A discussion on eye disorders, eyes are really a very important part of our body, or we can say that eyes are the jewels of the human body, so let’s see what our doctor has to say about eye health and eye disorders, today we have a doctor from our Planet Ayurveda team, hello doctor, hello, so can we start with the discussion, yes okay, so doctor can you please first tell us that what are the eye disorders as per Ayurveda and modern science, yeah, uh, as you already said that eyes are the jewels of the body, it is because everything we perceive is through our sight and 80 percent of the information what we perceive is through our sight.

Netra Roga

So uh in Ayurveda we can correlate eye disorders with Netra Roga, and I would like to add one thing that Acharya Nimi was the first to explain about Netra Roga in classical text, okay, and Netra Roga is basically when our doshas get aggravated and through the vascular route they travel to the eyes and cause diseases, okay, so that was really a nice information and a really very good information is added that Acharya Nimi was the first to introduce eye disorders in our ancient Ayurvedic text.

Most common eye problems

So coming to the next question, most common eye problems, can you please elaborate about the most common eye problems with which people are getting affected nowadays, yeah, as uh 40 percent of the young population is suffering from eye disorders like refractive errors, yeah sure, so uh refractive errors like myopia, hypermetropia, glaucoma, cataract, dry eye syndrome, conjunctivitis, there are lots of disorders.

Refractive errors

And in refractive errors basically there are two types of disorder as I already told you that is myopia and hypermetropia, myopia is basically when patient is able to see the nearer objects and unable to see the distant objects clearly, and hypermetropia is when patient is able to see the distant objects and unable to see the near objects clearly, okay, so we have got to know about the most common problems with which people are getting affected nowadays.

Symptoms of the eye problems

So let’s move towards the symptoms of the eye problems, what are the most common symptoms of the eye problems, as I already explained that there are lots of disorders so the symptoms may vary according to the disease, okay, yeah, so but there are most common symptoms which are commonly found in all the disorders and they are blurred vision, photopsia, itching in the eyes, redness in the eyes, and watery eyes can also be a symptom, yeah exactly.

Causes behind the eye disorders

Okay, so after the symptoms can we discuss something about the causes behind the eye disorders, yeah, there are lots of causes, as per modern medicine science improper diet and lifestyle is also a very important cause because nowadays people are more attracted towards the fast food or other junk food like, yes yeah, okay, mean street foods are also somewhere reason behind the eye disorders, yeah okay.

Diet and lifestyle modifications

So as you have said that improper diet and lifestyle are the reasons, so can you please tell us about some diet and lifestyle modifications which people can do to prevent the eye disorders, yeah, uh, like as I said that most of eye disorders are caused due to improper diet and lifestyle, so you can include green leafy vegetables in your diet or you can take vitamin A rich fruits, okay, like apples and egg white, okay, or fish oil, okay.

On-screen time

Yeah, so you can include all these foods in your diet, okay, and what about the lifestyle modifications, in lifestyle modifications you can decrease your on-screen time, okay, because nowadays in this pandemic the on-screen time has been increased a lot, surely due to the work from home and to the online classes everyone is spending more and more time on screen, yeah right, correct.

Causes behind the eye disorders as per Ayurveda

So uh that was really good information shared by our doctor, so doctor here’s a question that can you please elaborate or can you please mention the main causes behind the eye disorders as per Ayurveda, yeah, as per Ayurveda Acharya has already explained in classical text that Durakshanat, he explained the word, it means when the patient sees distant object for a very long time, okay.

Suppression of natural urges

Yeah, excessive crying is also a reason or anger you can say, or suppression of natural urges can also be a reason for that, okay, so that was really a nice discussion about the causes, about the symptoms, and the basic concept of eye health and eye disorders, so coming to the solution part, as every problem needs a solution.

Eye disorders with the help of Ayurveda

So can you please tell us that eye disorders, or we can say that spectacles can be removed or eye disorders can be managed with the help of Ayurveda, yeah, Ayurveda is very helpful, you can include healthy things in your diet along with the herbs and herbal formulations, in herbs you can include Amla, it is very effective in managing eye disorders, okay.

Amla and Triphala

Or you can include formulations like Amal Kerasan or Triphala Ghrita for a local application or for intake also, okay, means we can have the herbs such as Amla and Triphala in the form of capsules, powder, churna, or as they are easily available we can easily have that, okay, moreover can you please tell us something about is acupressure therapy useful in eye disorders.

Acupressure therapy

Yeah, acupressure therapy is also very helpful because for instant relief you can put pressure on some pressure points particularly to relieve eye disorders or eye strain basically, which is also a most common nowadays due to increased on-screen time, okay, so doctor can you please also explain about acupressure points, what are these acupressure points.

