Black Eye

An injury that occurs in the soft tissue that encompasses the eyes causes a “black eye”; it is essentially a bruise-otherwise called a contusion; it results from a physical injury of some sort to the tissue. A fractured skull must be considered as a possible causative factor if both eyes turn black; this is in case other causes for physical trauma are not immediately apparent. If this is the case, make sure to seek out some medical attention as soon as possible.

The bruise or the contusion is formed when small blood vessels in the tissues surrounding the eye break and leak blood into the surrounding tissue, this produces first a red, and then a black or blue discoloration in the area - a bruise or a contusion is caused by physical injury from a blow or after a person has fallen down. This affected area after healing initially can be injured again from the pressure that comes from blowing of the nose or that which comes when a person is sneezing.

The injured blood capillaries can be helped to heal rapidly by the consumption of food items rich in vitamin C, such as green and leafy vegetables, and fruits like apples and all citrus fruits. The consumption of these foods must be done raw as their vitamin C content is destroyed easily by heat from cooking. The enzymes are also must better preserved in raw foods; these enzymes form the essential immune system boosters in the human body. Inflammation can be reduced in the affected area with the use of flax seed oil, which will aid in the reassertion of the blood released from the bruises. The flax seed oil must be taken at dosages of about two tbsps. Make sure that you eat a salad of fresh, raw vegetables every day-this must preferably be dressed using lemon juice for taste and vitamin C content.

Supplements and herbs

The blood vessels can be strengthened by the use of supplements of vitamin C and bioflavonoid; these are also needed by the body to heal tissues injured during the bruising. The healing of damaged tissues from bruises can also be effectively accomplished by the vitamin E. The prevention of free radical damage is done by both the vitamins C and E which are excellent supplemental antioxidants. Both these vitamins must be taken on a daily basis for the proper treatment of a black eye. The rate of healing in black eye can be increased by the use of herbal compresses, which will also help in bringing about a reduction in the inflammation.

The injury in the tissues around the eye can also be healed and soothed using compresses of herbs like the fennel, the chamomile, and the calendula blossoms along with peppermint as direct topical applications. To bring about a reduction in eye strain, use can be made of the eyebright and the cornflower; these also prevent infections from occurring, and heal the inflammation that causes the swelling of the affected tissues. The antiseptic properties of the white melilot can also be taken advantage of to treat the injury. If there is inflammation in the eyelids, use plantain leaves as effective supplemental measures for direct topical application.

What else you can do

The application of cool medicinal clay packs or quark packs will reduce the swelling in the injured area, make sure these packs are renewed every half hour or so in a continuous treatment cycle. To render the clay pack more effective, make sure that you add a few drops of horsetail tincture to it. Alternating the clay pack with cabbage leaf poultices will heal tissue faster and bring about a rapid reduction in swelling as well as aid the body in eliminating toxins that have accumulated at the site of injury. The use of ice packs as a temporary measure is also suggested if the swelling is severe and the swollen area is large.

Usual dosage

• Vitamin E, 400 IU  1 - 2 times a day.
• Vitamin C, with bioflavonoids, 1,000 mg thrice a day.

More useful herbs

• Slippery Elm