A REVIEW ON DIABETIC RETINOPATHY AND ITS MANAGEMENT IN AYURVEDA

Diabetes Mellitus is a common metabolic disorder in which there is high blood sugar level over a prolonged period and occurs in one of two forms: Type1 or IDDM and Type2 or NIDDM. This disease results in generalized macro and microvascular complications linked to glycaemic control and affect the kidneys, eyes and peripheral nerves. The most common and serious eye complication of diabetes is diabetic retinopathy, which may result in poor vision or even blindness 1 . Despite of better understanding of its pathogenesis, satisfactory treatment is yet not available. Ayurveda is well recognized for its role in preventing the disease, but as such no description is available in text which clarifies the progression of prameha to loss of vision. So ayurvedic treatment purely lies on the basis to pacify the pathological changes which occurs in eye as a result of diabetes according to modern parameters. This paper reviews the pathophysiology of diabetic retinopathy with a view to understand therapeutic target and discusses the possible role of ayurveda in its management.