Why Treat Amblyopia?

Why Treat Amblyopia?

Impaired vision in both eyes does pose a threat
to life in countries without a well-developed
system of health and social care [26].While amblyopia
can affect both eyes in such conditions
as bilateral congenital cataracts and bilateral
high refractive errors, usually amblyopia only
affects the vision in one eye, usually as a result
of constant strabismus or unilateral refractive
errors.

There is no evidence that unilateral amblyopia
affects duration of life.
The potential effects of poor vision in one
eye on quality of life include reduced binocular
visual acuity and reduced binocular cooperation,
causing for example reduced stereoacuity.
These effects will vary depending on the degree
of amblyopia with, for example an acuity of 6/9
in the amblyopic eye, causing much less disability
than an amblyopic eye with an acuity of
6/60.Visual acuity in the majority of amblyopic
eyes is 6/12 or better. This said, it would seem
that most adults with amblyopia are less affected
by their long-standing impairment of acuity
than adults who have recently suffered a loss of
acuity.

There is little evidence that unilateral amblyopia
significantly affects quality of life provided
vision in the normal eye remains good. Children
with amblyopia have been found to have
slightly reduced intelligence in one study.
however this may have been confounded by
the effect of strabismus as a marker for subtle
neurodevelopmental defects. The same study
concluded that the majority of visual defects
did not affect children’s learning. Chua and
Mitchell, in a recent study from the Blue Mountains
Eye Study found that amblyopia in
individuals 49 years or older did not affect lifetime
occupational class, but that fewer individuals
with amblyopia completed university degrees.
Assuming normal vision in the fellow eye,
reduced binocular visual acuity may result
either from the loss of an additive effect of two
normally seeing eyes or from temporary or permanent
loss of acuity in the normal eye.
Temporaryloss of acuity in the normal eye may occur
as a result of pathology, such as a corneal abrasion,
or trauma. This may be the reason why
reduction in unilateral visual acuity precludes
individuals from such professions as the fire
service and armed forces .
The reasoning behind
this may be in that such occupations there
is a risk of trauma to one eye during the course
of dangerous duties which would put the life of
the individual at risk because they would then
be relying on the vision in the amblyopic eye. It
is difficult to comment on whether these risks
are theoretical rather than actual as there is
little information on the subject.



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Ahrakala ( proper time of meals – Ayurveda)

Ahrakala ( proper time of meals – Ayurveda)

The ideal time for taking meals is after the elimination of feaces and urine, when the mind is clean (devoid of emotions), when the dosas are moving in their natural paths (functioning normally), when belching are pure (without any foul smell or taste), when hunger is well manifest, when the flatus is moving downward easily, when the digestive activity is keen, when the sense organs are clear (functioning), when the body is light. Food should be consumed observing the rules and procedures of taking food. That is the ideal time.

Hinatimatra Dosaha —(bad effects of insufficient and excess food) –

Consuming of insufficient quantity of food does not help improvement of strength, growth and vigor, it becomes a cause for all diseases of väta origin. Excess quantity on the other hand produces quick increase of all the dosas.
Vãta and other doäs thus getting increased (aggravated) together suddenly and associating with the undigested and vitiated food, produce diseases such as Alasaka, by blocking the movement (of food inside the alimentary tract) and visficikã by expelling out (the indigested food) in both downward and upward directions (purgation’s and vomiting) simultaneously in persons who are not self controlled (who can not control their craze for eating).

Food neither comes out in the upper direction (vomiting g) nor in the downward directions (purgations) does not even undergo digestion but stays lazily inside the stomach; this disease is known as Alasaka.

Profound aggravation (increase) of VAyU (vãta) and other doas) causing different kinds of troubles, the person experiences pain as though being pricked by needles, hence this disease is called

Abdominal pain, giddiness, distension of the abdomen, tremors, rigidity etc. are caused by vata ; fever, diarrhoea, burning sensation, inside, thirst, loss of consciousness etc. are caused by pitta; vomiting, feeling of heaviness of the body, loss of speech, excess expectoration etc. are caused by kapha.


