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If you don't stop it, you'll go blind.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School have discovered a possible relationship between the use of Viagra and nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). Researchers say there have been 14 known cases in which men have suffered a 'stroke of the eye' shortly after taking the drug used to cure erectile disfunction.
Lead researcher Professor Howard Pomeranz said that all men who have suffered a stroke of the eye should be asked about use of Viagra so that any link can be more firmly established.
From a TCM perspective. The "Liver" is implicated in erectile disfunction. Among its many functions, the Liver is said to "store the blood". The so-called Liver Blood is what enters the uterus and induces a woman's period. In the male, the Liver Blood is used to generate the erection.
Another relationship that the erection has with the Liver in TCM is that the Liver is said to manifest in the tendons and sinews. This is basically saying that where there is enough Blood stored in the Liver, the Liver can moisturize and lubricate the tendons and sinews of the body. Dry tendons and sinews gives rise to inflexibility and a tendency toward "pulling muscles" and other sprains. Additionally, the penis is actually called the "Jade Tendon". Chinese will call anything that is precious "jade", however it is the tendon part that deserves our attention. The Liver channel also passes through the external genitalia thus lending even more reason to connect the TCM Liver to the penis and its erectile functions.
So, how does TCM treat erectile disfunction? Often times, the treatment principle is to use herbal medicines to stimulate blood flow to the penis. Many of the herbs that do this are either blood thinners or vasodilators. In short, they work much the same way as Viagra which relaxes muscles in the penis and so allows for the entry of more blood and a better erection.
The Liver Opens to the Eyes. This is a statement of fact in TCM. It is an underlying premise upon which much sits theoretically and therapeutically. Many of the internal organs in TCM have a sort of relationship with one of the sensory orifices (holes in the head, basically). The Liver opens to the eyes. For this reason, many pathologies that effect the vision are attributed to the Liver and successfully treated through the Liver as well.
The Liver in Chinese medicine is also said to be associated with the color that is called "Qing" in mandarin. This translates to "blue-green". When we see a pathology that arrives with a blue green color we put one diagnostic tally mark in the "Liver" column. For instance, when you feel sick, sometimes your face turns a little green. This may indicate that the illness is in the (TCM concept of the) Liver. In association with the use of Viagra, University of Minnesota professor Howard Pomeranz reports that "For years, we've known that some men who take Viagra will experience temporary color changes in their vision and see things as blue or green."
So here we have a drug that addresses the movement of Liver Blood into the Jade Tendon causing Eye problems, ranging from the appearance of blue or green in the field of vision to permanent blindness.
This NAION is an inflamation of the optic nerve, with a few different risk factors which include hypertension, often times viewed as a Liver pathology due to its regulation of the Blood and hence, blood pressure. Interestingly, there is some interest in the use of Levodopa in the treatment of NAION. Levodopa of course is the drug used to address Parkinsonian tremors, stiffness and slowness of movement, all of which point to the Liver and its association with tendons and movement disorders.
Would TCM protocols designed to protect the (TCM) Liver make Viagra safer for men? We'll see.
(link) [BBC News Health]
Posted by alstone at April 1, 2005 08:49 PM