Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications

Ayurveda for the eye
Anitha K. Moosath

If detected early, ayurvedic treatment can do wonders for eye ailments, and render surgical intervention unnecessary.

A bunch of eye-catching solutions, that's what the Sreedhareeyam Ayurveda Gaveshana Kendram offers those looking for an answer to eye problems. The hospital is the continuation of a chikitsa tradition handed down through five generations by the Nelliakattu Mana at Koothattukulam in Kerala.

The family vaidyas have provided eye and anti-venom therapies for decades. But it was only about five years ago that they decided to go in for a full-fledged hospital. However, the mana (household) has been retained as a treatment centre for those forced to stay elsewhere when the hospital's
150-bed main block and Ashwini cottages are fully occupied.

Around 40 per cent of the patients here are those affected by Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a retinal degenerative disease that usually causes deterioration of night vision. "It's a genetic disorder most common among children of blood-related parents. Total cure may be hard to come by, but ayurveda has medicines to prevent further deterioration," says Dr N. Narayanan Namboothiri, chief medical officer at Sreedhareeyam.

He is among the seven ayurveda practitioners of the family that includes three vaidyas and four doctors.

"Most people opt for ayurveda only after trying out other treatment forms. The sad part is that by then, the disease may have reached an advanced stage and the chances of cure are dim.

The best we can do in such cases is to ensure that the situation does not worsen," he says. "A cataract patient can avoid surgery if ayurvedic treatment is done early on. The same is the case with retinal detachment too," he adds.

Exposure to pollution and working conditions could affect the eye, and such complaints are more in metros, says Dr Namboothiri, who holds consultations at Chennai, Bangalore, New Delhi, Mumbai, and in Chattisgarh too. "Quite a few software professionals come to us with `dry eyes'. Gazing at the screen for hours on end cuts down the number of times you blink and also affects normal lubrication of the eye. Dry air-conditioned interiors can add to your woes," he says.

The focus at Sreedhareeyam is on the eye, though treatment is offered for other diseases as well. And it seems they have succeeded in changing the `brochure image' of ayurveda ? as being synonymous with Kerala massage ? if the number of foreigners and North Indians visiting this remote village is any indication.

The research wing headed by the Nelliakattu vaidyas has delved deep into `Shalakya Tantra', the ayurveda branch that deals with eyes, ears, nose, head, throat and teeth. Much has been garnered from the palm-leaf manuscripts preserved by the family too. "As many as 100 eye diseases are listed in Shalakya Tantra. Even the different stages of degeneration in RP are given in detail," says Dr Namboothiri.

The treatment also includes rejuvenation therapy. "Your nerves cool down and the stressed-out body relaxes when medicated oil is poured in a dhara on the eye or forehead or when urad dal is shaped around the eye contours and the inside of the ridge is filled with ghee," he says. And it's not always kashayams (ayurvedic concoctions), thailams (balms) and oils alone; exercises too are part of the treatment here.

"We have drawn much from yoga and Natyasastra. Eye movements as in Kathakali and Mohiniyattom have a soothing effect," he adds. These are best put to use in children who want to avoid lenses for myopia or astigmatism.

The hospital follows a strict regimen. Those with eye problems are not allowed to read or write, watch television or work on the computer; the food is strictly vegetarian and sticking to tradition, footwear is not allowed inside. All treatment procedures invariably start with an invocation to Nelliakattu Bhagavathi, the family deity.

Most of the medicines are manufactured at the Sreedhareeyam oushadasala, according to the rules laid down in the granthas. Some of the herbs are grown on the 34-acre campus and cattle are reared for milk, a vital ingredient in ayurvedic preparations.

Sreedhareeyam's motto is "vision for the visionless". The doctors also run a campaign Sunetra at schools "to make children aware that there is more to many minor ailments than meets the eye. They should be told how a little timely care can avert serious trouble," says Dr Namboothiri.

The Nelliakattu family has also set up a charitable trust to offer free treatment twice a month. Sreedhareeyam is already in expansion mode and on the look out for more funds for research to bring to light facts from ancient texts and "to add a spark to many a dark life."

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/life/2005/02/11/stories/2005021100020100.htm