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The Elements: Building Blocks of Life

The creation principle developed five essential
elements—or building blocks that all life forms
contain: ether, air, fire, water, and earth. We can
easily see how life was created from the subtlest
to the grossest matter. From eternity, the subtlest
form of matter is ether. Ether mixing with eternity
creates air, a more observable or experiential element.
As air moves, it eventually creates friction,
which creates heat or fire. Heat produces moisture,
thus creating water, the densest element yet:
if one tries to walk through water, one is slowed
by its density. Finally, water produces the densest
form of matter, earth. The Vedas say that all of the
creation, including humans, is made up of combinations
of all five essential elements. These elements
are the subtlest aspects of human life, finer
than the molecular, atomic, or subatomic levels.
This is the level that Áyurvedic healing works
on. Focusing on the cause of the grosser levels of
life, the denser aspects will be taken care of since
they are made up of these five elements. Just as a
strong foundation supports a strong building, when
the five elements (the foundation of all matter) are
strong and balanced in a person, they will automatically
balance the more material levels.
Thus, Áyurveda does not need to look at isolated
parts of the human anatomy, or at the vitamin,
chemical, or nutritional level of health. It simply
balances the elements, and this balances the
more physical levels. person diagnosed with a duodenal ulcer is an
example of this balancing. Rather than create a
name for a symptom, Áyurveda identifies the illness
as an excess of the fire element. Acid is a byproduct
of heat. Áyurveda will look to see in what
part of the patient’s life overheating occurs. It may
be due to eating excessive fiery foods and spices
like tomatoes and peppers. One’s career may be
causing undue anger (i.e., hot temper). Perhaps the
person drinks alcohol (firewater).
Once the cause is learned, suggestions for reducing
a person’s excessive intake of fire are discussed.
Simultaneously, the patient is advised to
use more of the air and water elements to balance
the heat with coolness (air cools heat, water puts
out the fire). Thus, the holistic approach of
Áyurveda seeks the cause of an illness and restores
balance, using the insight of the elemental creation
of the universe.

The Áyurvedic Body
Personalizing the healing process is a uniqueness
that Áyurveda brings to the holistic field of
health. From the insights of the Vedic sages, we
learn that people are different and need to be individually
treated.
Expanding upon this elemental view, the
Áyurvedic practitioner understands that people are
made up of various combinations of the elements.
Some people have more air in their system; some
people have a more fiery constitution. Others are
predominantly made up of water. Still others are
combinations of fire and air, fire and water, or air
and water. Some people have an equal amount of
all three elements (ether is combined in air and
earth within water).
Thus a more air-predominant individual needs
to take in less air and more fire and water. A water
person already has an excess of water, so there is a
need to reduce the intake of water and to increase
the fire and air elements in the diet and lifestyle.




Reference on Medicinal plants Part I
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Eight Branches of Ayurveda

The ancient Áyurvedic system was astoundingly
complete. In the colleges of ancient India,
students could choose a specialty from eight
branches of medicine.

