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Letter 15053
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Err...anything that ends with the word "acid" would make me very wary of putting it in my eyes!
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Marc Green |
If you read the label of boric acid, it says it is an eye irritant. Rubbing alcohol, when applied to the eyes in a high enough dosage, can cause blindness. I've heard of boric acid being used as a disinfectant on a cut on your skin, but please consult your physician. Boric acid is toxic.
Anthony H
- Atlanta, Georgia
I know from personal history that Boric Acid is totally safe, and and is in fact medicinally beneficial for the eyes, WHEN USED IN THE CORRECT DOSAGE, which is 1.9%, or less, of total volume.
The greatest number of postings on the internet are aimed at helping consumers handle Boric Acid in its full-strength state; when properly diluted, it is not an eye-irritant. In the same way, saline solution (salt) is beneficial to eyes; in this case the salt is used in a diluted form; but full-strength salt, if put into the eye, would be very irritating.
Marynell K
- Arcadia, California
I see some eyewash solution for sale on the net which say they are 2.5% boric acid, so we're in the same ballpark, Marynell. And Paracelsus long ago told us that the difference between a medicine and a poison was the dosage.
But I think Dawn should be using commercial eyewashes rather than trying to make her own from boric acid for several reasons: To get the concentration right; to be sure there aren't undissolved granules that could scratch the cornea; to be sure it's USP grade instead of some impure material made for industrial use; to be sure the water is properly preserved and bacteria won't grow in the eyewash . . . and probably a few other reasons if we thought about it a while.
I suggest that people look up "Boric Acid Eye Wash [link is to product info]" for their shopping, rather than "boric acid".
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 Ted Mooney finishing.com Brick, New Jersey |
My mother would make a boric acid solution to wash our eyes with anytime we got an eye infection. Always took care of the infection and we had no problems from it at all. Also we had kittens and if they got infections in their little eyes we used the solution on them and it would clear them right up. It doesn't burn at all and feels just like having clear water put in your eyes, but it works great.
Sharon P
- Rogers, Arkansas
OK I finally saw the answer I was looking for but no useful proportions. My mother also used this eye wash for us when ever we had a "cold in our eyes" ie lids crusted shut. It is a home remedy in danger of being lost if we can't get the recipe. Since I am not good at math and still confuse fluid ounces with dry ounces, give me a recipe that measures ounces of sterile water to teaspoon fraction!
Judi A
- Hapy Camp, California
I'm all in favor of preserving the knowledge of home remedies, Judi! In this age of Frankenfood [link is to Wikipedia article], and crops engineered to produce sterile seed, and of DRM [link is to Wikipedia article] technology which may soon prevent access to any knowledge not approved by a handful of corporations, it's very important to preserve the old knowledge.
This thread implies that the proper proportion is 1.9 to 2.5 percent by weight. But people can't safely formulate from a poorly recalled highly selective particle of knowledge. If someone wants to research the subject in old books, that would be great! But then stick to the old book, not an internet reposting. Internet prowlers of the sort who write viruses should not be relied upon for what to put in our eyes. Our grandparents may have filtered the solution through gauze or followed other precautions. If you just mix crystals of commercial boric acid with water, with no knowledge of the old ways, maybe it's possible to scratch your cornea?
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Ted Mooney finishing.com Brick, New Jersey |
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+++++ I had similar questions about boric acid, especially when
I purchased it and saw the POISON label. However, I checked
with my pharmacist who swears by it as as a "cure" for
vaginal yeast infections. It also used to treat eye
infections when diluted. You will find it in almost all eye
washes, if you check the labels of those products. Wayne M
Thanks, Wayne. But your posting does show how easily internet knowledge can become dangerous. You've told us of a boric acid and rubbing alcohol recipe as eardrops for pets; Dawn had heard of the recipe, didn't quite recall, and thought rubbing alcohol was appropriate for children's eyes :-(
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Just posted a response but also wanted to include this helpful
link:
www.koolpages.com/hokuspokus/boricacid.html
You can also do a Google search for "Boric Acid Yeast Infections" and
you will find a lot of information about safe use of boric acid for
medical purposes.
Wayne M
- Safety Harbor, Florida
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++++++ I was searching for a boric acid eye wash recipe for my
daughter's hamster. I came upon this site. Just had to post
a message. My mother used to make up boric acid eye washes
every time I had an eye infection (the kind on the lids
& lashes--not conjunctivitis). Judy A |
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Enough! Boric acid wash for the eye is 1/4 Tsp to 2 cups water.
Boil water and add powder until dissolved. Store in an airtight and
sterile container. Use an eye cup to rinse eye. Blink eye into
solution so it can get under the lid.
Tried and true since Since 1952 in my family.
Jill M
- Miami, Florida
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++++++ I have used boric acid for years to treat eye infections. My doctor was the person who suggested it to me. I also used it on one of my kittens who had gummy eyes, it works great! In my opinion the reason more doctors don't tell us about its benefits is because they don't get kickbacks from pharmaceutical co. if they don't prescribe expensive drugs. Knowledge is the best medicine! Laura T
++++++ Boric acid eye wash: formula is, one level teaspoon
powdered boric acid mixed into one pint of boiling
water. William B 1 2
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