Ayurvedic Eye Care for Stress Management

Eye holds a special status among all the sense organs. Eyes are the most precious gift of God to the living beings. When the human race evolved, hunting was very essential for survival; hence, they were specialized for distant vision works that could enable the man to hunt.

With the passage of time, science developed; and today, no longer does he require hunting in the forests. Now the People has to hunt the internet on computer in a closed chamber. No remedial measures for the prevention and cure of this pathology prevail in the domain of modern medicine except using ocular surface lubricants, computer glasses etc.

Ayurveda, the first systematic health system on this planet, has kept the doors open to prospective/undescribed health problems to be incorporated in the system on the fundamental grounds. With work from home taking over our lives, we are constantly putting pressure on our eyes. That’s why it is important to take these remedies into consideration to soothe and relax your eyes as well as your mind.

With the kind of technological stress, mental stress also increased day by day. We all face today, eye care has become important, now more than ever. Whether it’s shopping, paying bills, completing office tasks, interacting with friends, or even seeking entertainment, the computer screen is a constant companion. Imagine the damage this prolonged exposure does to one of the most important organs of the body.

Ayurveda has a key role to rejuvenate the eyes and remove of stress through Ayurveda Kriyakalp treatment. Yes, you should ideally reduce screen time to give your pupils much-needed rest. But, as we all know, we don’t live in an ideal world. This is why it is recommended to adopt remedial measures as per a holistic health system.

1. Frequency of Blinking: While watching TV, working on a mobile or computer you tend to blink less. But tear secretions will flow from your tear glands, only when you blink your lids. So, when blinking becomes infrequent, naturally less tears are produced. This leads to dryness in your eyes. Frequent blinking is a first-line remedy. Side by side, adapt methods to keep the cornea moistened. There are many herbs that prove to be effective for this. Amla, yashti, lodhra and useeram are a few good ones. Do an eyewash at least thrice a day. Use water medicated with the above herbs.
2. Healing Ophthalmic Tissues: Lack of adequate quantity of tear fluid becomes a primary problem. This is why the cells of the external surface of your eye (cornea) become rough and dry. It becomes easy to get any type of infection on this surface. This causes gradual damage to the cells. Use herbs that have healing effects on ophthalmic tissues, especially on the cornea. Doorva and yashti have this property. Use preparations such as kashayam and grithm, as per the direction of an Ayurveda Physician.
3. Managing Light Sensitivity: The screen of the visual devices is illuminating in nature. This causes your eye to start becoming hypersensitive to bright light. Exposure to these bright screens increases the chances of degeneration of your cornea. Pitta is the vitiated factor here. So, use drugs that have the power to control pitta vitiation. Eyewash with water treated with flowers such as lotus, jasmine etc. is very good.
4. Ergonomics and Exercise: Your position when working on a computer or mobile can be too near the screen. In effect, you are always viewing objects nearby. You get less opportunities to view distant objects. Muscles and other structures of your eye will adapt to this scenario. This leads to shortsightedness, especially in children. Going for a head massage with a suitable oil. Have an experienced Ayurveda doctor select the correct oil for you. Scientifically selected eyeball movements (eye exercises) also can be done for best results.
5. Strengthening the Retina: Online work is always in front of an illuminated screen. Here, light rays from a very near object enter into your eye directly and focus on the retina. Remember that the retina is the most sensitive part of your eye. If this happens for a long time, your retina becomes hypersensitive to light. There is also the possibility of thinning and dryness of the retina. According to Ayurveda theory, alochaka pitta (a fraction of pitta) is the functioning factor on the retina. Internal medicines and external treatment procedures like Sirodhara and netra tharpanam are vital treatments.
6. Fluid System Balance: Inside your eyeball, there is a fluid system: aqueous humour and vitreous humour. Light rays reflected from the illuminated screens pass through this fluid media continuously. This deranges the existing system. The concentration, density and refractive index of this fluid medium changes. Sometimes, thinning of the vitreous can also happen. In such situations, eye floaters may start to develop. Systematic ayurvedic approach is necessary along with internal medicines like Grithm medicated with jeevanthyadi, vidari and draksha.