1. Internal Medicine (Káyachikitsá).
This is related to the soul, mind, and
body. Psychosomatic theory recognizes
that the mind can create illness in the body
and vice versa. The seven body constitutions and
seven mental constitutions were delineated here:
Váyu (air/energy), Pitta (fire), Kapha (water),
Váyu/Pitta, Váyu/Kapha, Pitta/ Kapha, and a combination
of all three (tridoßha). Although finding
the cause of an illness is still a mystery to modern
science, it was the main goal of Áyurveda. Six
stages of the development of disease were known,
including aggravation, accumulation, overflow,
relocation, a buildup in a new site, and manifestation
into a recognizable disease. Modern equipment
and diagnosis can only detect a disease during
the fifth and sixth stages of illness. Áyurvedic
physicians can recognize an illness in the making
before it creates more serious imbalance in the
body. Health is seen as a balance of the biological
humors, whereas disease is an imbalance of the
humors. Áyurveda creates balance by supplying
deficient humors and reducing the excess ones.
Surgery is seen as a last resort. Modern medicine
is just beginning to realize the need to supply rather
than to remove, but still does not know how or what
to supply.
Additionally, there are over 2,000 medicinal
plants classified in India’s materia medica. A
unique therapy, known as pañcha karma (five actions),
completely removes toxins from the body.
This method reverses the disease path from its
manifestation stage, back into the blood stream,
and eventually into the gastrointestinal tract (the
original site of the disease). It is achieved through
special diets, oil massage, and steam therapy. At
the completion of these therapies, special forms
of emesis, purgation, and enema remove excesses
from their sites of origin. Finally, Áyurveda rejuvenates–
rebuilding the body’s cells and tissues after
toxins are removed.
2. Ears, Nose, and Throat
(£hálákya Tantra).
Sußhruta reveals approximately 72 eye
diseases, surgical procedures for all eye disorders
(e.g., cataracts, eyelid diseases), and for diseases
of the ears, nose, and throat.
3. Toxicology
(Vißhagara-vairodh Tantra).
Topics include air and water pollution, toxins
in animals, minerals, vegetables, and epidemics;
as well as keys for recognizing these anomalies
and their antidotes.
4. Pediatrics (Kaumára bh^itya).
In this branch prenatal and postnatal care
of the baby and mother are discussed. Topics
include methods of conception; choosing the
child’s gender, intelligence, and constitution; and
childhood diseases and midwifery.
5. Surgery (£halyá Tantra). More
than 2,000 years ago, sophisticated
methods of surgery were known. This
information spread to Egypt, Greece, Rome, and
eventually throughout the world. In China, treatment
of intestinal obstructions, bladder stones, and
the use of dead bodies for dissection and learning
were taught and practiced.
6. Psychiatry (Bhúta Vidyá). A whole
branch of Áyurveda specifically deals
with diseases of the mind (including demonic
possession). Besides herbs and diet, yogic
therapies (breathing, mantras, etc.) are employed.
7. Aphrodisiacs (Vájikarana). This section
deals with two aspects: infertility (for
those hoping to conceive) and spiritual development
(for those eager to transmute sexual energy
into spiritual energy).
8. Rejuvenation (Rasáyana).
Prevention and longevity are discussed
in this branch of Áyurveda. Charak says
that in order to develop longevity, ethics and virtuous
living must be embraced.




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Reference on Indian medicinal plants and its treatments.

Ayurveda - The First World Medicine

Áyurveda (pronounced Aa-yer-vay-da), said to
be a world medicine, is the most holistic or comprehensive
medical system available. Before the
arrival of writing, the ancient wisdom of healing,
prevention, and longevity was a part of the spiritual
tradition of a universal religion. Healers gathered
from the world over, bringing their medical
knowledge to India. Veda Vyasa, the famous sage,
preserved the complete knowledge of Áyurveda
in writing, along with the more spiritual insights
of ethics, virtue, and Self-Realization. Others say
Áyurveda was passed down from God to his angels,
and finally to humans.
The methods used to find this knowledge of
herbs, foods, aromas, gems, colors, yoga, mantras,
lifestyle, and surgery are fascinating and varied.
The sage, physicians/surgeons of the time were the
same sages or seers, deeply devoted holy people,
who saw health as an integral part of spiritual life.
It is said that they received their training of
Áyurveda through direct cognition during meditation.
That is, the knowledge of the use of the various
methods of healing, prevention, longevity, and
surgery came through Divine revelation; guessing
or animal testing was unnecessary. These revelations
were transcribed from oral tradition into written
form, interspersed with aspects of mortal life
and spirituality.
Originally four main books of Vedic spirituality
existed. Topics included health, astrology, spiritual
business, government, military, poetry, and
ethical living. These are known as the Vedas: ¼ik,
Sama, Yajur, and Atharva. Áyurveda was used
along with Vedic astrology (called Jyotißh, that is,
one’s “inner light”). Eventually, Áyurveda was
organized into its own compact system of health
and considered a branch of Atharva Veda. This
upaveda/branch dealt with the healing aspects of
spirituality; although, it did not directly treat spiritual
development. Passages related to Áyurveda
from the various Vedas were combined into separate
books dealing only with Áyurveda. Among
the Veda’s 10,572 hymns are discussions of
the three constitutions (doßhas): air (Váyu), fire
(Pitta), and water (Kapha). Topics comprised organ
transplants, artificial limbs, and the use of herbs
to heal diseases of the mind and body and to foster
longevity. Within the Atharva Veda’s 5,977 hymns
are discussions of anatomy, physiology, and surgery.
There were two schools of Áyurveda at the time
of Átreya, the school of physicians and the school
of surgeons. These two schools transformed
Áyurveda into a scientifically verifiable and classifiable
medical system. Through research and testing,
they dispelled the doubts of the more practical
and scientific minded, removing the aura of
mystery that surrounded Divine




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Why this blog ? - For Ayurveda and its related physiolgical action

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