Introduction
Pterygium is a growth of the conjunctiva or mucous membrane that covers the white part of the eye over the cornea. The cornea is the clear front covering of the eye. This benign or noncancerous growth is often shaped like a wedge. A pterygium usually doesn’t cause problems or require treatment, but it can be removed if it interferes with the vision.
Signs & symptoms
A pterygium may appear with no or mild symptoms.
Common symptoms include:
Redness of the eye
Blurred vision,
Eye irritation
Burning sensation or itching in the area.
If a pterygium covers the cornea, it can interfere with vision.
Feeling of a foreign body in the eye
Causes
The exact cause of pterygium isn’t known. One theory says that too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light can lead to these growths. People whose eyes are exposed to certain things on a regular basis have a higher risk of developing this condition. These include:
- pollen
- sand
- smoke
- wind
Pathophysiology
The pathophysiology of pterygium is characterized by elastotic degeneration of collagen and fibrovascular proliferation, with an overlying covering of epithelium. Histopathology of the abnormal collagen in the area of elastotic degeneration shows basophilia with haematoxylin and eosin stain. This tissue also stains with elastic tissue stains, but it is not true elastic tissue, in that it is not digested by elastase.
Physical examination using a slit lamp
Visual acuity test
Corneal topography
Photo documentation
Treatments
A pterygium usually doesn’t require any treatment until vision is disturbed or causing severe discomfort.
Medications – Eye drops or eye ointments that contain corticosteroids to reduce inflammation.
Surgical removal of pterygium
Prognosis
The visual and cosmetic prognosis following pterygium excision is good. Those patients who develop recurrent pterygia can be retreated with repeat surgical excision and grafting, with conjunctival/limbal autografts or amniotic membrane transplants in selected patients.
Complications
Scarring on cornea
Loss of vision
Disease & Ayurveda
Armam
Nidana
Causative factors for eye diseases vitiate mostly Pitta dosha in the body namely,
- Ushnabhitaptasya jalapraveshaath – entering into waterbody or taking bath in cold water after exposure to heat/sun
- Doorekshanaath – Looking at distant objects
- Swapnaviparyaya – Unhealthy & irregular sleeping habits
- Prasaktasamrodhanasokakopa – excess or suppressed weeping & anger
- Klesabhigata – Physical exertion, or trauma
- Atimaithuna – Excess coitus
- Atinishevana of Sukta etc. – taking beverages of acidic nature, horse gram, and black gram
- Vegavinigraha -Voluntary suppression of any natural urges like cough, sneeze, urine, flatulence or faeces
- Swedarajodhoomanishevana – Excess sweating, exposure to dust & smoke
- Chardervighaataad – Suppression of vomiting
- Vamanaatiyoga – Excessive vomiting
- Baashpagrahaat – Suppression of tears
- Sookshmanireekshana – looking at small things
Purvaaroopa
cloudy vision with slightly inflamed, watery and mucus filled eyes
heaviness, pricking pain, redness and unmanifested clinical features
Pain in the lids & feeling of worms inside
Impairment of visual sense like detecting colour, & eye movements
Samprapti
Causative factors cause vitiation of doshas which travel through siras(circulatory system) and reach eyes causing the disease.
Lakshana
Arma is characterised by a growth on Shukla, which can spread onto boundaries lke varthma or krishnamandala where it can cause disturbance in vision.
Divisions
5 types
- Prastaryarma
- Shuklarma
- Lohitarma
- Adhimamsarma
- Snayuarma
Prognosis
Sastrasadhyam – Chedanasadhyam (to be excised to heal)
Chikithsa
Samana
Lepanam with Rookshana dravyas
Swedanam
Vimlapanam
Sodhana
Nasyam
Vamanam
Virechanam
Tarpanam-Putapakam
Anjanam(lekhananjanam)
Chedanam(surgical excision)
Then treatment of wound should be done
Commonly used medicines
Thrphalachoorna+/-ghee
Tiktakaghrutam
Brands available
AVS Kottakal
AVP Coimbatore
SNA oushadhasala
Vaidyaratnam oushadhasala
Home remedies
There is no effective home remedy for pterygium.
But the following preventive measures can be helpful in the protection of eye from diseases:
- Ensure enough intake of anti-oxidants and vitamins
- Control any allergic reactions
- Wear UV-blocking sunglasses while going out
- Keep the eyes and eye wares hygienic
- Avoid scratching or rubbing of eyes
- Use artificial tears to prevent dryness
Diet
- To be avoided
Any hard item, tough to bite or chew.
Heavy meals and difficult to digest foods – cause indigestion.
Junk foods- cause a disturbance in digestion and reduces the bioavailability of the medicine
Carbonated drinks – makes the stomach more acidic and disturbed digestion
Refrigerated and frozen foods – causes weak and sluggish digestion by weakening Agni (digestive fire)
Milk and milk products – increase Kapha and cause respiratory problems
Curd – causes vidaaha and thereby many other diseases
- To be added
Light meals and easily digestible foods
Green gram, soups, honey, fruits and vegetables, cow’s ghee.
Freshly cooked and warm food processed with cumin seeds, ginger, black pepper, ajwain, etc
Behavior:
Protect yourself from too much heat or cold.
Avoid head bath and tongue scraping.
Better to avoid exposure to excessive sunlight, wind, rain, or dust.
Maintain a regular food and sleep schedule.
Avoid stress.
Avoid holding or forcing urges like urine, faeces, cough, sneeze, etc.
Avoid sleeping late night and day sleep.
Yoga
- IN PERSONS WITH SEVERE INFLAMMATORY DISEASES AND EYE DISEASES, EXERCISE IS NOT RECOMMENDED
Yoga can maintain harmony within the body and with the surrounding system.
Nadisudhi pranayama
Suryanamaskara
Bhujangasana
Simple exercises for lungs and heart health
All the exercises and physical exertions must be decided and done under the supervision of a medical expert only.
Research articles
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29165417/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5968422/
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, United States. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Please consult your GP before the intake.
Writer:
Dr. Rajesh Nair, the co-founder and chief consultant of Ayurvedaforall.Com, is a graduate of prestigious Vaidyaratnam Ayurveda College (affiliated with the University of Calicut), Kerala, India. Additionally, he holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Yoga Therapy from Annamalai University.
Dr. Nair offers consultation at two busy clinics in and around Haripad, Alleppey, Kerala, the southern state famous worldwide for authentic ayurvedic treatment and physicians. While offering consultation on all aspects of ayurvedic treatments Dr. Nair has a special interest in Panchkarma, Yoga, and Massage.
Through Ayurvedaforall Dr. Nair offers online consultation to patients worldwide and has served hundreds of patients over the last 20 years. In addition to his Ayurvedic practice, he is the chief editor of ayurveda-amai.org, the online portal of Ayurveda Medical Association of India, and the state committee member of Ayurveda Medical Association of India.
Dr. Nair is a regular speaker at Ayurveda-related conferences and has visited Germany to propagate Ayurveda. You can write directly to him-
rajesh@ayurvedaforall.com
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