Ayurvedic Prospect of Dry Eyes (Shushkakshipaka)
Dry eye syndrome is one of the most common problems observed in ophthalmic practice today, which is often overlooked as a promisable cause of patient's misery.
Ayurvedic prospective of dry eye strictly depends on the complaints of the patient. As per Ayurveda, each patient of dry eye needs a different approach as the etiology and pathology are variable.
Two diseases which exhibit symptoms similar to dry eye are Krichronmeela and Shushkakshipaka. Krichronmeela is a vatta predominant disease. Taking into consideration the pathology of dry eye, It can be assumed that Dry Eye changes are initiated by vatta vitiation and later the pitta gets involved.
Dry eye is generally compared only with shushkakshipaka. Shushkakshipaka is mentioned in the classical literature of Ayurveda under Sarvagata Netraroga which is defined as the diseases affecting all parts of the eye.
Shushkakshipaka being a disease described under the title of sarvakshi gata roga vignaneeya which involves more than one structures of eye during the pathological process is not the suitable choice for diagnosis when the eye looks normal in gross appearance and there is only subjective discomfort. In the long run of disease pitta predominant symptoms like severe photophobia, burning sensation become more evident because of inflammatory changes of surface tissues transforming the initial stage into final or a sarvakshigataroga.
- Nidana - Dry eye is caused by vatta vitiating nidanas. Later on, pitta vitiating factors also contribute to the disease pathology. There are two types of nidana to be considered. One is the general vatha/pitha vitiating factors and vishesha achakshushya nidanas that affects netra avayava specifically.
- Samanya Nidanas - Nidanas which can cause vitiation of vatha and pitha are Vegavinigraha or suppression of natural urges.
- Vishesha Nidana - Amongst these nidanas, those that lead to dry eye are Doorekshanata or looking at distant object for a long time. This results in infrequent blinking, resulting in decreased secretion from meibomian glands. Prolonged visual efforts associated with decreased blink rate such as reading or watching TV Swapna viparyaya or altered sleep pattern.
- Samprapthy - In case of dry eye, as the disease name suggests dryness or rookshatha is the basic cause of disease. Nidanas mainly viharas and environmental factors predominantly cause an increase of ruksha guna in netra. This rukshatha is responsible for chaya of vatha. Since tear film (may be considered as tharpaka kapha as provides snigdhtva to eye, also is invoved in the nourishment of cornea) is the most external part of netra and is directly exposed to nidanas, vata chaya happens over the ocular surface, which is very evident from the reduced quality of components of tear film, which in turn affects the normal movements of lids especially unmeelana (opening )in the beginning.
- Lakshana - Dry eye is now recognized as a symptom based disease. Because of the general repeatability of symptoms compared to that of diagnostic tests, dry eye has been considered a symptom-based disease. Information on DED is limited due to lack of uniformity in its definition and the inability of any single diagnostic test or set of diagnostic tests to confirm or rule out the condition. Thus, there has been a shift towards symptom-based assessment as the key component of clinical diagnosis.
Conclusion
Dry eye is the most common problem observed today. Along with allopathy, there has been an effective increase in the ayurveda and its therapies for the removal of the dry eyes syndrome.
Two diseases which have symptoms similar to dry eye are Krichronmeela and Shushkakshipaka. Various ayurvedic therapies such as Nidana, Samanaya nidana, vishesha nidana Lakshana and Samrapthy can be used to treat dry eyes and its symptoms at PRAKASH NETHRALAYA, Jaipur (India).