AN AYURVEDIC APPROACH TO STARGARDT’S MACULAR DEGENERATION: A SPECIAL CASE REPORT

Abstract

Stargardt’s disease is a most common form of inherited juvenile macular degeneration. It usually affects children & young adults in their 1st and 2nd decade of life, even though visual impairment may not be apparent until 3rd decade. The estimated prevalence is 1 in 10,000 population1.Visual acuity including colour vision testing, visual field analysis,ERG,FFA,Amsler grid charting are the useful diagnostic techniques for this disease.Eventhough significant research is taking place in this area, no treatment is available till date for this disease in contemporary science.In Ayurveda by considering the visual disturbance & field defect , this disease can be included under dristigata rogas explained by Acharya Sushruta, Pitta vidagdha dusti is one among them, which holds more appropriate to define this clinical condition. As there is no common line of management following in these types of diseases in Ayurveda, an attempt has been made to explain the case treated as per the Ayurvedic principles. This study describes a 25 year old female patient diagnosed as Stargardt’s macular degeneration & underwent Ayurvedic treatment protocol i.e Tailadhara with Balashwagandha taila,Nasya with KB 101,Tarpana with Jeevantyadi ghrita followed by putapaka and internally saptamrita loha was administered. By executing Ayurvedic treatment the quality of the vision distant & near acuity is improved. The treatment adopted in this case can be taken as guidelines to manage the macular degenerative diseases which need extensive management to tackle the pathology.