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LUMBAGO

2008-09-18T19:22:00.010+05:30

LUMBAGO

Lumbago is the pain caused by a severe and prolonged spasm of the muscles in the lower back region of the body. It is usually caused by a fibrosis’s. It is always accompanied by muscle tenderness and pain either in the centre or the back or on one side. The onset of this disease is often very sudden and acute. Sprain or chronic constipation precipitates this disease. It usually occurs in old age and is more common in males than in females.

Prasarani is the drug for the treatment of this condition. It is used both externally and internally. The juice of this plant is boiled with gingerly oil by following a specific pharmaceutical process and this oil, when warm, is used for massage over the afflicted part, 2-3 times a day. The juice of this plant is given to drink in a dose of 125 ml three times a day.

The leaves of this plant produce a peculiar foetid –odour but when crushed with a pestle and mortar, the foetid odour disappears. A spoonful of honey and 1/4^th teaspoonful of black pepper powder may be added to this dose so as to make it palatable. For relieving constipation, the patient should be regularly given same purgative tablets in a suitable dose early in the morning.

Prasarani should be taken for about a month. Even after the pain is subsided, there is every possibility that this may recur.

After taking food, the patient should be advised to lie down. He should not sit for 15 minutes. Sedentary habit is harmful for such patients. Some physical exercises which involve the movement of the muscles in the back and pelvic region are good for the patients. Morning walk is helpful. Exposure to cold, strain and over exertion are strictly prohibited.

Sour and fried things and pulses are strictly prohibited in this condition. Wheat, bajra and jowar are better than rice.

LEUKAMIA

2008-09-18T19:22:00.009+05:30

LEUKAMIA

Leukemia or Vana Sammipataja Panduroga in Ayurveda commonly known as cancer of the blood is a disease usually of chronic type, in which the number of white corpuscles of blood is permanently increased. In many ways it resembles a form of malignant disease.

In acute cases of leukemia, which are rare, the patient shows pallor, occasional purpuric rash, and enlargement of the lymphatic glands and spleen. The temperature is raised and the condition is liable to be mistaken for general TB. In the chronic type of leukemia, which is the usual type, the onset is gradual and the usual symptoms are either swelling of the abdomen or shortness of breath, due to painless enlargement of the spleen, or of the glands in the neck, armpits. There is pallor of the skin, palpitation and other symptoms of anemia. There may also be occasional hemorrhages form the nose, stomach, gums or Bowes. There is dropsy of the feet, diarrhea and also a slight degree of fever. The life expectancy of the patient is not more than a few years if the disease is not treated in time.

In allopathy there is no known cure for leukemia. Modern medicine has faide to come up with any explanation as to why the white blood corpuscles multiply fast giving rise to the complications mentioned above but Ayurveda, however, believes it to be caused by a vitiation of all the three Doshas, (vata, pitta and Kapha) and seeks to cure it with drugs which restore the balance of the three.

For acute cases of leukemia, the following drugs are prescribed.

Bajra Bhasma (calx of diamond) - 5.8 mg

Muktapishtha - 60 mg.

Pandupanchanan Rasa - 120 mg

To be taken 3 times daily.

LOW BLOOD PRESSURE

If the pressure of the blood being pumped by the heart into the arteries falls below the average 140 (systolic) and 80 (diastolic) there may be increase in the pulse rate, cold sweats, a feeling of extreme weakness and giddiness. Low blood pressure (Nyuna Raktachap) may be caused by:

(1) injury leading to loss of blood

(2) food poisoning

(3) anaemia, acute or chronic

(4) other disorders

if the pressure remains a little lower than the average it is a healthy sign, because in moments of stress the heart will be able to deal with any emergency. But if it falls below the minimum necessary for sound health, it may cause worry. The first requirement is to ascertain the cause of the malady. If it is anemia or sudden loss of blood, these conditions should be treated first. Severe blood loss, as in an injury, may need immediate transfusion of blood. Low blood pressure due to anemia can be cured only when the persistent lack of blood in the system has been dealt with.

Low blood pressure is also a disorder caused by the vitiation of Vayu and can be treated with drugs which correct the balance of this Dosha. A patient suffering from it should be given a balanced, nutritious diet, full of proteins and carbohydrates. Dry fruits, cheese, flesh of chicken, goat-soups of meat and black gram, fruits like mango, apple, banana, grapes and leguminous vegetables, should be the main diet of a patient suffering from chronically low bleed pressure.

