keratoconus is a progressive eye disease in which the normally round cornea begins to thin and starts to bulge in to a cone like shape. Patients suffering from this disease will see multiple ghost images of any one single object. This perception of several images spread out in a chaotic manner where actually only one exists, is known as monocular polyopia. A feeling of sensitivity to light, itching in the eye, poor night vision etc will also be felt by the patients suffering from keratoconus..In some patients the vision in one eye is wrse than the other.This stage of the disease is a gradual process and does not happen in a day or two.
The disease starts to appear in the teens or early twenties. Keratoconus can appear in one or both the eyes. If it afflicts both the eyes, the deterioration in vision can affect the patients’ ability to drive a car or read normal print. This is because the cone shape deflects light as it enters the eye on its way to the light sensitive retina.
The symptoms of keratoconus disease start to develop slowly and as a result, early detection of the disease will be rather difficult. The main reason being that the patient does not feel any pain and so he does not initially pay much attention to it. However, it is seen that in some cases, the disease spreads rapidly. This disease could also be accompanied by near sightedness and astigmatism thus creating further problems like distorted and blurred vision. Glare and light sensitivity may also be noticed. It is to be realized that the ayurveda physician will prescribe different prescriptions each time the patient visits the ophthalmologist. As early symptoms of the disease are difficult to detect, in most cases diagnosis and treatments for keratoconus disease are delayed.
All treatments in Ayurveda are prescribed only after a careful diagnosis of the patient’s body constitution, family history, sex, age, stage of the disease etc. This will enable the patient to receive treatments that are specifically suited to his very needs. Ayurveda treatments will therefore vary from patient to patient.
The first consultation with an Ayurveda doctor, including the diagnosis will last for more than an hour. The basic step in the diagnosis will be to find the person’s body humor (Dosha) – Vata, Pita or Kapha, because it is the imbalance of these body humors that creates this keratoconus
The dominance of dosha in a person is found by asking several questions on his behavior, food habits, sleeping patterns, age, height & weight, place of life, profession, health problems and medical reports etc. Ayurveda diagnosis comprises of clinical and laboratory tests also.
Pulse, tongue, nail, and eye examinations are important diagnosis methods used to reveal a person’s body humor and its imbalance. This will help the doctor in treating the disease
Pulse diagnosis in Ayurveda is not just counting the beats. It also reveals the health status of the entire body constitution, including the dosha imbalance and the health of the various body organs.
In tongue diagnosis, the doctor checks the general appearance, colour and coating of the tongue. In Ayurveda, as different areas of the tongue correspond to different organs of the body, the Ayurvedic practitioner can determine which organs of the body are out of balance by having a detailed tongue examination.
Nail examination is done to check the type, colour and shape of the person’s nail. Imbalances of doshas are easily detected on close examination.
In the eye diagnosis, the colour, size and even the shape of the eyes are important in determining the dosha dominance of a person. His mental status nervousness, anxiety, confidence level etc can also be learned through eye diagnosis.
A preliminary consultation with Ayurveda doctors online is also possible nowadays for guests worldwide.
After the diagnosis, the doctor sets out to treat the patient in a very systematic manner. This would include a set of appropriate Panchakarma treatments and Rasayana therapies .
The Panchakarma Treatments are meant to flush out the toxins, They are classified as pre-purification, main purification and post purification phases and include various types of therapies like oil massages, fermented liquid massages, medicinal enemas, herbal purification methods.
The Rasayana Therapies are meant to nourish the body, to bring the doshas back to balance and to regenerate the body.These comprise diet regulations, daily regimens, intake of oral medicines and ayurveda tonics, yoga and a stress free life. After the treatment the ayurveda doctors will advise you how to lead a healthy life. The beneifts and results of the treatment are shown only after the Rasyana Treatment is over and docotrs advise is strictly followed. The results will manifest itself normally after 3 to 4 weeks as the body takes time to regenerate itself.
Pre-purification therapies are the first ones applied to loosen the toxins, open up the circulation channels and get the body ready for discarding these wastes. These methods are highly relaxing for the body and mind.
The following pre-purification methods are usually adopted in curing keratoconus
Snehapanam is an important pre purification therapy which consists of oral intake of medicated ghee and sesame oil for a specified number of days. This unique treatment helps flush out the toxins from the body. Amaltas, guggul, ginger, neem, onion, chopchini, tribhala etc. are some of the ingredients used for its preparation. Apart from being a purva karma treatment, snehapanam also improves the delicacy of the skin, enhances memory and the grasping power of an individual
Tharpanam is an ayurvedic therapy especially suitable for the eyes. In Ayurveda tharpanam or tharpan means retention of medicines over the eyes for up to 30 minutes or more a day .Tharpanam therapy is highly effective in treating keratoconus and all major diseases affecting the eyes. Tharpanam basically is an eye cleansing process and gives a cooling effect to the eyes. The eyes are bordered with a thick medical combination and the medicated oil is then retained over the eye.
