Ayurvedic Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist

EYE DISORDERS - AYURVEDIC TREATMENT.

By Dr. PRANAV   BHAGWAT
HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF SHALAKYA TANTRA.
GOMANTAK AYURVEDA MAHAVIDYALAYA AND
RESEARCH CENTRE, SHIRODA, GOA.

Ayurveda, the Indian medical Science, is regaining popularity worldwide. It is famous for accurate diagnostics, holistic approach, large variety of medicinal preparations and safe therapeutics. The basic principle of ayurveda not only enables the vaidya (Ayurvedic doctor) to cure the ailment from the root but also rejuvenate the diseased cells to regain vigour and vitality.
But hardly anybody knows that there are specializations in Ayurveda. Ayurveda has been further divided into eight branches. One of them is Shalakya Tantra. This branch exclusively deals with the diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat. Ayurveda has described 76 diseases of the eye. There is vivid description about the therapeutics, the surgeries, the preventive measures regarding them.

Let me describe some of the major diseases, which are being successfully treated by Ayurvedic medicines.

MYOPIA- There is an increasing incidence of spectacle usage at early childhood in society. The inability of the eye to focus the object exactly on retina produces myopia. In progressive myopia, not only the power of spectacles increases but retina also gets affected. It leads to diminution of vision.

RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA- This is a familial degenerative disease of retina. It can be co-related with premature senility of the eye. In this disease the layer of the retina, which is sensitive in low light, becomes affected. It leads to night blindness and further, reduced field of vision.

IRIDO-CYCLITIS-This is a disease of middle layer of eye. The patient’s vision is reduced gradually. The black curtain in the eye called as Iris gets inflamed along with the corresponding other layers of the eye. Commonly this disease is of immunogenic origin.

HAEMORRHAGES-Vitreous haemorrhages, retinal haemorrhages are a very important event in the disease like diabetic retinopathy, venous thrombosis, trauma to the eye, etc. The patient complains of fall of vision and floaters in front of the eye.

OPTIC NEUROPATHY-The optic nerve, which carries the sensation from the eye to the brain, is affected in these cases. Sometimes the patient is asymptomatic but in other cases it gives symptoms like decreased vision, central field defect and disturbance of colour perception. The causes can be tobacco, hereditary, trauma, inflammations, etc.

AGE RELATED MACULAR DEGENARATION-This is the one of the leading causes of blindness in the world. In the people over the age of 65 years and is due to reduced nourishment of retina by hardening the blood vessels. It can produce a distorted vision; shadowed areas in central vision field, seeing straight line such as bars of windows appear wavy or bent. Sometimes it can lead to bleeding in the vessels also.

DIABETIC RETINOPATHY- Diabetes is a widespread disease and India has become a diabetic capital of the world. As the diabetes progresses, the retina in the eye gets less amount of oxygen. In response there is formation of new vessels, which are unfortunately weak. They bleed easily. The major problem is almost half of the cases get unnoticed till profound damage takes place.

These and similar types of vision threatening diseases can well be treated by Ayurvedic systems of medicines which includes specialized therapies like Anjanam, Tarpanam, Prasadanam, Parisheka, Takradhara, etc.

Eye is the most important sense organ and we have to preserve the vision through out the life for there is no difference between day and night , between black and white, between rainbow and the darkness for the blind.