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Is there an Ayurvedic treatment for cataracts of the eye?
"A cataract is a clouding of the eye's natural lens, which lies behind the iris and the pupil. The lens works much like a camera lens, focusing light onto the retina at the back of the eye. The lens also adjusts the eye's focus, letting us see things clearly both up close and far away.
The lens is mostly made of water and protein. The protein is arranged in a precise way that keeps the lens clear and lets light pass through it. But as we age, some of the protein may clump together and start to cloud a small area of the lens. This is a cataract, and over time, it may grow larger and cloud more of the lens, making it harder to see."
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Washington
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Re: cataracts in the eyes
Fri, January 12, 2007 - 10:31 PMI have tried a medicine called nirmali beej in a couple of patients. This is a kind of seed, extracted and drops put in the eye. This did not cure it though it slowed down the progress of cataract. But i do not have sufficient data, because I lost the followup in the patients I treated. Of course, ayurveda is not against surgery. In ancient times they used to perform surgery on the ripe cataracts to remove them (see Sushrut Samhita). -
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Re: cataracts in the eyes
Sat, January 13, 2007 - 12:12 AM
I am now thinking that surgery might be best for this.
They can now replace the lense after removing the old lense (and cataracts).
Kind of cool because they put in a new lense and you can toss out your glasses and or contact lenses, especially if you are near sighted.
It is interesting that the study of eyes and ears has continued steadily for thousands of years, while other parts of the body have been or still are in darkness. -
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Unsu...
Re: cataracts in the eyes
Sat, January 13, 2007 - 7:01 AMThey have travelling eye camps in India, most of the work they do is surgically remove cataracts.
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Re: cataracts in the eyes
Thu, January 18, 2007 - 8:54 AM
I have cataracts.
I went to an eye surgeon yesterday.
He said everyone gets cataracts and my eyes were "fine".
No insurance company will cover the surgery if vision can be corrected to 20 / 20 with glasses as it would be considered "cosmetic surgery".
So, vision cloudiness has to reach the point where a person can't see. Or one could private pay $2000 per eyeball and take their chances with that.
Interesting. I'll probably wait on Ayurvedic eye surgery too, now that I know where the lense of the eye is in relationship to cornea (it is back inside the eyeball). Even though the Western surgeon would use ultra sound to dissolve the lense and cataracts and then replace the lense with an artificial lense, it did not appear to be an easy task getting to the cataracts. I thought at first that cataracts appeared on the cornea (the outer surface of the eye) but they are deeper down than that. -
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Unsu...
Re: cataracts in the eyes
Thu, January 18, 2007 - 11:14 AMHave you ever been to a vaidya?
(ayurveda practicianer) -
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Re: cataracts in the eyes
Thu, January 18, 2007 - 4:14 PM
I've consulted several Vaidya's but not recently as there aren't any locally. Last time was in 1991.
They did the pulse diagnosis and made recomendations which were very good for that particular time.
They also showed me how to do the pulse diagnosis and how to understand it but I haven't gotten very good at it and I haven't read the pulse of many other people which I think would help with the learning process. -
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Unsu...
Reading pulses can be tricky...
Thu, January 18, 2007 - 8:06 PMmy teacher once quipped that some will have a different diagnosis for the same person when using pulses alone. I never quite got the hang of it either as to my western medicine fingers its simply a pulse that feels the same so matter where on the brachial artery you find it. My teacher's recommended diagnostic procedure was a very long questionaire about lifestyle factors, diet, mood, current (and past) complaints, and so on, *supplemented* (and possible confirmed based on one's skill) by pulse diagnosis.
I was referring more to your present concern about the developing cataracts.
Because Vasant Lad relates in his Textbook of Ayurveda: Fundemental Priciples, a story about a person with the early stages of cataracts and how they cleared up - perhaps with another visit a vaidya could get you headed in the right direction. -
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Unsu...
Also...
Thu, January 18, 2007 - 9:07 PMthe tongue is extremely useful in ayurvedic diagnosis considering that our bodies really are a product of what we eat.
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Re: cataracts in the eyes
Thu, January 18, 2007 - 11:18 AMI was told that I had the very beginnings of a cataract in my right eye. I mentioned this to the Ayurveda M.D. that I intern with, Dr. Jayagopal, and he recommended that I get iclear from www.oilbath.com. These are the ingredients: Barberry, Indian gooseberry, Chebulic myrobalan, Beleric myrobalan, Lodh bark, Borax.. His suggestion was that I put a couple of drops in the right eye every morning (kapha time). It makes the eyes water a lot and helps to clear the accumulation. I'm assuming this is most effective if done when the cataract is just starting to develop.
On a related note, one of my fellow doctoral students just visited Kerala and spent some time at an Ayurvedic Eye Hospital, also at the suggestion of Dr. Jayagopal. He said it was a fascinating experience and amazing all that they are treating in Kerala with Ayurveda.
Best,
Andrew -
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Re: cataracts in the eyes
Thu, January 18, 2007 - 12:47 PMMy Ayurvedic teacher would often recommend Trifala tea netra Basti for the eyes, the directions are to make triphala tea by soaking triphala powder in water for a day, then strain it through a cheese cloth or very fine mesh strainer, than hold the tea on the eye with an eye cup for 5-15 minutes, repeat once or twice a day.
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