herbs - Eyebright (Euphrasia officinale)

What is it?

Eyebright is native to eastern Europe and gets its name after having been used to treat eye problems for hundreds of years. The whole plant is used in herbal medicine.

Action

Eyebright contains tannins, iridoid gycosides and volatile oil. These compounds have astringent, anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine actions.

Uses

Our experts recommend Eyebright for the following disorders:

Other information

In addition to treating chronic and acute inflammations of the eye, herbalists also use it for congestive conditions such as catarrh, hayfever and Sinusitis. Eyebright is available as tea, tablets, capsules and tinctures.

Cautions

• The safety of Eyebright has not been established during pregnancy and breast feeding, so it is best avoided.



• Eyebright is generally free of side effects and does not have any other contra-indications.



• Some herbalists make a tea of the dried herb, leave it to cool and use as a compress on the eyes. This should only be done with professional guidance.



• When this article was written there were no well-known negative drug interactions with Eyebright.

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