personal experience of. As someone who deals with medical topics, this obviously presents a problem. I rarely develop the desire to contract an illness, just to have something to put in this newspaper. Sometimes, it just happens. 

One recent Sunday afternoon on a road trip through Jesup, I suddenly felt a stick poke into my left eye. Since I was in a moving vehicle with windows rolled up, and my only companion was my husband, who at that time had both hands on the steering wheel, I knew that it was merely perception and not reality. Still, my eye was painful, and I tried not to worry. 

When finally at home, I attempted to do a physical exam on my own eye. Now, ones eye, like parts of ones colon, is not easily examined by ones self. There are many parts of the eyeball that don’t meet the eye, so to speak. But, from what I could see in my mirror, all looked normal. Not red, not swollen. Pupil round and smack dab right in the middle like it should be. No blurry vision, no spots or sparkles. Just pain.  

Failing to reach a self-diagnosis by make-up mirror and magnifying glass, I went to my personal medical texts and my computer, looking for possible causes of a sudden onset of Stick-In-The-Eye pain. Before too long, I was sure that I had glaucoma, diabetes, nerve gas poisoning, a brain aneurysm, West Nile virus, or worse yet--dengue fever-- all rolled into one. All of these diseases and more can cause pain in the eye, and if I was unlucky enough to get one of these problems, I figured that I may as get them all and be done with it. I was ready to call the coroner and tell her to start the paperwork, I felt that bad.  

By the next morning, I still had pain in my eye, and it was time to go to work and look at other sick folks with their own eye problems. Not a cheerful possibility. Patients get anxious when they think that their physician could have dengue fever. That’s when I did the almost unthinkable. I called a doctor. Someone else, I decided, needed to look in my eye and tell me when I was going to go blind or need brain surgery. 

Most people rarely think about their vision, except perhaps to be fitted for eyeglasses. We don’t often consider our eyes to be the complex visual organ system that they are, or recognize that there is much more to vision than the designer lenses or contacts we peer from behind. Many systemic diseases, including hypertension, diabetes, cancers, infections, inflammatory diseases, and neurological diseases are often first diagnosed by a careful eye exam by a physician specially trained to diagnose and treat diseases of the eye.  

Some common causes of visual deterioration, such as cataracts and macular degeneration, are suspected to be related to nutritional factors. Research is taking place to see if supplements of antioxidants such as Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Zinc, and lutein can decrease the incidence of these eye disorders. As far as I know, however, no one is researching the use of vitamins in Stick-In-The-Eye pain like I was experiencing. Natural Medicine currently still has its limits. 

As I scheduled my own appointment, I was embarrassed to remember that I had not had a medical eye exam in over two years. If I had contracted the first case of dengue fever to be reported in Waycross (or even Georgia for that matter), it would be my own fault. For good measure, I checked to see if my tongue was coated, which can go along with that disease.  

Within a few hours I was in the office of one of my colleagues, a kind ophthalmologist with decades of experience in evaluating medical problems of the eye. After carefully taking my history, he put drops in my eye to partially numb it so that he could do an exam without causing me discomfort. He scrutinized my eyes with bright lights, had me look up, down, and all around. I read little E’s upside down and backwards. The pressure was checked in my eyes and my retina examined for rips and tears. Each time he said “Hmmm-OK”, I felt better. 

After thirty minutes, he pronounced me well. No evidence of tumors, infections, glaucoma, cataracts, retinal problems or anything else. He wasn’t sure exactly what was causing my eye pain, but thought that it would not turn out to be serious. He was sure I would be better in a few days.  

Feeling both relieved, and a little sorry for myself, I went home and took a non-aspirin pain reliever. For good measure, I put a wet cloth over my forehead so that I would at least look like I was ill, even if no one could find anything wrong with me. My husband fixed me supper and did the dishes. I went to bed early, and woke up during a thunderstorm. My No-Name Eye Pain was gone. Not all pains will eventually require brain surgery, thank goodness. 

For information on professional organizations that treat diseases of the eye, contact The Natural Connection, c/o Dr. Pauline Bellecci, PO BOX 777, Waycross, GA 31501 or contact us through our web site www.swampdocs.com 

American Academy of Ophthalmology  http://www.eyenet.org

©2000-2003 Pauline M. Bellecci, MD