Ayurveda To prevent cataracts from worsening, wash your eyes in triphala tea, says Vasant Lad, B.A.M.S., M.A.Sc.

, director of the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Triphala is a powder made from the fruits of three Indian trees and is available in Indian pharmacies and some health food stores. To order by mail, please refer to the resource list on page 634.) Heres how Dr. Lad says to use the tea: Boil one teaspoon of triphala in a cup of water for three minutes. Allow the tea to cool, then gentlywithout disturbing the sediment strain it through a double layer of cheesecloth. Make sure no particles of powder remain in the strained tea. Then put the tea in an eye cup (available in most pharmacies) and use it as an eyewash, exposing the open eye once or twice to the tea. Wash your eyes with triphala tea every day, up to three times a day, suggests Dr. Lad. He says your eyes will be soothed, strengthened and cleansed. But, he cautions, this treatment is not a substitute for medical care; you should be sure to consult with your doctor before trying it. Food Therapy Vegetables rich in the antioxidant nutrients beta-carotene and vitamins C and Eany yellow, orange or dark green leafy vegetablehelp prevent the oxidation process that can contribute to and worsen cataracts, says Jay Cohen, O.D., associate professor in the State University College of Optometry in New York City. (For more food sources ofvitamin C and vitamin E, see Getting What You Need on page 142.) Imagery Picture yourself standing under a large waterfall. Imagine that you can remove the lens from your eye and see it in your hand, suggests Gerald Epstein, M.D., a New York City psychiatrist and author of Healing Visualizations. Notice that the lens appears cloudy, so wash it thoroughly in the clean, clear water. See and sense that the cataract is dissolving. Breathe out once. Before replacing the lens, let a holy person (if you are religious) or someone you love put some saliva onto the lens and into the empty space where the lens was, so it will stay clear and clean. Now replace the lens, knowing that it has cleared up. Open your eyes. Dr. Epstein recommends practicing this imagery every two hours while awake, three minutes a session, for 21 days. Take 7 days off, then repeat for another 21 days, followed by another 7-day rest period and one more 21-day cycle. Juice Therapy

Juices rich in beta-carotene and vitamin C can help slow the development of cataracts, according to Cherie Calbom, M.S., a certified nutritionist in Kirkland, Washington, and co-author of Juicing for Life. These nutrients protect the eye from free radical damage caused by exposure to the sun, says Calbom. To prepare her Eye Therapy Express juice, Calbom says to bunch two endive leaves and a handful of parsley, then juice them along with two celery stalks and four or five carrots. Drinking this juice every day wont cure cataracts, but it will help protect your eyes from further damage, according to Calbom. For information on juicing techniques, see page 93. Reflexology Focus on these reflexes on your feet, recommends New York City reflexologist Laura Norman, author of Feet First: A Guide to Foot Reflexology: eye, ear, neck, cervical spine, kidney and all of the points on the tops and bottoms of the toes, with emphasis on the pituitary and thyroid gland. (To work the toes, use whichever technique you find most comfortable.) To help you locate these points, consult the foot reflex chart on page 592. For instructions on how to work the points, see Your Reflexology Session on page 110. Vitamin and Mineral Therapy Antioxidants are recommended by Jay Cohen, O.D., associate professor in the State University of New York College of Optometry in New York City, as a way to minimize the oxidation damage that experts say is responsible forcataracts. He says to make sure youre getting 500 milligrams of vitamin C, up to 400 international units of vitamin E and up to 15 milligrams (25,000 international units) of beta-carotene daily, whether through a multivitamin/mineral supplement or additional pills. See also Vision Problems Previous Chapter Canker Sores Next Chapter Macular Degeneration Cataract is such an eye disorder that can be corrected though reflexology also. In certain cases this therapy has proved to be beneficial. The points used in reflexology hone in on the "eye, ear, neck, cervical spine, kidney and all of the points on the tops and bottoms of the toes, with emphasis on the pituitary and thyroid gland." An additional therapy to set right the cataract in a person consists of imagery therapy. There are many images that help to heal the cataracts. Acupuncture can be a way of treating cataract. Acupuncturists heal cataracts by unblocking stagnant energy (Chi) within the meridians of the body. This increases the circulation of the blood throughout the entire body, possibly increasing the amount of nutrients that reach the area of the eye in need of extra antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Thus, there is the possibility with these treatment procedures through alternative medicines, cataracts may be reduced or at least the progression can be slowed down or cured completely.