Thalam Retention of medicated paste or oil right on the vertex of a person for over 30 minutes is termed thalam. The therapeutic effects of herbs and oils pass on to the central and autonomous nervous system through the brain. Indian pennywort, staff tree, sida plant, etc are some of the medicinal herbs used in preparing the herbal paste. Thalam is a therapy generally resorted to in the treatment of keratoconus.
This is the phase of elimination of toxins that were loosened at the pre purification treatment stage. These therapies are highly potential methods and are usually overseen by doctors. The commonly adopted Panchakarma treatments for Keratoconus are Nasyam and Virechanam.
Nasyam is the pouring of herbal oil in drops in to the nostrils and inhaling the contents. This opens up the head channels and enables the herb extracts to act directly on the central nervous system. Nasyam treatment lasts for twenty to thirty minutes. The herbal oil is a blend of sesame oil mixed with herbs such as sida plants, bael, myrobalan,cardamom, nut grass tuber, guggul etc. The sida plant has strong properties that strengthen the human nerves Sesame oil, rich in linoleic acid has high therapeutic benefits. nut grass tuber, cardamom, konch and bael have specific properties that loosen the mucous.
Virechanam consists of the intake of safe herbal medicines leading to the elimination of poisonous wastes through the anal route. This cleansing of the mid zone benefits the entire body system. When the digestive tract is clean and toxic free, it benefits the entire body system. As a result, the person’s appetite increase, body strength is enhanced and the person becomes active and buoyant. Herbal powder, medicated castor oil, or herbal paste is commonly used as the purgative medicine. Avipathy choornam is the herbal powder generally used for the treatment. It is a mixture of herbs like turpith, embellia fruits, dry ginger, lotus, cardamom,long pepper,cinnamon etc.
These are body nourishing therapies to rejuvenate the body and mind after the Panchakarma treatments. They keep the enzymes in the tissue cells in their normal functioning condition, restore and balance the body functions and maintain the overall health and well being of an individual for much longer periods after the Panchakarma course. Rasayana includes both oral medicines and diet regulation.
used for treating keratoconus will be extracts of pure medicinal herbs, leaves, spices etc. These are prepared specifically to restore the lost balance and to provide the needed inputs to cure keratoconus. Kashayam and Arishtam - herbal decoctions and fermentations Lehyams – semi solid formulation are commonly prescribed. Kindly consult your ayurveda physician who will prescribe the most suitable oral medicine for your disease.
Diet regulation will be suggested for patients suffering from keratoconus during and after the treatment. Consumption of fruits and green leafy vegetables are to be encouraged. Freshly squeezed vegetable juices of carrot are recommended. Fruit juices should be consumed abundantly. However, consumption of alcohol should be strictly avoided. They should also avoid processed foods, carbohydrates, potatoes, artificial sweeteners, fried fruits, saturated fats and refined sugar. It would be ideal to consume foods made from plants and raw produce; however, there is no harm in consuming fish.
You can find out your type of prakruthi and decide a diet for yourself.
Yoga and meditation are always beneficial and have always played a vital part in curing every type of disease. Yoga exercises done every day replenish and rebalance the physical and emotional systems that are depleted by the everyday stresses that lie so heavy on our lives. Yoga makes it possible to rest on a strong base of confidence and strength within oneself.
Yoga exercises including asanas, pranayamas and meditation are helpful in achieving peace and tranquility. This goes a long way in preventing all forms of eye diseases.
Life Style for keratoconus
Patients suffering from keratoconus are advised to take at least one or two weeks of rest after the panchakarma experience. At this time, the body is weak after the purification process and needs time to get back to normalcy. They should avoid tension and stress in their daily lives as tension and stress has been a major factor in the development of eye diseases .It is seen that maintaining a proper emotional health is needed for a proper physical health. They should as far as possible stay indoors and in cool environments. They should take care to avoid straining the eyes. One should also do at least 20 minutes of aerobic exercises daily. Walking and swimming are two excellent forms of exercise. One should quit smoking altogether as also the intake of caffeine and sodas are to be discouraged. An annual eye examination by an ayurvedic physician would be ideal to keep all eye diseases away.
