Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) is a rare eye condition, but still, there are thousands of people in India and elsewhere that suffer from it. The slow retinal breakdown due to varying factors can sometimes lead to complete vision loss. The symptoms of RP start showing early, but without proper medical care, they can be left unchecked and worsen the condition. Given RP is genetic; the treatment options are often limited. 

But, thanks to technology and research into alternative medicine and therapy, you have multiple options for retinitis pigmentosa treatment today. So, let’s discuss retinitis pigmentosa natural therapy options as well as homoeopathic treatment for retinitis pigmentosa and retinitis pigmentosa treatment in ayurveda. But first, let’s take a quick recap on how RP affects your eyes and the symptoms of RP, so you can better understand how each natural treatment option for RP works.

 

How Does Retinitis Pigmentosa Affect Your Eyes?

Retinitis pigmentosa is a genetic eye condition that can lead to total vision loss. As the name suggests, RP affects the retina in your eye. The retina is a layer at the back of your eye that receives light and converts it into neural signals for your brain to comprehend what you see. In patients suffering from RP, the cells of the retina slowly start to break down, and that, in turn, leads to a variety of symptoms. When left untreated for a long time, these symptoms can lead to total vision loss. So, let’s learn more about the symptoms of RP and how they can affect your eyes.

Symptoms of Retinitis Pigmentosa That You Should Know

 

Night Blindness

You may remember night blindness from your biology textbooks as a disease caused by Vitamin A deficiency. Well, it can also be a symptom of RP, if it starts from a very early age. Night blindness seldom actually means complete blindness at night. The symptoms can start small with trouble navigating in the dark in your own room. For parents that have RP or have anyone in the family with RP, if your child has these problems, please get proper medical care to limit the damage of RP as much as possible.

 

Tunnel Vision

Tunnel vision is a condition that causes peripheral vision loss over time. Ultimately, the person can only see straight ahead, and everything else looks blurry. This condition, too, can be one of the early symptoms of RP and need to be diagnosed to ensure your retina is safe. Tunnel vision is a relatively advanced symptom, but one that can be a telltale symptom of RP, so do get medical care if you start developing a loss of peripheral vision.

 

Trouble Adjusting To Low Light

Trouble adjusting to low light is another early symptom of RP. If you notice this symptom in children, it can be a sign of RP, and you might need immediate medical assistance for a complete diagnosis. Trouble adjusting to low light after you were in a properly lit situation might seem like night blindness at first, but it’s crucial to differentiate the symptoms. It will help medical professionals diagnose the underlying conditions better.

 

Light Sensitivity

Sensitivity to strong light sources can be another symptom of RP, and it can start occurring in anyone, from children to adults. Light sensitivity can lead to other problems like nausea and headache. If your symptoms are persistent, do get the required medical help.

 

Loss of Colour Vision

The inability to differentiate between colours is also a significant symptom of RP. It is mainly common in children and can lead to difficulty identifying or differentiating between colours. Parents must take this symptom seriously and get the necessary medical care to ensure the child’s eye condition is not deteriorating.

 

 

Retinitis Pigmentosa Natural Treatment Options

All the symptoms listed above can be a sign of RP. And the treatment for each of these symptoms is different, given RP is not entirely curable. So, what are your treatment options? Various therapy options can train your eye and cure the symptoms. Similarly, you can also adapt alternative treatments like homoeopathy and ayurvedic medicine. Let’s discuss all the retinitis pigmentosa natural treatment options in detail.

 

Light Therapy

Light therapy is a highly effective treatment process for RP. Light therapy is a non-invasive treatment process with almost no side effects, and it is a completely safe treatment option for patients of all ages. While it does not cure RP, it can slow down retinal degradation and even reverse some of the damage done in some cases. So, how does light therapy work?

Light therapy works by targeting the powerhouse of the retinal cells, the mitochondria. The treatment aims to reduce the rate of degeneration in the retinal cells and make the mitochondria work, ensuring the preservation of retinal function. Different types of light therapy can be prescribed by doctors based on your age and the severity of your symptoms. Visit Sanjeevan today to learn more about light therapy treatment for retinitis pigmentosa and protect your vision from further damage due to RP.

 

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a relatively newer treatment option for RP, but it is very effective at controlling the symptoms. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is based on oxygenating your blood, tissues, plasma, and retina to slow down degeneration and restore/preserve normal vision. It is a very effective treatment option for people of all ages.

Additionally, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a safe procedure, and it does not involve patients going through any type of surgery. The process requires patients to be placed in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber with almost 2-3 times the atmospheric pressure than outside. Under such special conditions, your lungs can inhale and absorb more oxygen, which helps stabilise your vision and slow down the degeneration of your retinal cells.

 

 

Homoeopathy

Homoeopathy is not just a single procedure, unlike the other treatment options on the list so far. Homoeopathic treatment involves various medicines to keep the symptoms at bay and try and restore your vision. Here are some of the medicines and treatments under homoeopathy that can help you with the symptoms of RP.

 

Ampoule Therapy

Ampoule therapy is a type of homoeopathic treatment where patients are given small glass containers of medicines known as ampoules that they need to have as directed by the physician. For RP, there are certain medicines prescribed explicitly by doctors in these ampoules that patients need to have from 2 to up to 6 times a day. Here is a list of the medicines usually recommended by a doctor for ampoule therapy of RP.

