- What is Cataract?
- Cataract Root Causes
- Cataract Common Signs and Symptoms
- Cataract Home Remedies
- Tips to Prevent Cataracts
What is Cataract?
Cataracts also known as Cloudy Lens, Veil, Curtain (Common English), Nuclear sclerosis (Scientific name), Motiyabind (Hindi/Urdu), Motibindu (Marathi), Kanpurai / Kan Porai (Tamil), Kanti suklalu (Telugu), Baineizhang (Chinese), Catarata (Spanish / Portuguese), Chani (Bengali), Katarakta (Russian), Katarak (Indonesian). Cataract is one of the most stubborn conditions to deal with, if it has become deep-seated, nothing short of a surgical operation will help in overcoming the trouble. If, however, the cataract is in the early stages, there are good chances of getting over the ailment by natural means and may have chances to avoid surgery. Even advanced cases can be prevented from becoming worse. Also know more about cataracts Ayurvedic home treatment, low vision accommodations, adequate lighting, natural remedies for cataracts.
Cataract Root Causes
Cataract is among the most common eye diseases. Cataracts are so named because opacities in the eye’s lens create the effect of looking through a waterfall. This refers to the opacity of the crystalline lens of the eye on the assumption that the condition is caused by the humor of the brain falling over the pupil. The first sign of cataract is blurred vision. The patient finds it difficult to see things in focus. As the cataract progresses, the patient may get double vision or spots or both. There is a gradual increase in blindness. At first, vision in twilight may be better than in full daylight since light is admitted round the more widely-dilated pupil in the dark. In the advance stage, objects and persons may appear merely blobs of light. In the final stage, there is a grayish white discoloration in the pupil. In short cataract is an pacification of the edges of the lens of the eye which has spread inward to reach the part of the lens that is directly behind the pupil. It is caused by a coagulation of the proteins of the lens. Cataracts are often hereditary or a part of aging, but may also be a feature of Down’s syndrome, diabetes, nutritional deficiencies, severe skin problems, or long-term use of steroids. Radiation or injury to the eye can also cause cataracts, and they may be present at birth as a result of German measles during pregnancy.
Cataract Common Signs and Symptoms
Common symptoms includes loss of image clarity and blurring, with progressively less and less perception of detail; a person with a fully formed cataract may only be able to distinguish the presence of light and the direction from which it is coming, a change in the perception of colors or scattering of light rays caused by the opacity of the lens, which can make night driving difficult or even dangerous. Cataract is often found in association with other defects of the eye. There are four factors which contribute to the loss of transparency of the lens. These are stagnation of the fluid current in the lens resulting from blood condition; deterioration in the nutrition of the lens which diminishes the vitality and resistance of the delicate lens fibers; deposits between the lens fibers of acids and salts which have an irritating effect on the lens tissues and exert an increasing pressure on its delicate fibers, clouding whole lens in the absence of appropriate measures. As in the case of most diseases, poisons in the blood stream due to dietetic errors and a faulty style of living is the real cause of cataract. The toxic matter in the blood stream spreads throughout the body to find shelter in any available weak spot. It strikes the lens if that part has become weak through strain, excessive use of the eyes and local irritation. The condition becomes worse with the passage of time and then a cataract starts developing. Other causes of cataract are stress and strain, excessive intake of alcoholic drinks, sugar, salt, smoking, certain physical ailments such as gastro-intestinal or gall- bladder disturbance, diabetes, vitamin deficiencies, especially of vitamin C, fatty acid intolerance, ageing, radiation and side effects of drugs prescribed for other diseases.
Cataract Home Remedies
Ayurvedic treatment for cataracts, glaucoma and to improve blurred vision and. According to Ayurveda cataracts are a kapha disorder. Molecules of kapha accumulate in the lens of the eye and effect its translucence and transparency, making it increasingly opaque. As the cataract grows, it creates increasingly smoky, blurred vision. Generally persons with diabetes are prone to cataracts, as are young people with juvenile diabetes, though cataracts are primarily associated with elderly people.
1. Bottle Guard
Bottle guard works as eye guard. Take few bottle gourd flowers and extract juice from it. Apply this juice twice a day on outer side of eyelids. This helps to prevent further growth of cataract.
2. Almond
Almond to strengthen eyes. To strengthen eyes almonds are very useful. Mix powder of 7 almonds with 1/2 gram black pepper powder and 1/2 cup of water. Drink this with 1 tablespoon of rock sugar once everyday.
3. Aniseed
Aniseed is considered a useful and very simple remedy for cataract. The patient should take about six grams of aniseed daily in the morning and evening. Equal weights of aniseed and coriander powder and mixed with brown sugar is also beneficial in the treatment of this disease and the mixture should be taken in doses of 12 grams in the morning and evening. Another valuable remedy for cataract is to grind seven kernels of almonds and half a gram of pepper together in water, and then drink the mixture after sifting and sweetening the mixture with sugar candy. It helps the eyes to regain their vigor.