Administration of brandy or alcohol of any variety in quantities from 15 to 0 ml. diluted with warm water is a temporary expedient which can be tried till the exact cause for the malady is ascertained.

The patient should be given total rest.

LEUCORRHEA

2008-09-18T19:22:00.007+05:30

LEUCORRHEA

In Ayurveda, this is believed to be caused by the aggravation or vitiation of kapha Dosha. This commonly occurs in females who are weak, emaciated and anemic.

This is characterized by a discharge from the female genital tract. It is often associated with infection of the genital tract by some organism. Organism apart, some metabolic and hormonal disturbances are also responsible for this disease.

The discharge from the genital tract produces bad smell if there is infection. The consistency of the discharge varies from patient to patient depending upon the age and the menstrual phase when the patient is afflicted with this disease.

Patients suffering from chronic leucorrhea become irritable and it is often associated with digestive disturbances. There is always some difficulty in the movement of the bowels. The patients develop a black circular patch around their eyes which is very characteristic from the diagnostic point of view. Remaining awake long at night precipitates the attacks of this trouble. There is a vicious circle of leucorrhea and mental worry.

For the treatment of this ailment, it is necessary to locate the exact causative factor for this disease. Regular douching of the genital tract with a decoction of the bark of banyan an fig trees is very useful. One tablespoonful of the powder of each of these two barks should be boiled in one liter of water and reduced to half. The decoction is then to be filtered and the powder thrown away. When it is slightly warm. Douching should be performed. This decoction keeps the tissue cells of this area healthy. The very popular medicine for this condition is pradarantaka lauha. This drug contains some bhasmas of metals. The most important one is the bhasma of iron. For the preparation of this medicine, the ingredients are triturated with the juice of kumari. 250 mg. of this drug is given to the patients three times a day, with honey.

Lodhra is also used for the purpose of douching. The bark of this tree is used. The decoction of the bark is prepared on the lines suggested above. This medicine is also used in the form of lodhra asava. The alcoholic soluble fraction of this drug is extracted through a special process during which some other drug are added to it. 30 ml. of this drug is given to the patient twice daily after food, with equal quantity of water. Sphatik or alum is also used both externally and internally for the treatment of this condition. Alum is fried in a vessel over fire and then powdered.

One teaspoonful of this powder is added to the decoctions described above and used for the purpose of douching 125 mg. of this powder is mixed with 125 mg. pradarantaka lauha and given to the patient twice daily on an empty stomach mixed with honey. Along with all the medicines described above tandulodaka (rice-wash) is given as a means to accelerate their action. Rice-wash alone is helpful for the cure of this disease.

Kumari is also used in the treatment of this condition. It tones up the tissue cells of the uterus and the genital tract and prevents exudation of abnormal fluid. Kumari is planted in the hedge of gardens. When fully matured this plant produces beautiful pink flowers. When the outer skin of the leaf of this plant is removed, a fleshy pulp comes out which is used for the extraction of juice. 30 ml. of this is to be given to the patient twice daily with a littly honey added to it, preferably on an empty stomach. This juice stimulates the liver, promotes digestion and regulates the bowels. It has some effect in correcting the hormonal imbalances by which genital organs of the patient get toned up.

Alternatively the following prescription are advised:

1. Kukkutanda Twakbhasma 240 mg.

Yashada Bhasma 120mg

Powder of Amlaki 500 mg.

To be taken in the morning and evening with honey.

2. Chandraprabha 500 mg.

Triphala powder 3 gm.

To be taken at mid-day and night with warm water.

Darukadi Churna 6gm. May be taken last thing at night with cow’s milk.

` Patients suffering from neurasthenia along with leucorrhoea Ratnaprabha Vatika Should be given in 120 mg. doses in the morning and evening.

A strict regimen is necessary for the patient of this ailment. Fried and spicy foods are to be avoided, as pickles and other savouries. The patient should be encouraged to chew betel nut(supari) after meals it has curative effect and also prevents the developments of the disease. The patient should avoid worry and mental strain of all kinds. Late nights and sexual inter course is to be avoided. A brisk walk and light Yoga-Asans early in the morning are helpful.

LEUCODERMA

2008-09-18T19:22:00.005+05:30

LEUCODERMA

According to Ayurveda as described by Sharak this is caused by some morbidity in the liver which results in the deficient production of pitta. These white patches of leucoderma often go without any physical trouble. This disease in characterized by the localized loss of pigmentation of the skin.

