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With the kind of technological stress 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!
Luckily, Ayurveda has a cure.
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. 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. Lack of adequate quantity of tear fluid becomes a primary problem, as described above. 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 ophthalmologist.
3. 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. 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. 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. This initiates the reactions for the development of visual sense. Internal medicines and external treatment procedures to strengthen the retina are necessary here. Sirodhara and netra tharpanam are vital treatments.
6. Inside your eyeball, there is a fluid system: aqueous humour and vitreous humour. Let’s see what happens when you look at the computer or mobile screens. 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. They may take the shape of dots, webs or fibres. Here also, a systematic ayurvedic approach is necessary along with internal medicines. Grithm medicated with jeevanthy, vidari and draksha, are good options.
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PERSONALISE NOWSelf-regulation when it comes to using gadgets, combined with the healing remedies above are enough to ensure your vision stays intact, despite excessive exposure to electronic screens. And yes, Ayurveda certainly has the right ones!
Dr P K Santhakumari is the founder of Matha, an ayurvedic eye hospital at Trivandrum (Kerala) started in 2003. She was the recipient of the first Best Ayurvedic Doctor award from the Govt of Kerala. She has also authored a textbook of ophthalmology in Ayurveda. ...Read More
