Glaucoma is the second most common cause of visual loss in the world and causes
irreversible loss of vision. The current approaches to deal with primary open angle glaucoma are
chiefly based on reduction intraocular pressure, the most significant controllable risk factor. It is
being increasingly recognized that lowering IOP is not adequate in a significant population of
primary open angle glaucoma (normal tension glaucoma included) patients. Even in patients those
who respond well to IOP lowering drugs, it is more rational to adopt an integrated approach which
takes care of multiple risk factors for glaucoma. Ayurveda can play a significant role in the
integrated management of this condition. This paper correlates the information on pathogenesis
available in biomedical system and system of Ayurveda in order to provide an integrated perspective
which can form the basis for further interdisciplinary studies.
Key words: Glaucoma, Intraocular pressure, Neuroprotection, Normal tension glaucoma,
Oxidative stress, Apoptosis, Ayurveda.
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