December 9, 2025 - Eye Health
A Natural Roadmap for Retinal Healing: Understanding the Phases of Recovery
Many people come to me after experiencing sudden changes in their eyesight—diabetic retinal bleeding, cloudy distance vision, the shock of needing anti-VEGF injections, or the discovery of cataracts. These events can feel overwhelming, especially if you’ve lived a holistic lifestyle and prefer natural interventions. The good news is that the eyes have an incredible capacity to heal when we support them in the right sequence and at the right pace.
Below is an educational framework I use to help patients and students understand the phases of retinal recovery. This applies to conditions such as wet macular degeneration, macular edema, and post-hemorrhage healing. This is not a substitute for individualized care, but it offers a roadmap for thinking about the healing process.
🌟 PHASE 1 — Stabilize Metabolism & Reduce Retinal Stress (Weeks 1–3)
Retinal healing begins with reducing oxidative stress and stabilizing blood sugar—especially important for diabetic retinopathy or macular edema.
Key antioxidant support includes:
• Lutein 20 mg + Zeaxanthin 4–8 mg daily
• Bilberry 160–320 mg/day
• Astaxanthin 6–12 mg/day
• Vitamin C 500–1000 mg/day
Blood sugar stabilization is essential.
Many people do well on a low-carb or clean keto approach. Adding magnesium glycinate (200–400 mg nightly) and chromium picolinate (200–400 mcg/day) can help regulate glucose and reduce retinal inflammation.
🌟 PHASE 2 — Improve Circulation & Clear Residual Blood (Weeks 3–6)
Once stability begins, the next step is to improve microcirculation and help the eye clear old blood or swelling.
Support for circulation includes:
• Ginkgo biloba 60–120 mg/day
• Pycnogenol 50–100 mg/day
• Omega-3 (EPA-dominant) 1,000–2,000 mg/day
These help reduce VEGF triggers such as hypoxia and vascular fragility.
Gentle liver support is also important, since the liver processes retinal waste:
• Dandelion tea
• Milk thistle 150–300 mg/day
🌟 PHASE 3 — Glacier-Speed Repair & Vision Clarity (Weeks 6–12)
Distance vision often becomes “cloudy” during healing. This may be from:
• Clearing blood
• Residual swelling
• Cataract progression
• Blood sugar fluctuations
• Inflammatory haze
• Metabolic stress in the retina
Educational support may include:
• NAC eyedrops 1 drop 2×/day
• Alpha-lipoic acid 200–300 mg/day
• Carnosine 250–500 mg/day
For mitochondrial repair (key for distance vision):
• CoQ10 (Ubiquinol) 100–200 mg/day
• Taurine 1000 mg/day
🌟 PHASE 4 — Natural Anti-VEGF Support (Always With Medical Care)
To reduce VEGF activity naturally:
• Resveratrol 250–300 mg/day
• Quercetin 250–500 mg/day
• Saffron 20–30 mg/day
• Melatonin 2–3 mg at night
These help modulate inflammation, oxidative stress, and hypoxia—major triggers of VEGF.
🌟 PHASE 5 — Gentle Physical Vision Therapy
• Red Light Glasses 5–10 minutes in the morning
• Blue-light protection
• Palm Hum + Palm-Neck Hum
• Near-far shifting 1–2 minutes, 2×/day
• Avoid strong eye stretches until bleeding fully resolves.
⚠️ A Note on Essential Oils Near the Eyes
Frankincense, helichrysum, geranium, fennel, carrot seed, and castor oil are valuable tools—but must be used carefully. Apply only to the temples, cheekbones, brow, or back of the neck, never directly to the eyelid margin or eye surface.
Ready to Deepen Your Healing Journey?
If you want to learn how essential oils safely and effectively support eye, nerve, and lymphatic healing, join us for my Aromatherapy Certification Course starting January 28th.
This six-week program blends ancient wisdom with modern clinical insights—perfect for practitioners, caregivers, and anyone wanting to empower their healing. Link to register: https://www.drsamberne.com/workshop/online-aromatherapy-foundations-certification/
Enroll today and begin your next transformation.