अक्षि तर्पण
Holding medicated oils over eyes and surrounding areas for certain period of time. ‘Akshi’ means eyes, Tarpan means nutrition. This process is done with different herbal medications in certain eye diseases, like refractive error,Xerophthalmia etc. and this is also a treatment to add beauty to eyes.
In this process the eye is filled upon with medicated oil or ghee for a certain period. The patient is asked to lie down on the table comfortably. Then a circular boundary is made with a height of about one and half inch around the eye socket by using dough of black gram(masha). Then the slightly warmed medicated ghee is slowly poured in this cavity,while keeping the eyes closed. During this process the patient is asked to remain calm, motionless and open and close the eyes frequently,so that the drug may remain well in touch with eyeball.
Advantages of Akshi Tarpana
- Improves the vision
- Cures rough and injured eyes
- Prevents formation of cataract
- Strengthens the nerves and muscles of the eyes
- Corrects refractive errors
- Helps in treating chronic conjunctivitis
- Revitalizes tired and dry eyes
- Relieves tension in the eye sockets
Procedure:
- The person is made to lie down over back on the Droni (massage table)
- The dough ring prepared out of blackgram is applied around the eyeball
- Thedosha specific medicated ghee is made lukewarm (around 27 degree Celsius)
- The ghee is poured into the cavity with the eyes closed,till it covers the eyelashes.
- The person is instructed to blink the eyes
- At the end of the procedure the ghee and the ring are removed; eyes are wiped with cotton swab
- The person is made to sniff the medicated smoke with closed eyes
- He is advised to avoid bright light soon after the procedure
CONTRAINDICATIONS FOR TARPANA KARMA:
- On a cloudy day
- Extreme hot or cold seasons
- In conditions of worries and anxiety
- In conditions of tiredness and giddiness of eyes
- In complications of eyes
- In the condition of acute pain, inflammation, redness etc
Duration of the treatment: 30 minutes
Probable mode of action of Akshi-Tarpana
Considering the Doshakarma, the trial drug appears to be predominantelyVatashamaka followed by Pittashamaka and Kaphashamaka (by virtue of its Rasa, Guna, Veerya, and Vipaka). Thus, the overall effect of the compound drug is Vata Pradhana TridoshaShamaka and hence it disintegrates the pathology of Timira, which is also Vata Pradhana Tridoshaja in its manifestation.
The Ghrita has the quality of trespassing into minute channels of the body. Hence, when applied in the eye, it enters deeper layers of Dhatus and cleanses every minute part of them.
The lipophilic action of Ghrita facilitates the transportation of the drug to the target organ and finally reaching the cell, because the cell membrane also contains lipid. This liphophilic nature of Ghrita facilitates the entry of drug into the eyeball through the corneal surface since the corneal epithelium is permeable to lipid-soluble substances and lipid-soluble substances cross the corneal epithelium irrespective of their molecular size.
Moreover, Ghrita preparation used in Akshi-Tarpana is in the form of suspension containing different particles of the drugs and the particles do not leave the eye as quick as a solution. Tissue contact time and bioavailability is more and hence therapeutic concentration can be achieved by Akshi-Tarpana.
