Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness for people over 60 years old. When glaucoma develops, usually you don’t have any early symptoms and the disease progresses slowly. In this way, glaucoma can steal your sight gradually. It is estimated that three million people have glaucoma, but only about half of them know that they have glaucoma. . This condition results from a constant or intermittent elevated intra-ocular tension sufficient enough to damage the retina and optic nerve.

WHAT HAPPENS IN GLAUCOMA?

In the healthy eye, a clear fluid called aqueous humor circulates inside the front portion of eye.

To maintain a constant healthy eye pressure, your eye continually produces aqueous humor while an equal amount of this fluid flows out of your eye.

If you have glaucoma, the aqueous humor does not flow out of the eye properly, causing increased intra ocular pressure and, over the time, causes damage to the optic nerve fibers.

There will be loss of peripheral vision and then central vision will get damaged leading to blindness associated with or without pain.

GLAUCOMA AS PER AYURVEDA

The concepts of Glaucoma, which have recently dawned are having striking similarities with those held in Adhimantha as per ayurveda. Adhimantha is a dreadful disease with its cardinal feature as severe, excruciating pain in the eye associated with headache, progressive reduction in vision in short duration and severe congestion.

As per Ayurveda, the disease Adhimantha arises when the patient indulges for a prolonged period in excessive hot, spicey, pungent foods, the misuse and overuse of eye, repeated exposure to too bright light, repeated night shifts, excess stress and anger. All these factors will disturb the basic elements of the body called vata and pitta obstructing the channels leading to obstruction and perfusion of channels in head which finally gets settled in the eyes as adhimantha/glaucoma.

WHAT AYURVEDA CAN DO?

Ayurveda can very well manage the condition. Primary procedure should be to clear the obstruction of the channels and to detoxify the body. This will promote the easy and smooth flow of aqueous humour,. Along with this local eye therapies to subside the pain will be given. All these collectively will bring the occular pressure under control. Hence it will arrest and regenerate the optic nerve.