Acupressure points

Yeah, you can apply pressure on a particular point 20 times, as you can count 1 to 20, and you can apply pressure on that particular point, basically between your thumb or index finger you can apply pressure on this point for 20 times, it will help you in relieving stress, eye strain, or numerous other eye headache, okay.

20-20-20 rule

Yeah okay, so basically the pressure points of our acupressure therapy is in our hand as told by our doctor, so that can be easily done and that can be easily implemented in our daily life, besides that can you please tell um as I have heard somewhere that there is a 20-20-20 rule to prevent the eye disorders.

Working on screen

Can you please elaborate something about that, yeah, uh, you have asked a very good question about the 20-20-20 rule, yeah, it means that when you are working somewhere on screen, when you are working on screen, then you have to take a pause after every 20 minute and you have to look 20 feet away for 20 seconds, that will help in relieving stress from your eyes, okay.

Exercises to prevent eye disorders

As our doctor has explained that this is really a very interesting part that while working on the screens or while working anywhere or while watching TV even, right, while doing any activity we can also do that, that 20 minutes on screen and after every 20 minutes we should look 20 feet away for 20 seconds, that’s really a very interesting therapy we can say.

Blinking eyes

So thank you so much doctor for this therapy, and besides that can you please tell us about some more exercises to prevent eye disorders, yeah, you can do circulatory motion of your eyes, okay, or you can blink your eyes, because when you are working on screen the blinking rate of eyes has been decreased, yeah that’s true, yeah.

Home remedies

Yes, so after every one minute or after every 20 second you have to blink your eyes, okay, means we should increase the frequency of blinking eyes, okay, that’s really very interesting, besides that are there any home remedies that we can take on daily basis to prevent the eye disorders.

Amla juice

Like these days even the child of four years or five years are having spectacles on their eyes, so are there any home remedies or are there any juices or something that we can add in our daily life, yeah, you can add Amla juice, as I already told you that Amla is very good, yeah yeah.

Triphala kwath

So you can include Amla juice daily in the mid-mornings, you can take that, or you can wash your eyes with Triphala kwath, you have to prepare a decoction of all the three fruits like Amla, Haritaki, and Bibhitaki, and then you have to wash your eyes with that, okay.

Amla candies

And Triphala is easily available and conveniently available to use in the market as well or online stores as well, and for Amla, as you have told that we need to take the Amla juice, is taking fresh Amla, one Amla every day, same benefits the eyes, yeah it will, yeah you can include one Amla fruit daily, okay.

FAQ section

For helping, okay, or are the Amla candies and such things available beneficial in this, no, taking fresh food is more beneficial than taking candies or any other preparation, like in child we can easily convince them to take the Amla candies, so it can benefit 20 to 30 percent, yeah it can benefit but it’s better to take fresh food, okay.

Eye makeup

So coming to the FAQ section, there are some frequently asked questions by our patients that we will ask our doctor, so the first FAQ is does the eye makeup increase the risk of eye disorders, yeah, eye makeup increases the risk of eye disorders because eye makeup contain lots of chemicals, because nowadays eye makeup is prepared with lots of chemical or additives.

Applying kajal

So it’s better to avoid eye makeup, you can do it once in a month or anything, it will affect less, but it’s better to avoid doing eye makeup, okay, doctor, somewhere I have read or I don’t remember actually, somewhere I’ve read that applying kajal that we apply or anjan, that is beneficial for eyes, yeah.

Sauvir Anjana

So what do you say about that, in classical text Acharya also said that Sauvir Anjana is very beneficial in eye disorders, on regular basis it will prevent the risk of eye disorders also, okay, means applying kajal or applying as doctor said Sauvir Anjana is beneficial, but applying chemical-based eye makeup is harmful for eyes, yeah.

Increased on-screen time

Okay, so the next FAQ is how does increased on-screen time affect our eyes, uh, because when we are working on screen every gadget emit UV rays, so it will affect our eyes, so we have to take a pause as we already discussed the 20-20-20 rule, so we have to follow that, okay.

Pregnancy

So the next question is about Amla that we have already discussed that Amla is really helpful in increasing eyesight, the next question and the final question is during pregnancy are there any mistakes which increase the risk of eye disorders for the mother as well as the infant, not exactly, but you can say when in the antenatal period the women are taking folic acid or iron tablets.

Vitamin A

If they skip these tablets or these things, so it will increase the risk, because due to deficiency of vitamin A the patient is more prone to have eye disorders, okay, means the basic reason behind the children having the weak eyesight, the mothers are also responsible, so it’s better to take the multivitamin, okay.