Ayurveda and Eye Health: Trataka, Eye Washes and Safety

Eye safety first

Do not put herbs, oils, ghee, powders or home-made washes in your eyes. The American Academy of Ophthalmology says blurriness, double vision, eye pain and serious eye injuries should not be treated at home; see a doctor right away. [1] Sudden vision change is an emergency. This page is information only and gives no home eye treatments.

How Ayurveda describes eye care

Shalakya Tantra is one of the eight branches of Ayurveda and includes ophthalmology. [2] Traditional eye care includes tarpana, described as a therapeutic procedure done on the eye with medicated ghee, and the gazing exercise trataka, which a recent trial describes as a yogic cleansing technique. [2] [3] Trataka also appears in our overview of eye, ear, nose and mouth care in Ayurveda and in yoga writing; see Ayurveda, yoga and pranayama.

What research shows

1. Trataka for eye strain

   Unclear

   A three-arm trial of 300 office workers compared trataka, a cold eye pack and a waitlist for 14 days. Both active groups reported less self-rated strain than the waitlist, and did not differ from each other. [3]

   Promising but limited

2. Trataka for dry eye

   Unclear

   A 12-week open-label trial of 49 adults with mild-to-moderate dry eye found better symptom scores and tear break-up time than no intervention; tear volume (Schirmer score) did not change. [4]

   Promising but limited

3. Trataka and reaction time

   Unclear

   A trial of 120 healthy young adults reported faster reaction times after 8 weeks, compared with no intervention. [5] This measured attention and perception, not eye disease.

   Insufficient evidence for eye health

4. Tarpana with Triphala ghee for dry eye

   Unclear

   An open-label trial of 30 patients compared two ghee preparations and reported relief in both groups; there was no untreated or placebo group. [2]

   Insufficient evidence

5. Glaucoma, cataract, macular degeneration

   Unclear

   Proper evidence not found. We searched PubMed for Ayurvedic treatments of these conditions. We found only a trial protocol, not results, for an Ayurvedic add-on in open-angle glaucoma. [6]

   Insufficient evidence

Trataka trials cannot hide the practice from participants, and waitlist or no-treatment comparisons let expectation inflate self-rated scores. Several used small samples and open-label designs. A narrative review of Indian traditional plants for eye disease says they have no associated side effects. [7] We do not accept that statement as safety evidence; it is a review's claim, not a safety study. NCCIH, for example, warns about toxic metals in some Ayurvedic products. [8]

Safety and quality

• Do not use home eye products. See the AAO advice above. [1]
• Eye cosmetics can carry lead. A study of 220 traditional eye cosmetics and powders from New York City found much higher lead in surma and kohl than in kajal, and children as young as newborns were exposed. [9] Kajal samples in that study came from India. [9] Do not use these on infants. Report any use to a pediatrician.
• Bhasma. The glaucoma protocol uses a preparation containing a bhasma (a metal-based Ayurvedic preparation). [6] See Rasa Shastra and Bhasma for risks.
• Product quality. Lead was found in 65% of 252 Ayurvedic medicine samples in one US investigation. [10] See Lead poisoning from Ayurvedic medicines.

Because eye infections can damage vision, do not try any treatment that places substances on or in the eye outside a trained clinician's supervision.

Who should see an eye doctor first

Anyone with eye pain, redness that does not settle, vision changes, flashes, floaters, injury, or conditions like glaucoma or diabetes. Regular eye exams are the standard way to find these; see hearing and vision changes.

Qualifications and regulation

There is no significant regulation of Ayurvedic practice or education in the United States, and no state requires a license. [8] An Ayurvedic practitioner is not an ophthalmologist or optometrist unless separately licensed. See choosing an Ayurvedic practitioner.