Glaucoma refers to a set of eye ailments that damage the optic nerve. This is the nerve that sends information from your eye to your brain.

Glaucoma happens due to extreme pressure in your eye. If it gets worse, it can make you lose your sight or go blind for good. Glaucoma is one of the main reasons why people go blind. 

You might not have any pain or other signs until you lose your sight. It can happen at any age, but people over 60 are most likely to get it. 

There is no complete cure for Glaucoma. However, Ayurvedic treatment for Glaucoma gives very good results.

What is the cause of Glaucoma?

We all have aqueous humor, which is a clear fluid, at the back of our eyes. This fluid leaves your eye through a channel. If there is too much aqueous humor, this channel gets closed. It raises the intraocular pressure or the normal pressure in your eye. When this pressure gets higher, it damages the optic nerve. As the damage gets worse over time, you may lose your eyesight. 

Types of Glaucoma

Open-angle Glaucoma: This is the most common type of Glaucoma. You will have spots where you can't see on the side or in the middle. In the late stages, you will also have tunnel vision. 

Acute angle-closure Glaucoma: This type of Glaucoma happens when the fluid in your eyes can't drain out. It makes the pressure build up quickly.

Risk Factors of Glaucoma

Certain factors can increase the risk of having Glaucoma. These are:

• Age more than 60 years
• Family history 
• Having corneas that are thin in the center 
• Having diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure 
• Damage to the eyes or certain kinds of eye surgery 
• Taking cortisone drugs or eye drops for a long time 
• Being nearsighted or farsighted 

Symptoms of Glaucoma

There are no early signs of open-angle Glaucoma. It develops slowly over time. The disease may be in the advanced stage by the time you notice the symptoms. Loss of side vision is the first sign that you will see.

Acute angle-closure Glaucoma is a medical emergency condition. You will need immediate treatment in this case. The usual symptoms are 

• Eye pain 
• Seeing rings of light around things
• Loss of vision
• Vomiting 
• Redness in your eyes 
• Eyes that look hazy 
• Blurred vision 
• Headaches 

Diagnosis of Glaucoma

Your doctor may perform a few tests to check if you have Glaucoma. These include:

• Measuring corneal thickness 
• Measuring intraocular pressure 
• Checking the drainage angle 
• Testing for optic nerve damage with a dilated eye test 
• Checking areas for vision loss 

Ayurveda and Glaucoma

All eye diseases, including Glaucoma, can be treated with Ayurveda. "Adhimantha" in Ayurveda texts refers to Glaucoma. It happens when your eyes are overworked and overexposed to bright light.

According to Ayurveda, we all have three doshas, or energy forces, which are Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. When these doshas are in balance, we are healthy. Each dosha has a primary function in our body. 

Kapha dosha takes care of the lubrication and structure of our body. Glaucoma happens when Kapha gets worse. It causes too much mucus, which blocks the channels in your eyes.

Ayurvedic treatment for Glaucoma

If you start an Ayurvedic treatment for Glaucoma early on, it will work very well. It can help you see better and stop the disease from getting worse. These are the main goals of the treatment: 

• Clear the eye channels of any blocks 
• Make the visual nerve stronger
• Nourish the eyes

Nasyam is a very effective way to get rid of toxins and blocks. It involves pouring medicinal oil through the sinuses. Excess mucus gets out of the body through induced vomiting.

Nethra Tarpana is the main way to strengthen your optic nerve. The therapists will apply medicated butter in the form of dough around the eyes. It also helps ease pain and stress. 

Kashayam Dhara, in which herbal medicines are slowly poured over the forehead and face, helps heal and nourish your eyes.

You have to be in the hospital for 18-21 days for the treatment. The hospital may ask for a bystander to come along with you.

Other treatments for Glaucoma

There is no complete cure for this condition. Treatment in time can slow down or even stop vision loss. The main goal is to bring down the pressure in your eyes. Depending on your situation, you may need surgery or eye drops and medicine.

Eye drops: These will help lower the pressure in your eyes by stopping the fluid from draining out of your eyes. 

Oral medication: If eye drops don't work effectively, you may have to use oral medications. But, this has side effects, such as frequent urination, depression, tingling in the fingers and toes, and kidney stones. 

Surgery: Your doctor will decide which choice is best for you according to your condition. The main choices are

Tube shunt surgery: The doctor will put a small tube into your eye, which will let the extra fluid drain out. 

Laser therapy: This is for people who have open-angle Glaucoma. The doctor will use a small laser beam to unblock the channels in your eye. 

Filtering surgery: Your doctor will cut a hole in the white part of your eye (the sclera) and clear out the blocked parts. 

Prevention of Glaucoma

There are some steps you can take that can help prevent it. These include:

• Eye tests: Get your eyes checked regularly. These tests can help find Glaucoma early before it does a lot of damage. Wear eye protection.
• Eye cover: Severe eye injuries can lead to Glaucoma. Make sure your eyes are always covered when using power tools that can hurt your eyes. Exercise: regular exercise will lower the pressure in your eyes. 
• Limit your caffeine intake. Drinks with a lot of caffeine can increase the pressure in your eyes. 
• Make sure you use the eye drops as directed. If not, it could hurt the optic nerve. 
• Follow a healthy diet with a lot of green leaves and fish that is high in omega 3 
• Sip drinks slowly instead of gulping down large amounts quickly. 
• Sleep with your head higher than the rest of your body. 

Ayurveda hospitals for Glaucoma

There is a special branch in Ayurveda that focuses on eye diseases. Hospitals like Sreedhareeyam Ayurveda Eye and Ramaiah Ayurveda have doctors trained in eye care.  

You will need to be in the hospital for about 21 days for the treatment. Please get in touch with us to get a free treatment plan from these hospitals.