Once while browsing through the internet, I came across a short and sweet poem, written by an unknown author, describing the beauty of eyes and expressions hidden in them.
The poem was so beautiful that I just made a note of it. Here is the poem.
In Your Eyes
In your eyes I see a thousand setting suns,
Glorious and mighty, more days are done.
In your eyes I see the beauty in a simple flower,
the majesty...the sweetness...the power.
In your eyes I see what could be,
faithfully, lovingly, you and me.
In your eyes my world spins round
your voice...passion the sound.
Mostly in your eyes I see love.
Saying that eyes are the most effective and expressive tools of communication would indeed be no understatement. They mirror a person’s myriad moods and emotions. Eyes have fascinated poets since time immemorial.
We humans are blessed with a highly developed brain which decodes the stimuli from five sense organs and draws an inference about the object beheld. God has blessed us with eyes to enjoy the beauty and variety offered by the world he has created around us. Hence our eyes deserve some amount of special care.
According to the Ayurveda many factors affect the function of eyes, reducing their efficiency and causing discomfort. According to Ayurveda the diseases of eyes are caused by the vitiation of tridoshas. Tridoshas ( –vatha, pitta and kapha) function normally in their respective channels and places, when they are in balanced condition. The main factors, which vitiate these doshas in eyes, are-
· Taking cold bath after a brisk exercise or after roaming in hot climate.
· Straining the eyes for very long hours.
· Keeping awake for very long time, sleeping in afternoon.
· Moving in dust, polluted environment and in smoke.
· Controlling natural urges,
· Head injuries,
· Using the microscope continuously,
· Alcoholism.
All these factors vitiate
the doshas of eyes and cause numerous diseases of eye.
Tired eyes
Tired eyes are mostly caused by allergies, fatigue, over strain of eyes, infection and inadequate supply of oxygen to tissues of eyes. The main symptoms of tired eyes are dryness and irritation
Self care for tired eyes
Give rest to your eyes by closing them for a minute’s interval in between work hours.
Have a good night’s sleep for 6- 7 hrs.
Place fresh slice of cucumber on eyes for few minutes. This revitalizes eyes.
Wash your eyes with cold water several times in a day.
Mix few drops of rose water in a cup of water. Dip two cotton gauzes in it and place them on your eyes for few minutes.
Consult an
ophthalmologist if itching, redness or discomfort persists.
Dry eyes
Tears flow down our eyes when we are sad or too happy. But
our eyes are always protected by a thin film of tear. This film represents
aap dhatu or jaladhatu (water element) according to Ayurveda or
jala .The tear film keeps our vision clear and protects our eyes from
irritations. Reduction in production of tears causes variation in tear film and
dries it. This condition is called as dry eyes.
The causes For Dry eyes
Age – As we get old the tear production reduces causing dry eyes. This is more prevalent in women than men.
Systemic diseases – Medical Conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma etc.
Few medications – Few
medications like diuretics , antihistamines, decongestants, sleeping pills,
few antidepressants, acne medications and opiate preparations, allergic
reaction to eye ointments and eye drops
Diseases of eyes: Blepheritis
(inflammation of edges of eyelids), Entropion (inward bending of eyelid),
Ectropion (outward bending of eyelid).
Irritants present in environment – smoke, dust, wind, sun, dry climate.
Life styles – Working in front of computer for longer hours, reading for long hours, driving.
Varied Composition of tears – Tears are a mixture of water, fatty oils, proteins, electrolytes, etc.
According to ayurveda principles the vitiated vayu causes this condition
Signs and symptoms of dry eyes
Usually both eyes get affected in
this condition. Itching, burning or stinging sensation in eyes as if a foreign
substance is inside. You feel it very difficult to wear contact lenses. Eyes get
tired easily. Secretion of mucus in the form of threads, around eyes. Eyes get
very quickly irritated when exposed to smoke or wind.
If the above
mentioned symptoms persist for a prolonged period please consult an
ophthalmologist.
Prevention of dry
eyes
Avoid direct blowing of air through hair driers, fans or air conditioners.
Wear cooling glasses when it is too sunny or windy.
Wear swimming glasses to prevent excess irritation.
Avoid dry climate.
Don’t forget to blink when you work in front of computer or while reading or while watching TV
Avoid rubbing your eyes.
Home remedies of dry eyes
Boil castor leaves in water and allow it to cool down, when this decoction is lukewarm dip cotton gauze it and place it both eyes. When gauze becomes cold it can be dipped once again in the decoction and place on the eyes.
Boil two spoons of triphala powder in a glass of water until it reduces to quarter of a glass, when it is lukewarm filter it and add a spoon of honey. Drinking this decoction every day strengthens the eyes.
Dark Circles
Dark Circles are a common beauty
complaint. Nine out of 10 people have dark circles under their eyes at one time
or another, the skin beneath our eyes is very thin. As we get exposed to sun
rays, the skin under the eyes gets damaged and becomes more thin and wrinkled.
The veins below this thin skin start looking prominent. Thus the wrinkles and
prominent veins form dark circles. Some times pigmentation also causes dark
circles.
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Causes of dark circles
Age.
Over exposure to sun.
Lack of sleep.
Lack of nutrients.
Allergies.
Eczema.
Asthma.
Hereditary.
Fatigue.
Chronic diseases.
Pregnancy.
Menstruation
Remedy for dark circles
Conceal the dark circles through make up techniques.
Do not use bleach or peels to make the dark circles light.
Apply mild moisturizer under eyes take care not to apply it too much. Lightly tap the under eye skin with one or two fingers to increase the blood circulation.
Treat the cause of illness mentioned above.
Sleep for sufficiently long hours.
Do not scratch the under eye skin.
Take good diet, which is rich in nutrients.
Conjunctivitis: (Pink Eye)
Causes
Conjunctivitis may be
caused by viruses, bacteria or allergic substances like pollen or dust.
Conjunctivitis caused by bacteria or virus may affect one or both eyes. Allergic
conjunctivitis affects both eyes.
Symptoms
The most
common symptoms are- Redness, itching, grittily feeling, tearing and discharge
from one or both eyes. Blurred vision and sensitivity to light also accompany
the above symptoms.
Prevention
Avoid Using others eye cosmetics and sharing your cosmetics with others.
Do not touch your eyes repeatedly with your hands.
Wash your hands repeatedly and thoroughly.
Change pillow covers frequently.
Do not share your napkins, towels, hand kerchiefs with others and don’t use others’.
Wash the above mentioned items daily in warm water and press them using hot iron.
Take proper care of your contact lenses according to doctor’s instructions.
Avoid rubbing of eyes.
May 14, 2006
Disclaimer
The above article is
educational in nature, and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent
any disease. If you have a medical condition, please consult your
physician. Dr. Savitha Suri B.A.M.S is Chief Consultant physician at
Chaitanya Integrated Medical Center, Udayagiri, Mysore, Karnataka, India.She is
practicing Indian Systems of Medicines since 12 years. By arrangement with http://www.ayurhelp.com/