It however, creates a great deal of worry to the patient suffering from it because it disfigures him. This disease is hereditary. Therefore, the marriage of the children of the patient, suffering from this disease, becomes a problem. The white patches cook very awkward.

In Ayurveda, this is considered to be a type of kushtha. Common men who are ignorant of the actual implications of these technical terms consider leucoderma to be a type of leprosy( kusta) and thus, shun the patient. This is the result of a misunderstanding. Actually in Ayurveda the term kushtha means any obstinate skin disease including leprosy. Because leucoderma is one of the obstinate skin disease it is included under kushtha and it has no link with leprosy in any form.

At times these skin patches become reddish brown, and small eruptions appear over them. They cause considerable amount of itching which is followed by watery exudation and burining sensation.

According to Ayurveda leucoderma appearing in the join of skin and mucous membrane is diffucult to cure. This disease is also difficult to be treated when it appears in aged persons .

Leucoderma is often caused by some disturbance in digestion. People suffering from chronic dysentery are more prone to be affected by this disease. Therefore, in the first instances steps are taken to correct the digestion and dysentery, if any, in the patient. Kutaja is the best drug in this condition.

The bark of this plant is used in the form of a powder in the dose of one teaspoonful three times a day, some other carminatives and laxatieves can be given to the patient. Arogya vardhini vati is also a very useful drug.

It is given to the patient in a dose of four tablets three times a day. Kutki drug stimulates the liver and corrects its impairment which helps in the cure of leucoderma. It also contains copper in the form of bhasma. This metal helps in the metabolism and synthesis of melanin pigment.

The other drug which is commonly used for the treatment of this disease is bhallataka. It is prepared in the form of linctus by adding some other medicines. This is given to the patient in a dose of one teaspoonful twice a day. This medicine may have some adverse effects on the body. these effects can, however, be prevented by taking suitable action well in advance. Before taking this linctus the inner mucous membrane should be covered with a coating of ghee or butter. Care should be taken so that the linctus does not come into direct contact with the mucous membrane.

Immediately after taking this medicine some milk may be given to the patient. while taking this medicine the patient should avoid hot things and should not expose himself to heat or sun rays. If in spite of all these precautions skin rashes appear, then the pulp pf raw coconut should be given to the patient. This eliminates all the toxic manifestations of the drug.

Bakuci is very popularly used for the treatment of this disease in Ayurveda. A paste prepared form the seed of this drug is applied externally.

The powder of this drug mixed with the decoction of Khadira and amalaki is given to the patient in a dose of ½ teaspoon twice daily. The oil prepared by boiling gunja is also good the treatment of leucoderma.

The patient should not expose himself to heat or sun in excess. Psychic factors are known to be responsible of precipitation and aggravation of this disease. The patient should, therefore, try to keep himself free from worry, anxiety and other forms of mental strain. Awakening at night for long should be avoided. Medicines- suggested work better if the patient is free from constipation.

The patient should not be given salt in any form. The more he avoids salt the quicker will be the action of the drug. Only, rock salt can be given in a small quantity only. Spices and other pungent things should be avoided. Vegetables having bitter taste like bitter gourd and bitter variety of drumstick are useful.

JAUNDICE

2008-09-18T19:22:00.002+05:30

JAUNDICE

Jaundice or kamala- as defined in Ayurveda is a condition in which there is discoloration of the skin because of deposition of bile pigment in its deeper layers. It may be caused by inflammation of the liver, hepatitis, an infection or an obstruction of the bile ducts due to cirrhosis.

It can also be caused by ingestion of certain poisonous substances the morbidity of which the liver is unable to deal with. Whatever the technical name, many diseases of the liver result in jaundice. The yellow colour first appears in the whites of the eyes and then spreads to the whole of the skin. excess of bile pigment(pitta) circulating in the blood give the skin its yellow colour.

Since the bile does not go into the intestine as it normally does, the stools of the jaundiced patient lose their typical brownish colour and in severe cases are almost whitish. There is loss of appetite and impairment of digestion. The liver is unable to digest fat and there may be a sense of dullness all the time.

Nausea may also be present in certain cases because of defective digestion. If the liver is inflamed (hepatitis) there is also pain in the region of the organ and it is tender to touch.

Only cholagogue type of purgatives which stimulate the function of the lover and increase the flow of bile in the bile duct are used.

