The Effects of Drinking Ice Water on Eye & Vision Disorders

I practice Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in Northwest Arkansas where my focus is treating patients with macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa and other degenerative retinal and optic nerve diseases. Although microacupuncture* is the method by which I treat these diseases, it is essential that patients follow certain principles and practices to help maintain the vision they often gain by treatment, and to help stabilize their condition. The microacupuncture treatment helps heal the damage caused by the disease, it is not a cure.

Last year I wrote an article on my blog (macupuncture.com), “The Hazards of Drinking Ice Water,” looking at the various health problems associated with habitual drinking of iced cold water. I would now like to take a look at the potential adverse effects this habit can have on the eyes; on both existing eye disorders and eyes that are healthy. In my search for existing information on this topic, I came up empty; nothing that specifically discusses the relationship between the effects of Ice water in the diet and the impact on the eyes. I will do my best to explain what I believe to be potential harm using my knowledge of Chinese medicine, and my general understanding of the health effects ice water has on the body.

Chinese medical practitioners advise that we should never put anything into our bodies under 100 degrees (close enough to 98.6). Since our bodies need this temperature to function properly, ingesting zero degree water will cause our bodies to do everything possible to get back to its desired temperature. Homeostasis. The body will generate heat to bring the stomach back to 100 degrees, drawing heat from other essential parts of the body. Consequently, the stomach becomes over heated, causing a desire for more cold. Addiction.

The acupuncture channel of the Stomach (think of the Stomach as a system of functions, not just an organ) starts in the base of the eye, moves downward traversing the face and sinuses and upper teeth, down into the chest/esophagus, continues down through the stomach and into the foot. The excess Heat the Stomach generates from ingesting cold will rise upward, causing inflammation in the chest, esophagus, teeth, sinuses, eyes and brain. Many eye diseases have an inflammatory component: Retinitis pigmentosa and optic neuritis to name a few. When the Stomach heats up, the heat will cause a worsening of inflammation in the tissue of the sinus passages, eyes and brain. This perspective is unique to Oriental Medicine. Other inflammatory conditions resulting from chronic ice water consumption include chronic sinusitis, periodontal disease and conjunctivitis.

The Spleen (also a system of functions) plays a role since it is the system that brings nourishment to all the organs, and also maintains integrity of all the tissue of the body; when the Spleen is weak, our tissue tends to weaken. In regards to the eyes, strong blood vessels and a healthy retina are essential to avoid neovascularization and leakage that occurs with Wet Macular Degeneration, tears in the retina, detached retina, and other conditions related to weak tissue. Ice water, cold foods, sugar and greasy foods will weaken the Spleen, and therefore all the tissue of the body. Bruising easily, aneurisms and bulging discs are other examples of conditions related to a loss of integrity due to a weak Spleen. For patients suffering from macular degeneration (AMD) this is a serious issue because for many with AMD the retina, the lining in the back of the eye, can become thin and weak which allows abnormal blood vessels to grow though the retina. These abnormal vessels are weak and can leak fluid into the back of the eye, causing further blindness. Wet AMD, as it is referred to, is a progression of (dry) AMD.

* Microacupuncture is a specialized form of acupuncture that is not within the Oriental medicine system of acupuncture