Eyes that burn by evening after ten hours of screens.
What it looks like: Burning, gritty or heavy eyes by late afternoon; Blurring that comes and goes; Headache across the brow after screen work; Watering in wind or air conditioning; Difficulty with night driving.
The eye is regarded as a seat of Alochaka Pitta, and screen work in an air-conditioned room aggravates it in the two ways that matter: sustained heat and sustained dryness. The classical remedy is oleation held against the eye itself, which is a thing Ayurveda does and few other systems attempt.
Netra Tarpanam: a dough ring is built around each eye and warm medicated ghee is held inside it while you open and close the eye under it. Shiro Abhyangam is run alongside for the brow and temple ache, and Nasyam where headache accompanies it. Screen-distance, lighting and blink-rate guidance is part of the plan — it is a large part of why the complaint exists.
Typical course: A 3 to 7 day Netra Tarpanam course, repeated periodically.
When to see a doctor first, not us: Sudden vision loss, eye pain with redness and haloes around lights, flashes and floaters, or an injury to the eye — see an ophthalmologist urgently. Netra Tarpanam does not treat glaucoma, retinal disease or cataract.
Assessed at Sri Vinayaga Ayurvibe, a doctor-led Ayurveda hospital at Nookampalayam, Perumbakkam, Chennai 600131 — reachable from Sholinganallur, Medavakkam, OMR, Velachery, Pallikaranai and Tambaram. Open every day, 10 AM to 8 PM.
This page is for you if your eyes feel burning, gritty or heavy by the end of a working day, or you find yourself rubbing them, blinking hard and reaching for eye drops more often. It is written for people who spend long hours at screens, drive at night or work in air-conditioned rooms, and for anyone told their eyes are healthy but dry. Here we explain how Ayurveda reads eye strain, what the doctor checks and what a course of Netra Tarpanam and related care involves.
The texts describe a condition called Shushkakshipaka, in which the eyes become dry, rough and burning, the lids feel stiff, and opening the eyes takes effort. It is read as Vata and Pitta acting together, and it corresponds closely to what is now called dry eye disease.
The eyes are also described as depending on the head, the neck and sleep. Long hours of fixed focus, late nights and a head held forward over a laptop are all treated as part of the cause, which is why the doctor’s questions go beyond the eyes themselves.
Not every tired eye is dry, and not every dry eye comes from screens. Hormonal change around menopause, some medicines, contact lens wear and certain autoimmune conditions can all reduce the tear film, and the assessment is meant to tell these apart before a plan is made.
At the consultation the doctor asks about your working hours, screen set-up, lighting, sleep, contact lens use and the drops you use, as well as headaches and neck stiffness. Your pulse, tongue and constitution are assessed, along with digestion and general health.
Netra Tarpanam is not planned over an active eye infection, an eye injury or recent eye surgery, and the doctor asks about these first. If you have not had an eye examination recently, or your symptoms include pain, light sensitivity or a change in vision, you will be asked to see an ophthalmologist before treatment.
Netra Tarpanam is the centre of most plans, and the medicated ghee used is chosen for whether your eyes lean more towards dryness or towards burning heat. After each session the eyes are cleaned with a warm herbal compress, and you rest with them closed before leaving.
Shiro Abhyangam, a warm-oil massage of the head, neck and shoulders, may be added where strain shows up as tension at the back of the neck and across the brow. Shiro Pichu, an oil-soaked pad held on the crown, is used in some plans where poor sleep comes with the eye complaint. Nasyam may be considered where headache, congestion or a heavy head is part of the picture, once the doctor has checked it suits you.
Internal medicines are prescribed only after the consultation and may not be needed at all. Triphala Churna, compounded in our pharmacy, is a classical formulation traditionally associated with eye care, and the doctor will tell you whether it has any place in your plan. Someone whose eyes burn after night shifts needs a different emphasis from someone whose eyes have become dry with hormonal change.
A Netra Tarpanam course is usually 3 to 7 days, on consecutive days, and is repeated periodically rather than done once. It is planned around your work so that you are not going straight back to a screen, and the doctor reviews you at the end of the course to suggest when a repeat may be useful.
Do not plan to drive yourself home on therapy days; arrange a lift or a cab. The cost depends on the plan, and the clinic tells you before you book.
Usual eye care for strain and dryness includes correcting your spectacle power, lubricating drops, and sometimes prescription drops or in-clinic procedures from an ophthalmologist for more significant dry eye. We never ask you to stop medication prescribed by another doctor. Keep using your drops as directed, and tell the doctor which ones you use so that sessions can be timed sensibly around them.
If you are under an ophthalmologist’s follow-up for glaucoma, diabetic eye changes or any retinal condition, keep every appointment and every drop exactly as advised. Tell the doctor about these at your first visit, since they affect whether and how eye therapies are planned.
Much of what keeps eyes comfortable happens at your desk and at bedtime. These points are a practical start.
Sri Vinayaga Ayurvibe — 12/597, Main Road, Nethaji Nagar Main Rd, Nookampalayam, Perumbakkam, Chennai 600131. Phone: +91 81229 39197.