Iridology is a field of study within alternative medicine. Its principles state that by examining the pigment and structure of a patient's iris (the colored part of the eye), the iridologist can identify which toxins or sources of inflammation may be present in a person's body and where, as well as any biochemical deficiencies that may be present.
History
Iridology is purported to have begun in the mid- to late-1800s when a Hungarian boy noted changes in an owl's iris as it healed of a broken leg, and when a Swedish boy noted changes in his own iris color as he progressed through various maladies. Both boys, once they'd grown, published remarkably similar charts depicting the iris/body relation. Dr. Bernard Jensen published a similar set of maps in the United States.
Techniques
An iridologist may examine your iris directly by use of bright lights and a magnifying glass, or may do so at a distance if you send a closeup picture of your iris. He or she is looking for changes in the colors, layers, rings, spots and any other distinctive markings on your iris. If you examine your own iris in a mirror, remember that the image you see in the mirror will be the reverse of that depicted on any reference chart or map.
General Principles
According to the principles of iridology, the left eye corresponds with the left side of the body and the right eye is believe to correspond with the right side of the body. The organs located higher in the body tend to be related to the upper part of the iris and the organs located lower in the body are usually represented by the lower part of the iris.
Interpretation
You can make a basic interpretation of your own iris by looking for specific colors in certain parts of the iris. Each part of the iris corresponds to a certain part of the body, and each color represents a certain condition. Yellow spots may indicate poor kidney function, orange spots may indicate weakness in liver or pancreas and brown spots may indicate poor liver function.
Further Diagnosis
Iridologists may also examine the whites of your eyes, where blood vessels or discoloring may indicate certain conditions, and your pupils. IParalysis or nerve damage may produce distortion or deformation of the pupils, or unequal pupils.
Benefits
Whether iridology is a valid field of medical study or not remains controversial, but if you subscribe to it, the benefits include a rapid, non-invasive method of diagnosing ailments that might not otherwise be diagnosed without extensive medical testing, or at all.
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