Nandhini Elango, M.Optom
Assistant Professor, Department of Optometry, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science & Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Iridology is the detection of medical illnesses based on pigmentation changes in the iris. This method was invented in the late 19th century by Ignatz von Peczely of Egervar. He observed the development of a dark iridal stripe in an owl’s eye after fractured one of its legs.(1) Iridology proponents believe that iris markings, patterns, colours, and other features can reveal information about a person’s general health and identify prospective health problems. Iridologists have created detailed maps of the iris, with each iris divided into 60 sectors, each of which represents a biological function or internal organ (figure 1). The right iris will display any abnormalities on the right side of the body, whereas the left iris will display issues on the left side. The brain and thyroid are located at the top of the iris, while the kidneys are at the bottom. Iridologists typically check a patient’s iris for tissue changes and characteristics like pigment patterns and abnormal stromal architecture using tools like a torch and magnifying glass, cameras, or slit-lamp microscopes. An iris chart that links iris zones to internal organs is compared to the marks and patterns.(2)
Iridology’s concept is based on the idea that every organ depicted on the iris is connected to it by numerous nerve connections.(3)
Figure 1: Iridology chart
Image courtesy: https://www.shutterstock.com/search/iridology
Iridology is primarily used to diagnose rather than treat. This is not a medical examination or guaranteed diagnosis of diseases. Instead, it seeks to recognise; Toxin’s locations, Inflammation stages, Weakness or Strength, Health level, Biochemical Deficiencies.(3) It’s important to keep in mind that iridology is not backed by scientific data, and the theories that support it are generally disregarded.
Conclusion
There is no solid scientific evidence to support the theory that the iris can reflect information about the health of the body’s organs and systems. Critics contend that there is no scientific evidence to support any apparent associations between iris traits and medical disorders; rather, they are coincidental. In the medical field, procedures including laboratory testing, imaging investigations, and clinical examinations that are backed by scientific research are often used to diagnose and treat patients. As a result, iridology is not commonly recognised or used in the mainstream medical world and is typically regarded as a pseudoscience. People should approach health-related issues with scepticism and seek the opinion of licenced healthcare experts for diagnosis and recommendations based on the best available evidence.(5-7)
Reference
- Deck, J. (1982). Principles of iris diagnosis. London: KF Haug.
- Jensen, B. (1952). The science and practice of iridology. Bernard Jensen Publisher.
- Sharan, F. (1989). Iridology: A complete guide to diagnosing through the iris and to related forms of treatment. HarperThorsons.
- Amerifar, S., Targhi, A. T., & Dehshibi, M. M. (2015, October). Iris the picture of health: Towards medical diagnosis of diseases based on iris pattern. In 2015 Tenth International Conference on Digital Information Management (ICDIM) (pp. 120-123). IEEE.
- Ernst, E. (1999). Iridology: a systematic review. Complementary Medicine Research, 6(1), 7-9.
- Salles, L. F., & Silva, M. J. P. D. (2008). Iridology: A systematic review. Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da USP, 42, 596-600.
- Ernst, E. (2000). Iridology: not useful and potentially harmful. Archives of Ophthalmology, 118(1), 120-121.
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