4. Triphala Tea
This is an effective herbal eyewash. If your eye doctor has detected an early sign of cataracts developing, this triphala tea eyewash will be effective in dissolving the molecules of kapha that cause the cataract. Boil 1 teaspoon triphala in a cup of water for 2 to 3 minutes. Let the tea cool, and strain it with a double or triple layer of cheesecloth so that not a single particle of triphala is left in the strained tea. Then, with an eye cup, wash your eyes with the triphala tea. You may wish to repeat the wash 2 or 3 times, depending on how it feels and how much tea actually got into the eye. If your eye doctor has detected an early sign of cataracts developing, this triphala tea eyewash will be effective in dissolving the molecules of kapha that cause the cataract. Boil 1 teaspoon triphala in a cup of water for 2 to 3 minutes. Let the tea cool, and strain it with a double or triple layer of cheesecloth so that not a single particle of triphala is left in the strained tea. Then, with an eye cup, wash your eyes with the triphala tea. You may wish to repeat the wash 2 or 3 times, depending on how it feels and how much tea actually got into the eye.
5. Castor Oil
Castor oil can be used as eye drops. One drop of pure castor oil (without preservatives) placed in the eye at bedtime lubricates the cornea and the conjunctiva and helps to remove molecules of kapha from the lens. In this way one can prevent cataracts from developing.
6. Carrot
During the cataract treatment its very beneficial to eat raw carrots or drink 2 cups of carrot juice twice a day.
7. Garlic
Garlic works as a lens cleanser so eat 2-3 garlic cloves everyday. Chew them neatly and slowly. This helps to cleanse the eye lens.
8. Bilberry
Taken long-term, bilberry improves eye health, protecting against damage to the eye resulting from diabetes and high blood pressure. It can sometimes help in short-sightedness, and in the prevention of cataract formation. Many blue, purple, and ruby colored berries owe their color to a type of flavonoid called anthocyanin, a potent antioxidant and blood-vessel strengthener. Top sources include bilberries, blackberries, blueberries, huckleberries, pomegranates, black currants, cherries, elderberries, cranberries, and eggplants. The blueberry is related to the bilberry, which is native to Europe. Whereas blueberries’ inner flesh is white, bilberries’ is blue, making them higher in anthocyanin. To prevent cataracts, antioxidants need to be started before the age of fifty.
9. Fennel Seeds
Improve eyesight naturally with fennel seeds. Mix together equal amount of fennel seed powder and coriander powder. Add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar in it. Eat this mixture twice a day. Approximately 12g. each time.
10. Eye Exercises
Eye exercises are good defective blur vision. Various methods of relaxing and strengthening the eyes can also beneficial. These include moving the eyes gently up and down, from side to side and in a circle, clock-wise and anti-clockwise; rotating the neck in circles and semi-circles and briskly moving the shoulders clock-wise and anti-clockwise. The patient should also resort to palming which is highly beneficial in removing strain and relaxing the eyes and its surrounding tissues.
11. Folk Remedies
Honey is an ancient Egyptian and Spain remedy. An ancient Egyptian folk remedy involves the use of unprocessed pure honey to heal cataracts. Put a few drops of raw honey in the eyes twice or more each day. In Spain, red clover was traditionally used to help in treating cataracts. The pale crescent marking on the herb’s leaves was thought to resemble a cataract. History shows the ancient Egyptians fought disorders of the eye with a variety of agents such as ointments made from copper, sulfur, even beef liver, along with urine eyewashes! Rubbing an eye with an onion was prescribed for dry eyes. Like the Babylonians, the Egyptians believed that eye problems came from demons. A person with a squint or cataract might cause a demon in another’s eye perhaps the origin of the “evil eye.” The Romans, also superstitious about diseases of the eye, used amulets to ward off eye troubles, necklaces made of cherry seeds tied on a string or green lizards caught under a full moon in September and draped around the neck.
Tips to Prevent Cataracts
- Manage Blood Glucose : High blood sugar contributes to cataracts and damages small arteries, including the delicate blood vessels in the retina, leading to diabetic retinopathy. if you have diabetes, work closely with your health practitioner to maintain your glucose levels within the normal range. see chapter 30, on diabetes prevention.
- Green Tea : Enjoy a daily glass or two of green tea. extracts in green tea protect against diabetes and heart disease (two risk factors for eye diseases) and defend against damage to the lens (where cataracts form) and retina.
- Vitamin B for Eye Health : B vitamins also protect the eye. several studies support the use of pyridoxine (vitamin B6), vitamin B12, and folic acid. Likewise, thiamine (vitamin B1), niacin (vitamin B2), and riboflavin (vitamin B2) protect against cataracts. supplementing with single B vitamins can unbalance others. ask your doctor whether he or she recommends a B-complex supplement or a multivitamin and mineral blend formulated for eye health.
- Stress Management : In cases where the cataract has been caused by stress, an anti stress diet rich in protein, vitamin B,C, E, pantothenic acid and nutrients is essential to overcome the trouble. If a cataract has already developed, the diet will help prevent its occurrence in the other type. Fresh air and gentle outdoor exercises, such as walking, are other essentials to the treatment. Exposure to heat and bright light should be avoided as far as possible.