Relieving Post-COVID Eye Symptoms

The COVID-19 pandemic left millions of people suffering physical and mental effects of the virus, from cardiovascular damage to headaches to brain fog. An increasing number of studies show that the virus may also affect eye health, causing symptoms such as dry eyes and blurred vision.

Approximately 1 in 10 people exposed to COVID-19 experience at least one eye problem, according to a study published in the January–March, 2021 issue of the Journal of Ophthalmic and Vision Research.

The study, entitled “Ocular Manifestations of COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” found that, on average, 11.03 percent of confirmed COVID-19 cases had at least one symptom of eye discomfort. The most common symptoms were dry eye or foreign body sensation (16 percent), redness (13.3 percent), tearing (12.8 percent), itching (12.6 percent), eye pain (9.6 percent), and eye discharge (8.8 percent).

While some symptoms occur during infection with the virus, other symptoms such as headaches, poor depth perception, and light sensitivity can persist after recovery. Some doctors liken these symptoms, which may result from lack of oxygen to the brain, to those that follow post-traumatic brain injury.

How can we protect and heal our eyes?

Wisdom From Famed Monks

Dr. Wu Kuo-Pin, the superintendent of Taiwan’s Xinyitang Heart Clinic, has introduced a regimen of eye exercises from the tradition of the Shaolin Temple monks. China’s Shaolin Temple is famous for its kung fu fighting monks, whose rigorous exercises result in feats of strength, flexibility, and endurance.

These eye exercises were taught to one of Wu’s patients by a Shaolin monk, and later passed on to him. Wu believes they are effective in preventing and treating disorders of the eye.

In these exercises, acupressure points in the head are massaged to help invigorate qi (in traditional Chinese medicine, the body’s vital energy), and increase circulation in the face and eyes.

The Shaolin Temple eye exercises focus on acupressure points along certain meridians, believed to be channels for the body’s energy.  They center on the large intestine meridian (hand-yangming) the stomach meridian (foot-yangming) and the bladder meridian (foot-taiyang).

The exercises massage the eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, so they are also effective for taking care of the five sense organs. After the massage, your eyes may feel brighter. The circulation of qi and blood in your face may also improve, causing a beautifying effect.

Before detailing the steps for these exercises, a few notes are in order:

This exercise regimen uses unidirectional massage. Avoid massaging back and forth repeatedly.

Usually, the exercises should be repeated 20 times, once a day. To enhance their therapeutic effect, you can repeat each move 36 times and do the exercises three times per day: in the morning, at noon, and in the evening.

For cataract patients, it is recommended that these exercises be done along with cataract eye health exercises.

Shaolin Temple Eye Exercises

Here are Wu Kuo-Pin’s Shaolin Temple eye exercises:

1. Place your ring fingers, middle fingers, and index fingers on the top of your cheek arch (near the Tongziliao acupoint on the lateral side of the eye) and massage gently from front to back 20 times.

2. Place your index fingers in front of your ears. Place your thumbs behind your ears and massage from top to bottom 20 times.

3. Rub your ears from top to bottom with your thumbs and index fingers 20 times.

(Note: Since the ears are a microcosm of the human body, doing this move affects the whole body.)

4. Bend and place your index fingers in front of the base of your jaw. Place your thumbs behind the base of your jaw and massage from a position parallel to your earlobe, down to the very bottom of your chin. Repeat 20 times.

5. Bend your thumbs. Use the back side of your thumbs to massage from your eyebrows upward to your hairline. Repeat 20 times.

6. Place your thumbs on your temples. Bend your index fingers. Use the radial side of the proximal phalanx of your index fingers (the first bone in your index finger) to massage from the inner edge of your upper eye sockets to their outer edge. Then massage from the inner edge of your lower eye sockets to the outer edge. Repeat 20 times.

(Note: Generally, after doing exercises 1-6, you should feel your eyes brighten.)

7. Bend your thumbs. Use the radial side of your thumbs to massage from the bridge of your nose down the outside of the nose. Repeat 20 times.

8. Press the tips of your index fingers and rub the Yingxiang (LI-20) acupoint 20 times. The Yingxiang or “Welcome Fragrance” acupoint is the exit point of the large intestine meridian.

9. Push the tip of the nose with the thumb from the bottom to the top, one time.

(Note: Exercises 7-9 can also prevent and control nasal disease.)

10. Place the radial side of the left index finger above your upper lip and the radial side of the right index finger below your lower lip. Massage horizontally with your left index finger, from right to left, and with your right index finger, from left to right. Repeat 20 times. Then switch the left and right index fingers up and down and massage 20 times.

11. Massage the junction of the upper and lower jaws with your thumbs, on both sides, 20 times.

(Note: Exercises 10-11 can prevent periodontal disease.)

12. Slightly close your eyes. Roll both eyes clockwise 14 times and then counterclockwise 14 times. Close your eyes tightly for five seconds, then open them instantly. Repeat the closing and opening motion five times.

(Note: Originally, this exercise involved closing the eyes and using the palms to push on the eyeballs. For safety reasons, Dr. Wu has changed it to the “Exercising the Eyes to Remove Eye Opacities” method passed down from Ming Dynasty. This method safely relieves pressure on the eyeballs and promotes circulation in the eyes.)