This week is National Eye Health Week (21st - 27th September), which means that eye care charities and health professionals from all over the UK will be joining forces to promote the importance of eye health. With this in mind, we thought we'd put our own spin on this fantastic awareness week by dedicating one of our Revolting Remedies articles to the cause.
The main purpose of National Eye Health Week is to encourage people to get their eyes tested on a regular basis so that they remain healthy. However, minor eye infections are fairly common and, while they're often nothing to worry about, they can bring seemingly endless irritation. We think we'd probably put up with the pain if this revolting remedy was still prominent in the world of medicine though...
What is it exactly?
It's the sophisticated medicinal practice of putting the blood of a bat into the infected eye of a patient. Ground-breaking stuff!
When did people do this?
Thankfully, this was practised quite some time ago in Ancient Egypt. Eye problems and infections were fairly common amongst the Ancient Egyptians due to sand storms and heat allergies. But fear not, we're pretty sure that your local GP won't be singing the praises of this remedy as a travel essential, nor are you likely to see it coming soon to a pharmacy near you.
Why on earth did they do this?
It sounds absurd, but there was actually some minuscule degree of method to their madness. Bats have excellent night vision, so naturally the Egyptians assumed that this acute vision would transfer through its blood and result in healthy eyes for their patients. We admire the thought process behind it, but we're still not convinced.
How did they do it?
It was as simple as dabbing a little bit of the bat's blood into the infected eye. There's clearly nothing to be squeamish about here, right? Who doesn't want to rub bat's blood into their eye socket?!
Thanks but no thanks! Any alternatives?
Unless your Ozzy Osbourne, we imagine that the thought of bat's blood isn't appealing to you that much. Thankfully, there are plenty of other alternatives when it comes to treating simple eye infections. Depending on what's wrong with your eye, the remedy will change. If it's a slight irritation, eye drops will help to lubricate the eye and dislodge anything that could be causing the irritation. At Online Pharmacy UK, we're proud to offer a no-bat's-blood policy in all our drops! If you're not sure what's causing the eye irritation or if it's an ongoing problem, it's worth seeking the advice of a pharmacist or optician.
Keep out of reach of children. If you are unsure about your health condition always speak to a medical professional. All content on this website is for information purposes only and should not be taken as professional medical advice. Always read the label prior to using any product.