Browsing by Author "Mahak"

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    Reviving Ancient Eye Cures: The Role of Traditional Medicine in Modern Optometric Science
    (Chitkara University Publications, 2025-10-07) Mahak; Sachitanand Singh; Nakul Sankhayadhar
    Background: For centuries, people have used traditional eye care practices using mineral-only treatments and herbal medicines to optimize their eye health. Many practices are documented in older texts, including the Sushruta Samhita, Ebers Papyrus, and Islamic texts. In a world moving towards integrative medicine, optometry is now reflecting on these traditional practices. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to review traditional eye treatments and their potential place in modern optometric treatment by exploring their historical context, current use, pharmacological evidence, and clinical outcomes. Methods: A literature analysis was carried out using Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Key search terms were ‘herbal remedies,’ ‘traditional ophthalmic medicine,’ and ‘ocular health.’ Reports published in English articles from 2016 to 2025 that included information on traditional medicine and the way it is used in modern eye care were included in the study. Results: Prevalence percentages of traditional medicines were found to be quite variable in rural and underserved areas; in rural India it’s at 25%, and Zimbabwe had 65.7%. Minerals, honey, ghee, and herbal extracts have anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and antioxidant properties. Catastrophic misuse can cause corneal ulcers or blindness; however, data summarize that it offers potential therapeutic benefits for glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and dry eye syndrome. Conclusion: Conventional eye medications may be available for use as an adjunct treatment; however, their safe incorporation into modern ocular care requires further clinical validation, standardization, and large studies.
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    The Eye in Space: Optometry’s Role in Managing Vision Challenges in Microgravity
    (Chitkara University Publications, 2025-11-28) Mahak; Sachitanand Singh; Nakul Sankhayadhar
    Background: Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS) is a major health threat to astronauts experiencing long-duration spaceflight. SANS is characterized by optic disc edema, globe flattening, choroidal folds, hyperopic shifts, and increased retinal thickness. These changes are primarily caused by cephalad fluid shifts and altered intracranial pressure (ICP), all of which have implications for visual function, mission safety, and long-term ocular health. Purpose: This paper reviews the literature related to the cause, diagnosis, treatment, and optometric consequences of SANS and discusses the essential role of optometry in the eye care of astronauts, as well as possible translational applications for eye problems on Earth. Methods: A systematic narrative review was conducted using the databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar over the period of 2010–2025. Studies focused on ocular changes in astronauts, imaging modalities (OCT, MRI, ultrasonography), and countermeasures. Results were categorized into diagnostic modalities, pathophysiology, interventions, visual performance, and optometric implications. Results: Approximately 60–69% of long-duration astronauts exhibited visual changes compared to 29% for shorter missions. Similar studies failed to replicate the same direction of the SANS condition, although modeling found evidence of orbital fat edema and the risk of structural vulnerability to increased intracranial pressure or IOP. Diagnostic methods are noninvasive, thus potentially improving utilization in space. Diagnostic methods such as OCT, ultrasonography, fundus photography, and AI-facilitated algorithms likely have more sensitivity than traditional methods. Countermeasures such as artificial gravity, lower body negative pressure, and fluid-shifting garments partially mitigated the incidence of SANS. Functional performance included decreased contrast sensitivity, loss of stereoacuity, and transient refractive shift. Conclusion: SANS is a multifaceted syndrome that encompasses intracranial pressure, fluid mechanisms, vascular and glymphatic drainage, anatomical considerations, and environmental stressors. Optometry plays a critical role in diagnosing, monitoring, and rehabilitation and can impart translational information related to disorders such as idiopathic intracranial hypertension and glaucoma.