Diabetic Retinopathy

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 diabetic retinopathy

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.

The following pre-purification methods are usually adopted in curing diabetic retinopathy.

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.

SirodharaIn this process herbal oil, medicated milk, medicated butter milk etc, are poured on the forehead in a specified manner for about 45-50 minutes. It is highly effective for diabetic retinopathy. Ingredients used in Sirodhara include gooseberry, nut grass tuber and sandalwood etc.

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 diabetic retinopathy, strain to the eyes, for improving eyesight, for strengthening the optic nerve and for preventing various eye diseases. It basically is an eye cleansing process and gives a cooling effect to the eyes. In tharpanam therapy, the eyes are bordered with a thick medical combination and the medicated oil is tshen retained over the eye.

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 asSida plants,bael, vitex etc. Nasyam is highly effective in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy.

Virechanam consists of intake of safe herbal medicines leading to the elimination of the poisonous wastes through the anal route. This cleansing of the mid zone benefits the entire body system. The appetite and body strength increases making you a more active and energetic person.