What is Iridiology?
The idea of iridology is almost 2,000 years old and has been
found in the Bible.1 Iridology involves the diagnosis of medical
disorders by noting the irregularities in the pigmentation of the iris. This
discipline assumes that all the organs of the body are represented on the iris
through complex neural connections and that a disturbance in the functioning of
an organ is usually represented as a change in the pigmentation of the iris.2
Introduction
According to the 27th edition of Dorland’s
Illustrated Medical Dictionary, iridology is “the study of the iris,
particularly of its color, markings, changes, etc., as associated with
disease.”
- The word “iris” is comes from Greek and means “rainbow.”
- It may also be translated to mean “halo.”
The premise of iridology is that invaluable information
about a person’s state of health and well-being can be provided by studying
this rainbow. Humans have a left and a right iris, and have a set of irides.
Information from the irides can be gained quickly, painlessly, and
inexpensively.
- A practitioner who is skilled at the art may obtain information from the irides using a simple hand-held light source and a magnifying lens.
- For serious, practicing iridologists and for people conducting research on iridology, more expensive and complicated equipment is available.1
Benefits
Consulting an iridologist helps one determine the following
things:
- Constitutional strong
points and weaknesses
- Emotional problems
- Aggregation of toxins
- Areas of injury,
degeneration, and inflammation
- Nutritional deficiencies
Rather than telling you what diseases or disorders one is
suffering from, iridology tells you what the risks of developing certain
diseases are for you.
Scientific Research
- Simon et. al studied
patients with kidney disease to determine if iridology works. The study
concluded that “none of the 6 observers in this study derived data of
clinical importance or significance.”
- Knipschild studied
patients with inflamed gallbladder disease. He concluded that “iridology
is not a useful diagnostic tool.”
- Buchanan and co-workers
took color photographs of the irides of 4 different groups of patients
suffering from ulcerative colitis, asthma, psoriasis, and coronary heart
disease. The study concluded that “diagnosis of these diseases cannot be
aided by an iridological-style analysis.”
- In a study conducted by
Cockburn on patients with pleurisy, gastroenteritis, and upper respiratory
infection, iridology was found to “not appear to have any validity in the
context of conventional medicine.”
- Kibler and Sterzing took
4000 photographs of over 1000 patients and healthy volunteers and
concluded that “iridology as a diagnostic tool collapses like a house of
cards.”2
Thus, the efficacy of iridology has NOT been proven by scientific evidence.
How is iridology done?
A skilled iridologist must be able to exercise mental powers
that cannot be accessed through cold and scientific methods. The iridologist
must have a broad mind. His or her attention must be focused on the person as
well as the complaints. While diseases can be treated scientifically, people
need to be dealt with artfully.1
The right half of the body is said to be represented by the
right iris, whereas the left half of the body is represented by the left iris.
Iridologists use maps of the iris wherein each iris is divided into 60 sectors,
similar to the face of a clock. Each sector is associated with an inner organ
or a body function. For instance, heart diseases can be identified in the left
iris in the area between the 2 o’clock and the 3 o’ clock positions.
Iridologists may study the iris in situ or they may reproduce high-quality
color photographs of both irides.2
In the United States, more than 1000 licensed naturopathic
physicians are currently practicing. They describe iridology as “the most
valuable diagnostic tool of the naturopath.” Therapists may use iridology to
prescribe dietary supplements or herbs. Many U.S. iridologist organizations
exist, namely the National Iridology Research Association, the Bastyr
Naturopathic College in Seattle, Walsh, and the International Association of
Iridologists.2
In the United States, iridology is not covered by health
insurance. However, in some European countries, it is covered by insurance
programs. In Germany, 80% of the Heilpraktiker
or nonmedically qualified health practitioners practice iridology.2
Side effects
Iridology may simply be a waste of time and money. What is
more concerning is the possibility of false-positive diagnoses i.e. diagnosing
and treating conditions that do not exist at all. Also, false-negative
diagnoses, wherein a patient who is not feeling well goes to an iridologist and
is pronounced completely okay, could be dangerous. In such cases, the patient
could die because an undetected serious disease was not treated in its early
stages.2
References:
2. Ernst E. Iridology:
not useful and potentially harmful. Arch Ophthalmol. 2000 Jan;118(1):120-1.
PubMed PMID: 10636425.
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