Viral Keratitis

Herpes simplex keratitis (HSK) is a corneal disease caused by infection with herpes simplex virus type 1. The cornea may show dendritic, geographic, or disciform lesions. The virus can establish latent infection, and the disease may be prolonged and difficult to resolve. In severe cases, the iris may be affected, causing iritis and, in some cases, pupillary adhesions. When deeper layers are involved, corneal scarring may remain after healing and impair vision, or even lead to blindness. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), this condition falls within the categories of “Ju Xing Zhang” (clustered-star opacity) and “Hua Yi Bai Xian” (flower-like opacity with white infiltration).

TCM Pattern Differentiation and Medication Reference

|Common Symptoms

Clinical description:

Eye pain, light sensitivity and tearing, circumcorneal redness, superficial punctate or deep corneal opacities; may also include headache and nasal congestion; red tongue, thin yellow coating, floating and rapid pulse

In plain language:

  • The eye may hurt, with noticeable discomfort when opening or closing it or moving it.
  • Bright light may cause discomfort and tearing, with the eyes watering more in the light.
  • The area around the cornea may look congested and red, forming a ring of redness.
  • Small spots of opacity may be visible in the superficial cornea, or the opacity may affect deeper layers.
  • Headache and nasal congestion may also occur, with a feeling of blocked breathing.
  • The tongue may appear red.
  • The tongue coating may be thin and yellow.
  • The pulse may feel superficial and faster than usual.

|Treatment Approach

Clinical description:

Dispel wind and clear heat

In plain language:

  • Disperse factors associated with wandering discomfort and itching, and ease symptoms such as aversion to wind, headache, and body aches.
  • Clear internal heat and ease discomfort such as fever, sore throat, dry mouth, and irritability.

|Related Products

The products below are provided for informational reference only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Follow the product packaging and instructions, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.

Yinqiao Jiedu Wan

|Common Symptoms

Clinical description:

Grating pain in the affected eye, burning sensation and light sensitivity, frequent hot tears, diffuse redness of the conjunctiva, corneal opacity that enlarges and deepens, with a dendritic or geographic shape; may also include pain in the hypochondrium, bitter taste, dry throat, and yellow urine; red tongue, yellow coating, wiry and rapid pulse

In plain language:

  • The affected eye may feel dry and sore, with discomfort when blinking or moving it.
  • The eye may feel hot and be sensitive to light, with noticeable discomfort in bright light.
  • The tears may feel warm and occur frequently, with involuntary tearing.
  • The white of the eye may look red and cloudy rather than clear.
  • An opacity may develop on the cornea and gradually spread and deepen, taking a dendritic or map-like shape.
  • There may sometimes be pain on both sides of the rib cage.
  • The mouth may taste bitter and the throat may feel dry, causing discomfort when speaking or swallowing.
  • The urine may be darker yellow than usual.
  • The tongue may appear red.
  • The tongue coating may look yellow.
  • The pulse may feel taut like a string and faster than usual.

|Treatment Approach

Clinical description:

Clear the Liver and drain fire

In plain language:

  • Reduce internal heat associated with the Liver pattern and ease irritability, red eyes, bitter taste, and discomfort or fullness in the sides of the torso.
  • Ease signs associated with excess heat, such as headache or a distended feeling in the head, dry throat, thirst, constipation, and yellow urine.

|Related Products

The products below are provided for informational reference only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Follow the product packaging and instructions, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.

|Common Symptoms

Clinical description:

Warm, sticky tears in the affected eye, circumcorneal redness, map-like corneal opacity; or deeper corneal opacity with disc-shaped clouding and swelling; the condition may be persistent and recurrent. May be accompanied by a heavy feeling in the head, chest tightness, a sticky taste in the mouth, poor appetite, and loose stools; red tongue, yellow greasy coating, soggy and rapid pulse

In plain language:

  • The affected eye may produce warm, sticky tears, with discharge sticking the eyelashes together.
  • The area around the cornea may be congested and red, forming a ring of redness.
  • An opacity may develop on the corneal surface and spread in a map-like shape.
  • Sometimes an opacity also develops in the deeper cornea, appearing as disc-shaped clouding with swelling.
  • The condition may persist, improve and worsen, and recur repeatedly.
  • The head may feel heavy, with a sensation of tightness or discomfort in the chest.
  • The mouth may feel sticky, and appetite may be poor or food may seem tasteless.
  • Stools may be loose and unformed, with a lingering sense of incomplete evacuation.
  • The tongue may appear red.
  • The tongue coating may look yellow and greasy.
  • The pulse may feel soft and somewhat fast.

|Treatment Approach

Clinical description:

Clear heat and eliminate dampness

In plain language:

  • Clear internal heat and ease discomfort such as fever, sore throat, thirst, and irritability.
  • Address dampness in the body and ease symptoms such as heaviness, a sticky feeling, chest tightness, abdominal distention, and a thick, greasy tongue coating.

|Related Products

The products below are provided for informational reference only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Follow the product packaging and instructions, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.

Longdan Xiegan Tang

|Common Symptoms

Clinical description:

Dry, uncomfortable feeling in the eye, with reduced light sensitivity, mild circumcorneal redness, and longstanding corneal opacity that is slow to resolve or comes and goes; often accompanied by dry mouth and throat; red tongue with little moisture, thin or thin and rapid pulse

In plain language:

  • The eye may feel dry and gritty, with general discomfort.
  • Light sensitivity may have eased, with less discomfort in bright light than before.
  • There may be mild redness in a ring around the cornea.
  • The corneal opacity may have been present for a long time and be slow to improve, or may recur after periods of improvement.
  • Dry mouth and throat are often also present.
  • The tongue may appear red and dry, with little moisture on its surface.
  • The pulse may feel thin, or thin and relatively fast.

|Treatment Approach

Clinical description:

Nourish yin and dispel wind

In plain language:

  • Support the body’s fluids and internal nourishment, and ease yin-deficiency symptoms such as dry mouth and throat, restlessness, and night sweats.
  • Dispel wind-related factors associated with itching, dizziness, and spasms, with the aim of helping symptoms settle.

|Related Products

The products below are provided for informational reference only and do not constitute medical advice or a prescription. Follow the product packaging and instructions, and use under the guidance of a doctor or pharmacist.

References

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  2. Lou Weining, Qiu Fujun. Preparation and clinical application of Banlangen eye drops [J]. Chinese Pharmaceutical Journal, 1998, 33(8): 501-506.
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  5. Ding Guangjie. Treatment of 57 cases (114 eyes) of evaporative dry eye with Huanglian Yanggan Wan combined with topical Western medicine [J]. Jiangxi Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2008(8): 44-45.
  6. Yang Peixue, Lu Lihong, Li Guoxing, et al. Observation of the therapeutic effects of Huanglian Yanggan Wan in the treatment of viral keratitis [J]. Chinese Journal of Coal Industry Medicine, 2006(1): 55-56.
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  9. Liu Chun援, Li Xiaoqiang, Cai Shaoqian. Advances in pharmacological and clinical research on Lianhua Qingwen Capsules [J]. Journal of Chinese Medicinal Pharmacology and Clinical Practice, 2010, 26(6): 84-87.
  10. Yue Caiqin, Wang Yuhua, Li Changling, et al. Main pharmacodynamic studies of Niuhuang Qingwei Wan [J]. Chinese Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2007, 32(10): 957-960.