An Ayurvedic Approach to Promotive and Preventive Eye Care : A Review

Abstract

Ayurveda is a system of medicine which aims not solely in cure of the disease but also prevent the humanity from all categories of physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual miseries. There are five sense organs such as eye, ear, nose, tongue and skin in human, among these, Ayurveda gives prime importance to the eye. Hence, one has to take necessary efforts to take care of the methods for prevention of eye diseases. A faulty life style has been linked to many human illnesses and much has been emphasized about life style disorders like cardiovascular disorders, diabetes mellitus, kidney diseases and their preventive methods. But unlikely the preventive aspects of ocular health and eye diseases not been given due importance in daily life. Vision is also affected as a result of faulty lifestyle. For preventing these type of eye diseases and for maintain ocular health much has been described in texts of Ayurveda, in the form of Dinacharya (daily regimen), Ritucharya (seasonal regimen) and specific therapies like Kriya Kalpa are useful to restore eye health and proper vision. The eye diseases can be prevented and proper vision can be restored for long time by following certain points in daily life like Dinacharya, Ritucharya, Sadvritta and Swasthavritta and taking Chakshyushya Rasayana drugs described in Ayurvedic texts. Along with a few positive life style modifications may help considerably reducing the impact of ocular diseases in general population.