A cataract is a clouding of the eye's natural lens that slowly blurs and dims vision. It is the leading cause of
blindness in India, and it is fully treatable with a short, safe operation. No eye drop, diet or herb can
dissolve a cataract, but Ayurvedic eye care can support eye comfort and overall eye health before and after surgery.
What is a cataract?
Behind the coloured part of the eye (the iris) sits a clear lens that focuses light onto the retina, like a camera
lens. With age and other factors, proteins in the lens clump together and it becomes cloudy, yellowish or
brownish. Light is scattered instead of focused, so the world looks hazy, as if through a frosted window. Most
cataracts develop slowly over years and usually affect both eyes, though not always equally.
A painful red eye or any change in vision needs an eye examination. Never put home-made drops, juices, honey or oils into the eyes.
Symptoms
Blurred, cloudy or dim vision that glasses no longer fully correct
Glare and haloes around lights, especially vehicle headlights at night
Colours looking faded or yellowish
Needing more light to read; frequent changes in spectacle power
Double vision in one eye
A temporary improvement in near vision (“second sight”) in some older people — a sign the cataract is changing
Causes & risk factors
Ageing — most people over 60 have some lens clouding
Diabetes, which also causes cataracts at a younger age
Long-term use of steroid tablets, inhalers or eye drops (including unprescribed ones)
Smoking and heavy alcohol use
Prolonged sunlight (UV) exposure without eye protection
Eye injury, previous eye surgery or inflammation
Babies can be born with cataracts (congenital) — early treatment is essential to prevent lasting vision loss
Surgery: when and how
You don't have to wait for a cataract to be “ripe”. Surgery is advised when blurred vision interferes with daily
life — reading, working, driving, recognising faces or moving safely. Waiting too long makes the operation
harder and raises the risk of falls and complications.
Modern surgery (phacoemulsification or small-incision surgery) removes the cloudy lens through a tiny cut and replaces it with a clear artificial lens (IOL).
It takes 15–30 minutes under local anaesthetic drops or injection, and most people go home the same day.
Free cataract surgery is available at government and partner hospitals under the National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment.
Diabetes and blood pressure should be well controlled beforehand; tell your surgeon about blood thinners and any prostate medicine (tamsulosin).
After surgery
Use the prescribed eye drops exactly as instructed; wash hands before touching the eye area.
Wear the protective shield at night for the first week; avoid rubbing or pressing the eye.
Keep soap, water, dust and smoke out of the eye for 1–2 weeks; avoid swimming and eye make-up.
Light activities are fine the next day; avoid heavy lifting and bending low for a week or two.
You will need a new spectacle prescription about a month later.
Months or years later, vision may blur again due to a thin film behind the implant (posterior capsule opacification); a quick painless laser (YAG) clears it.
Ayurvedic view
Protect sight (Drishti) → pacify Kapha and Vata in the eye → nourish ocular tissues → treat the mature cataract surgically — as Sushruta himself advised.
Ayurveda classifies progressive loss of vision under Timira, which in its advanced stage becomes
Linganasha (loss of sight); Kaphaja Linganasha, with a whitish opacity in the pupil, corresponds
closely to mature cataract. Remarkably, the Sushruta Samhita — over two thousand years old — describes
a surgical procedure, couching (daivakrita vedha), to push the clouded lens out of the line of sight;
it is one of the earliest recorded eye operations. Today, Ayurvedic eye specialists (Shalakya Tantra)
use Triphala, Triphala ghrita and therapies such as Tarpana for eye strain and dryness
and for early lens changes, while recommending modern surgery once vision is affected.
Protecting your eyes
Wear UV-blocking sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat outdoors.
Stop smoking; keep blood sugar in the target range.
Eat colourful vegetables and fruit — spinach, carrots, amla, oranges, papaya — plus nuts and a little ghee.
Use steroid medicines, including eye drops, only as prescribed.
Improve home lighting and remove trip hazards if vision is poor.
Have an eye check every 1–2 years after 40, and yearly if you have diabetes.
Never put home-made drops, honey, juices or unlicensed “cataract drops” into the eyes — they don't work and can cause serious infection.
When to seek care
After surgery — contact your surgeon immediately for increasing pain, worsening redness, sticky discharge or a drop in vision, especially in the first week (possible infection).
Sudden loss of vision, flashes and floaters, or a curtain across the vision
A painful red eye with headache and vomiting
A white reflex in a baby's pupil in photos, or a baby who doesn't follow faces or objects
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