By After a successful pilot study, researchers at the University of Auckland are testing castor oil as a possible safe and natural treatment for dry eye illness.
Although precise statistics are unavailable for New Zealand, in Australia, it is approximated that approximately 58% of those over 50 suffer from dry eye disease.
A few risk factors for having dry eye disease include becoming older, going through menopause, spending more time on screens, and wearing contact lenses.
Over 80% of instances of dry eye illness are caused by blepharitis, making it the most frequent cause. There isn’t a known treatment for this chronic illness.
Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs are examples of current treatments that are generally inappropriate for long-term usage because of their severe side effects and propensity to cause antibiotic resistance.
“Often patients are left feeling helpless when attempting to manage a chronic condition,” Jennings states.
A device that uses a rollerball connected to a little glass container and cold-pressed castor oil supplemented with mānuka and kanuka oils is the subject of the current experiment.
“The previous pilot study, conducted by our research team, was unique in its use of castor oil in such an application on the eyelids, with the product not known to be used anywhere else in the world for treating blepharitis,” Jennings explains.
Riccinus communis, a blooming tropical or subtropical shrub, is the source of castor oil. For millennia, it has been utilised medicinally, most recently in eye makeup removers and cosmetics.
Over the course of four weeks, 26 blepharitis patients received treatment with cold-pressed castor oil in this pilot trial. They saw quantifiable improvements in their symptoms, including decreased bacterial profusion, decreased thickening of the eyelid, decreased redness of the lid edge, and decreased eyelash crusting.
The research team is currently working on a larger, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in order to build on the accomplishments of the pilot study. Their goals are to enlist ninety-two volunteers and produce solid scientific proof for medical professionals.
Principal investigator Professor Jennifer Craig states that the ultimate objective is to use a natural, safe, and effective solution to improve the quality of life for this huge population of patients in a sustainable manner.
“Castor oil has been proposed as a natural product that could offer a safe, effective and easy-to-use alternative to existing therapies,” Craig explains.
“My hope is this study will produce evidence-based guidance for clinicians with regard to offering castor oil as a possible management option for patients suffering from blepharitis, so they continue to enjoy a great quality of life, read the books they love, be productive in their work environment and enjoy other visual hobbies.”
