To poets, the eyes—whether round, beady, deep-set or doey—have long been known as the windows to the soul. An ophthalmologist, which is less likely to wax poetic, would describe the eyes as the windows to our health. Systemic disorders such as high blood pressure, diabetes, stress-related effects and nutritional deficiencies are easily seen under the scrutiny of a holistic ophthalmologist’s biomicroscope.

Patients that visit a systemically oriented ophthalmologist will discover that not only will they receive an assessment of the eyes, but also feedback about telltale signs of their emotional conflicts, musculoskeletal problems, root canals, toxic infections and other health issues that appear in their eyes.

Unfortunately, this connection between overall health and eye health is rarely addressed during conventional eye exams. The majority of doctors that treat eye disease and prescribe eyeglasses are merely following their training, which is traditionally based on the standard treatment of spectacles and surgery. Without a background in nutrition and non-conventional approaches to treating eye problems, conventional optometrists and ophthalmologists treat the eyes as isolated organs.

A systemically oriented, board-certified ophthalmologist trained in regenerative nutrition may maintain that our overall health has much to do with the state of our vision and that the use of multimodal protocols such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy, homeopathy, detoxification, supplementation, low-level microcurrent to stimulate cellular activity, palming (using the hands over closed eyes) and other alternative methods can be used to reverse visual loss.

Dr. Edward C. Kendrot, M.D., is also a medical doctor of homeopathy at Healing the Eye and Wellness Center, 2666 Swamp Cabbage Ct., Fort Myers. For more information, call 352-588-0477 or 800-430-9328 or visit HealingTheEye.com.