Naturopathy treatment for cataract can be helpful at an early stage only when the initial signs of the eye disorder are seen. Treatment of Cataract through naturopathy involves a thorough course of cleansing the entire body toxins. The cleansing process can be done through taking enema for three days with castor oil errand oil and followed by a juice diet for four days. The juice therapy includes juices from citrus fruit which are high in Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps in repairing the collagen tissues of the body. Juice therapy is necessary to fulfill the need of the body`s additional antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Mahatriphala ghrita is also useful in curing eye problem. Another essential naturopathic medicine includes Chadrodaya vati which is used by rubbing in honey. A paste is prepared and is applied to the eyes. Treatment of Cataract can be done through consumption of seasonal vegetable as well as fast therapies. A patient suffering from cataract and undergoing treatment needs to modify is eating habits and his lifestyle. Intake of fruits rich in vitamin c, raw vegetable salads seasoned with olive oil and lemon juice dressing and soaked raisins, figs or dates should be the part of one`s diet. Other vegetable such as spinach, fenugreek, drum sticks, cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, turnips, steamed in their own juices, and few nuts, fruits, such as apples, pears and grapes can help in building the lost immunity. Herbs and Supplements Several herbs and supplements are thought to help reverse or slow the progression of cataracts. A series of cataract studies conducted by Dr. Alan R. Gaby and Dr. Jonathan V. Wright published in 2001 showed a positive relation between certain supplements and cataracts. The clinical trials were based on animals, but several cataract patients reported positive results from implementing certain supplements into their eye-care plan. Quercetin, zinc, vitamin C , vitamin E and copper supplements may all help with cataracts. Selenium, melatonin, potassium, gingko biloba, bilberry and garlic have also had positive results in some cataracts patients. Check with a doctor before taking any new herbs or supplements. Lifestyle Changes Though cataracts usually develop due to age, toxins, sunlight exposure, general health habits and other lifestyle-related factors can contribute to cataracts. Wear protective eyewear and limit exposure to sunlight to prevent cataracts from worsening. Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol consumption as these substances may also make cataracts worse. Limiting milk products may have a positive effect on cataracts. Drs. Gaby and Wright's 2001 animal studies on cataracts showed that a component of lactose seemed to promote the development of cataracts. Alternative Therapies Several alternative therapies have helped some patients with cataracts, though most are not backed by scientific studies. Ayurveda therapy traditionally uses eyewash made of triphala tea, which can be purchased in most natural food stores. Imagery therapy books and videotapes or DVDs attempt to treat cataracts by exposing individuals to certain pleasing images to promote unclouded, focused vision. Professional image therapists can also help develop a program specific to an individual patient. Juice therapy focuses on preventing cataracts from worsening by supplying the body with additional nutrients and

antioxidants through juicing certain fruits and vegetables . Reflexology and acupuncture treatments for cataracts usually focus on the eye, face and neck and claim to improve blood flow to the area of the eye in need of nutrients to heal cataracts. Prevention According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, more than 20.5 million Americans over age 40 suffer from cataracts. Many optometrists are placing more importance on the prevention of cataracts since treatment and reversal of the condition can be difficult depending on how severe the person's cataracts are. Several antioxidants are thought to contribute to maintaining healthy eyes. People approaching middle age or who have a history of cataracts should strive for a diet high in beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E , zeaxanthin, zinc and lutein. An optometrist or family doctor can make further recommendations about nonmedicinal ways to maintain or improve eye health.

SUBJECT
Eyes, Cataract

CITATION
Huang, G., "Foot Massage Treatment of Immature Cataract." 1994 China Reflexology Symposium Report, Beijing : China Reflexology Association, page 129.

SYNOPSIS OF STUDY
A 61 yr old male with a senile cataract was given 10 days of foot reflexology focusing on head, eyes, adrenal glands, kidneys and ureters reflex points. Each point was massaged gently, then vigorously, then gently again for 100 strokes. After the sessions his eyesight improved. Six months later, his eyesight improvement from 0.5 to 0.9. Eight months later the cataract disappeared.

CONCLUSION
Foot reflexology was shown to be effective for the relief of cataracts. COUNTRY WHERE STUDY CONDUCTED China INSTITUTION WHERE STUDY CONDUCTED Xingtai First Hospital Blinking and palming are great ways to make it so your eyes can rest and recover. This is important because if you continue to overwork your eyes, what you'll wind up with is damaged eyes that are unable to work as effective as refreshed eyes. What is important to understand, though, is that just resting your eyes isn't going to make them stronger or prevent them from deteriorating over time. The best way to prevent deterioration and actually make them stronger is to exercise your eyes. What exercising your eyes means is the same as what exercising a muscle means: you build it up so that they are more able to perform the tasks you want. One of the great eye exercises to improve vision is something called a figure eight. As the name suggests, you're going to have your eye follow a figure eight path that will, in return, strengthen the muscles in the eyes. Your eye is not a muscle. However, all around it, there are muscles that move the eye ball around so that you can see more than just straight ahead and what your periphery provides. These muscles, like anything else, can grow weak or strong depending on how you use them. The figure eight is a great way to grow those muscles strong.

The figure eight technique isn't all that hard either. It just requires a bit of focus and these simple guidelines: Imagine a figure eight ten feet in front of you that is really large. The bigger, the better because it will require your eyes to move more. Take that figure eight that is standing up straight and lay it on its side. With your eyes, follow it starting clockwise and then go counter clockwise. It's going to seem weird at first, but that's okay. Continue doing it and it will work. What you are doing here is working the muscles around the eyes. By going in the figure eight motion, all the muscles are being used at once. When you are moving your eyes up, you should feel some tension in your forehead. That is the muscles being used and that is good. It should feel tense because you are developing stronger, more effective muscle for your eyes. Doing this exercise is highly recommended and it can definitely increase the strength and livelihood of your eyes. While it is not the only thing you can do, it is definitely one of the first exercises that people consider doing when they decide they want to try and make their eyes stronger. Strong eyes don't require glasses and since no one WANTS glasses, this is a great way to hold out on getting them. As I begin to get older, my eyesight is getting worse and worse. I believed the only way to get it back was painful operations or laser treatments. That was until I found a product that heals your eyesight naturally by using a set of exercises with no need for invasive surgery. I feel like a youngster again! Eye exercises to improve vision.