Trivrit and kutaki are the two drugs for its treatment. The root bark of trivrit and the rhizome of kutaki are used separately or mixed together in a powder form. Depending upon the position and condition of the patient and as well as the stage of the disease, the powder of these drugs is given in a dose of one to two teaspoonfuls, twice daily with Luke- warm water. Two compound preparations frequently used in the treatment of this condition are avipattikara churna and arogya vardhini vati. Trivit is an important ingredient of the former and katuki of the latter. The former which is in a powder form is given in a dose of one teaspoonful twice daily with hot water. The latter which is in the form of tablets (of 0.25 gm. Each) is given in a dose of two tablets three times daily followed by hot water or mixed with honey.

The patient should be given complete rest. He should avoid heat, sun, sex and psychic factors kike anger and anxiety.

Sweet things and liquid foods like sugar- cane juice, orange juice and dry grapes are to be given to the patient in large quantities. This increases urination which helps in the elimination of bile pigments which are excessive in the blood. Vegetable and meat soups can be given to the patient. Vegetables having bitter taste are useful in this condition. Food articles which are sour and pungent in taste and spices are not good for this condition. Salt should be taken in less quantity. Pomegranate, although sour, is good. Curd should not be given. But butter- milk prepared by churning the curd and removing can be given to the patient in large quantities provided it is not very sour.

CRAMPS

2008-09-02T19:01:00.001+05:30

CRAMPS

In Ayurveda this is known as mamsagata vayu. An involuntary and painful contraction of a voluntary muscle or a group of muscles, is know as Cramp. When it is confined to calf muscles of the leg, it is called pindiko-dveshtana. Carrying out exercises much in excess of one’s own capacity, indulgence in dry and rough food articles and taking some harmful medicines may result in its attack.

Of the type of vayu , vyana vayu exits in all over the body and among other functions to regulates the functions of voluntary muscles. This regulates the functions of the cerebro-spinal nervous system. If any metabolic waste which normally should be eliminated from the body does not get out, and circulates in the body, it is likely to get deposited between nerve endings and the muscle tissues. This in Ayurved is known as ama, which is responsible for the causation of these cramps.

Cramps are also the indications of different other diseases.

Generally massage is the best therapy for correcting vyana vaya. It should be done by rubbing medicated oil like mahanarayana taila all over the body.

(In winter season, it should be made warm by heating and then applied for massage).

Those who gets cramps frequently can even use ordinary gingelly oil and have a massage by themselves, before taking their daily bath. Simhanada guggulu is a good drug for the treatment of this condition.

If there is constipation then simhanada guggulu relieves constipation when given in a higher dose. Normally it is given in a dose of 4 tables, three times a day; but it can be increased further. Hot milk, should be given to the patient after he has taken this medicine.

The patient should resort to regular massage and exercise. He should not expose himself to cold with or rain. Fasting, suppression of natural urges, anxiety, worry and anger are some of the important causes of aggravation of vayu, hence they should be discouraged and he should not sleep during daytime.

The patient should not be given such foods that aggravate vayu. Pulses are bad for such patients. Cold, rough, dry, pungent and astringent food items should not be given to such patients. Sweet and sour things can be given to the patient in good quantity. Garlic, asafetida and patola as vegetable are very useful for such patients

COUGH

2008-09-02T18:59:00.001+05:30

COUGH

An unproductive cough is dry and produces no sputum. The line between the two types is not hard and fast, and indeed, the same cold can produce both at different times of date. Smoker’s cough, tonsillitis, inflammation of the larynx or voice box or of the throat, certain unusual kinds of pneumonia, “nervous” coughs both in the sense of psychological and in the sense of coughs orientated by signals from the brain “stomach” coughs associated with constipation, diarrhea, dyspepsia, and worms, early morning coughs due to irritation from a sticky mucus in the larynx or windpipe and whopping cough are usually unproductive.

Unproductive coughs are not biologically useful and can be merely wearing. Dry coughs at the beginning of an illness may become productive as the disease develops. Unless they are associated with diseases that can be cured like tonsillitis, however, these coughs are very hard to control. Cough medicines can be expensive and relatively useless unless they contain codeine, an opiate and therefore potentially addictive.

Throat, is the term applied to the region in front of the neck. The correct use is the pharynx and the cavity at the back of the mouth, into which the nose, the mouth, larynx, gullet, and the Eustachian tubes open. In Ayurveda, however, the diseases of this region of the body are treated under the general head Kasa Roga.

Kasa Roga is sub-divided into five heads :

(1) Born out of Vata;

(2) Caused by Pitta;

(3) Caused by Kapha (phlegm);

(4) Caused by injuries of infections;

(5) Caused by tuberculosis.

