Effect of Ayurvedic medicine in the management of Vartma Sharkara with special reference to conjunctival concretions.

Abstract

Vartma Sharkara is one of the Sannipataja Vartmagata Roga and is a curable disease by Lekhana Karma (scraping procedures). It can be correlated with “conjunctival concretion” which is a degenerative condition of the conjunctiva. Treatments are not essential if it is asymptomatic but if it gives symptoms, concretions should be removed by hypodermic needle which causes conjunctival damages and sometimes conjunctival inammation. Thus this study was designed to develop a successful, safe and sustainable line of treatment in the management of conjunctival concretion according to the principles of Ayurveda. The study was carried out as case studies with 10 patients at the eye OPD of NIA, Jaipur as per the exclusion and inclusion criteria. All the assessments were done with self-designed scoring system as before treatment, after treatment and after the follow up period. The line of treatment was mainly focused on Shodhana, Lekhana and Santarpana type of medicines. Hence Samudraphena Varti Pratisarana and Anjana, Thriphaladi Netra Parisheka and Ashwagandha–Shatavari powders were selected. The duration of trial depended upon the severity of the disease. The uniqueness of this therapy was that conjunctival concretion can be removed without causing any damage to the conjunctiva and without antibiotics being given. The number of times of Pratisarana depended on the severity of the disease. Those which were at the level of conjunctiva were managed by using Samudraphena Varti Anjana. Rasayana property was helpful for preventing recurrence. It can be concluded that Vartma Sharkara or conjunctival concretion can be successfully managed with Ayurvedic treatments without any adverse effects.