  • Traumeel S
  • Galium Heel
  • Engystol
  • Coenzyme compositum
  • Psorinoheel
  • Retina suis-injeel
  • Cerebrum compositum
  • Nervous opticus suis-injeel

Any combination of these medicines can be prescribed to you for your symptoms based on your age and the severity of the symptoms. Ampoule therapy aims at treating the imbalances in your body that are causing the symptoms of RP. The ampoules need to be consumed at the correct times and kept in your mouth for up to 2 minutes to make sure the ampoule is absorbed in your mucous.

 

Heel Remedies

Homoeopathic heel remedies are your best option if you are looking for retinitis pigmentosa natural remedies. These remedies are effective at helping improve the symptoms of RP, if they are taken regularly. Some of the medicines used in this type of remedy are mentioned below.

  • Traumeel S
  • Sulfur-Heel
  • Psorinoheel
  • Schwef Heel
  • Galium Heel
  • Veratrum Homaccord
  • Aesculus Compositum

These medicines are to be used per your doctor’s directions, which can be as frequent as ever, 15 minutes until the symptoms subside. These medicines are completely safe and have no side effects for kids or adults. Doctors can prescribe any combination of these medicines for your RP symptoms. Do note that you should not have more than 12 medicines of any type in a day, regardless of the frequency.

 

Ayurveda

Ayurveda has been around for thousands of years and has detailed treatment processes for various illnesses. Ayurvedic treatment focuses on treating the imbalances in your body, much like homoeopathy. However, the methods used are different compared to homoeopathy.

Ayurvedic treatment focuses on lifestyle changes along with rasayana medicine to treat the symptoms of RP. The treatment focuses on treating the imbalances in your kapha and pitta, which in turn help you preserve your vision over long periods.

Ayurvedic treatment for RP has two stages and an additional optional but recommended stage to help keep the symptoms at bay and revitalise your vision. This also helps restore some vision and stop it from degenerating further. Let’s look closer at the stages of ayurvedic treatment for RP.

 

Purification Process

As the name suggests, the purification process begins with expulsing excessive pitta and dosha from your body. This is done using a variety of different ayurvedic therapies. These therapies are used in combination to help bring balance to your body. The therapies used are

  • Virechan: Virechan is one of the panchakarma therapies. It works by removing excess dosha and pitta from your body.
  • Nasya: Nasya therapy introduces herbal oils and other natural healing ingredients into your body through your nose. It is also among the five panchakarma therapies.
  • Shirodhara: This therapy is massage oriented and focuses on a deep massage of your head, forehead, and scalp. This therapy aims to relieve the stress of your nerves to help rejuvenate your body.
  • Netradhara: Netradhara therapy works by introducing various natural herbs and extracts by pouring them over your eyes continuously. It is a very simple ayurvedic eye treatment procedure, and it is used commonly during RP treatment too.

 

Rasayana Medicine

Once the excess dosha and pitta are removed from your body, it’s time for your body to be rejuvenated using rasayana medicine. These medicines are developed using various naturally found ingredients that are highly effective at treating the symptoms of RP. The main aim of this stage of the treatment is to strengthen your optic nerve and stop the degeneration of your retinal cells. 

The following recommended step is to go for Panchakarma therapy sessions at least once a year. These treatments are recurring and help in keeping your vision protected from RP. They are also great at relieving symptoms like night blindness or having trouble adjusting to low light.

 

Acupuncture

Acupuncture treatments for RP are very common in China. They are very effective in helping patients with RP relieve their symptoms and sharpen their eyesight while preserving their retinal photoreceptor cells. Acupuncture focuses on relieving the pressure on the optic nerve to stop and prevent any damage to the nerve. Acupuncture is highly efficient, and it can increase the functioning of the rods and cones in your eyes, essentially helping you restore some lost vision in the process. 

Acupuncture treatment works by pricking needles into very specific acupuncture points in your body. There are various types of acupuncture points, including distal, local, and scalp acupuncture points. When pressure is put in these specific points of your central nervous system, it releases certain chemicals and hormones in your body that can help you relieve the symptoms of RP over time.

The local and distal acupuncture points generally used for treating RP are listed below.

  • Yin Tang
  • St2
  • GB20
  • Yu Yao
  • Tai Yang
  • GB37
  • Liv3
  • SI6
  • Du24
  • Ll11

These points are stimulated as per the symptoms and their severity. Often experts will only stimulate and sedate the local points to not overstimulate the optic nerve and the retinal cells. Acupuncture is the only natural therapy treatments for RP that involves some form of invasion of your body. However, it is still a completely safe process with no side effects or risks for patients.

 

Ending Note

Natural therapies are a great way to keep RP symptoms at bay. While RP eye disease cure is yet to be found, these natural therapies can be highly useful in helping reduce the effects of RP and stop the degeneration of your retina and protect your vision. For more information about RP treatment options, feel free to visit Sanjeevan for perfect eyesight. They are experts in the non-invasive and safe treatment of rare eye conditions like retinitis pigmentosa. Check out their website or visit any of their multiple clinics across India to learn more about RP treatment.