Alternative Therapies for Eye Inflammation: Patient Preferences and Patterns

Year 2024, Volume: 5 Issue: 1, 47 - 53, 29.04.2024

Bilge Yurdakul

https://doi.org/10.53811/ijtcmr.1432912

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and patterns of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among patients with inflammatory eye disease.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted over three months through direct interviews with 150 consecutive patients at a tertiary care clinic specializing in inflammatory eye diseases. Sociodemographic data and clinical characteristics were extracted from clinical records for analysis. Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics software.

Results: In this cohort, 110 of the 150 patients (73.3%) reported employing complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) strategies to mitigate their ocular conditions. The CAM interventions included vitamin supplementation (n=53, 35%), herbal remedies (n=41, 27%), acupuncture (n=23, 15%), and leech therapy (n=11, 7%)—notably, a significant portion—roughly one in three patients—engaged in multiple CAM therapies.
Statistical analysis revealed a robust association between CAM applications and several demographic and clinical variables. Females were more likely to use CAM (p=0.04), as were individuals with higher occupational standing (p=0.03) and income levels (p=0.03). Furthermore, patients diagnosed with uveitis exhibited a higher propensity for CAM usage than those with other inflammatory eye diseases (p=0.03). Patients diagnosed with any inflammatory eye disease (≥ 5 years) exhibited a higher propensity for CAM use (0<0.01). Most patients using CAM therapies were convinced of their therapeutic benefits to eye health, and adverse effects were infrequent. Referrals by healthcare providers constituted 57% of CAM informational resources, underscoring the need for healthcare professionals to be proactive in discussing CAM use with patients.

Conclusion: The employment of CAM modalities is prevalent among patients with inflammatory eye diseases, indicating an essential role for these therapies in this patient population. The influence of CAM on disease trajectory, potential side effects, and interactions with established immunosuppressive treatments necessitates that ophthalmologists and other healthcare professionals maintain a comprehensive understanding of CAM usage to ensure optimized and safe patient care.

Keywords

alternative medicine, inflammatory eye diseases, complementary medicine

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