Eyebright herb facts

Information on Eyebright Herb

Eyebright herb has been used for numerous centuries for theprevention and treatment of numerous types of eye oriented problems. It comesfrom the family of orobanchaceae and it belongs to the big genus of euphrasia.The euphrasia genus contains more than 450 different species of plants and theyare all flowering, semi-parasitic plants. The original eyebright herb is knownby its botanical name of euphrasia officinalis. It is commonly grown in almostevery country of the Eastern Europe such as Serbia, Hungary, Croatia and so on.

The humans have used eyebright herb ever since the times of Stone Age. It isamong the most popular herbal remedies for all eye oriented medic al conditionsand problems. The roots of the eyebright herb attach themselves to the grassroots so that they can “steal” the food. That is why it is referred to as asemi-parasitic plant. It a small plant which grows no more than 8 inches inheight and it can be characterized by serrated leaves and small white flowerscovered with patches of yellow.

Flowering occurs between July and September.The seeds of the plant are very small and they are contained in tiny capsules.The entire plant, minus the roots, can be used for the preparation of powders,teas, extracts, lotions and tinctures. The harvesting season for eyebright herbusually starts at the end of July or at the beginning of August. The herb needsto be cut just right above its roots before it can be used for numerous typesof health benefits.

Eyebright Herb Benefits

Eyebright herb is known for its very potent astringent andanti inflammatory properties. It can be used for the prevention and treatmentof various different types of eye oriented disorders such as inflammatoryconditions, eye stye, pink eye, dry eye, blepharitis and many others. It can beused in the form of poultice and it is very efficient in the reduction ofswelling.

Eyebright herb can also be used for the preparation of herbal teawhich can be of great help as it can speed up the process of healing. It canalso come in very handy when it comes to prevention and treatment of numerousother types of medical conditions such as eye strain, irritation, increasedmucus secretion, common cold and different types of upper respiratory problems,sinus infections, bronchitis, hoarse throats, allergic reactions and cough.

Side effects of eyebright herb may include nausea, vision problems, sweating,eye pressure changes, confusion, inflammation of the eyelids, itching and photosensitivity.