The first three types are easily handled, but the latter two categories are difficult to control. But whatever the type of Kasa, if it is allowed to persist, it becomes chronic and might even result in consumption or TB.

Clinically, the disease may be distinguishable from each other, but practically Kasa Roga is broadly of three types :

(1) cough without expectoration;

(2) cough with expectoration;

(3) cough mixed with blood, which one finds in typical cases of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Injuries or infections in the region of the throat might also produce blood mixed phlegm which is a serious condition. Ayurveda has characterized what the modern medicine calls bronchitis, also as a type of Kasa Roga: it may be turn chronic and deteriorate into tubercular bronchitis.

In some cases, particularly among the aged, the lack of elasticity in the lung tissues, the disease may turn into broncholectasis.

Standard Ayurvedic preparations used in cough are : (i) Chaturashana Churna; (ii) Eladi Churna; (iii) Yavani Shadava; and (vi) Aparajita Leha. The latter remedy is a specific for whooping cough.

But in coughs where there is no phlegm is produced, the treatment should start with the lubrication of the throat.

Ayurvedic practitioners advise such patients to consume milk and ghee: if there is constipation present, laxatives like castor oil should be administrated.

Decoction of liquorice root ( Mulethi) should be given with sugar or honey to clear the phlegm.

Another remedy is black pepper in doses of 250 to 750 mg. given with ghee, sugar and honey.

A paste made of equal parts of black raisins, dates, black pepper, Vidanga (Behera), long pepper (Pipli) and honey may be used to get quick relief. Alternatively, a linctus made of the powder of long pepper, ginger, nut grass ( Nagarmusta), Harada and sugar or honey can be taken easily.

The dietary regimen to be allowed to be followed in cases of cough and allied disorders is to encourage the use of wheat, moong, old rice, barley, cow’s milk and ghee, raisins and amalaki.

The stuffs which one should avoid are: brinjal, bael fruit, bitter-gourd mustard and fried artichoke.

The patient should desist from sexual intercourse and must sleep during the day. He must take complete rest.

CONSTIPATION

2008-09-01T22:26:00.002+05:30

CONSTIPATION

One should pass stools twice a day- once after getting up from the bed and once in the evening. This is more essential for vegetarians because their food contains lot of roughage.

Some people, however, evacuate their bowels only once In a day, usually in early morning and it is generally normal for them.

Yet popular fear of constipation produces two of the most pronounced and sometimes expensive errors of civilization: insistence on regularity and the purchase of purgatives. Nor is it only modern, western, high-technology civilization that produces these mistakes; purgatives make up the largest part of most herbal pharmacopoeias. They are amongst the earliest recorded remedies just as constipation has the same status amongst maladies. One man’s regularity is another’s diarrhea- or, indeed, constipation. Central Africans on a bulky, vegetarian diet may defecate within 8 to 10 hours after each meal. In Britain, it may be quite common to open the bowels no more than every other day, certainly without any threat to health. Regularity has become a bugbear that causes more psychological trouble than regular bowels could possibly correct. Worry may well produce constipation, just as purgatives can. Purgatives irritate the intestinal lining and tend to drive out water. They may also cause dependence upon them to develop so that you cannot go without a daily dose.

This habit is commonly found amongst city-dwellers whose evening programs are uncertain. The roughage content of those who take non-vegetarian diet is so little that they do not feel any discomfort even if it remains inside the intestines for 24 hours or more. In European countries where people living mostly on meat, they pass stools once in three of four days, and they consider it normal.

Now the constipation may be caused by

(a) poor bowel habits, improper eating habits, irritable colon, spastic colitis or emotional disturbances; or

(b) paralytic or mechanical obstruction to the passage of stools, such things as adhesions, tumors of the bowel, structure of the anus, or rectum, or inflammatory conditions may produce organic constipation.

Apart from the roughage from food, stool contains some metabolic waste products. They come out from the blood. Therefore, even if a man does not take anything, he has to pass stools, because the metabolic process that is going on in his body yields some waste products which are to be eliminated only through stools. If they are not eliminated, they cause lot of discomfort in the abdomen.

There is wind formation, heaviness in the stomach, and loss of appetite. It may also result in headache, sleeplessness and even high blood pressure.

Some disease like Asthma, chronic cold, bronchitis and tonsillitis are associated with constipation and once the constipation is removed, the disease automatically disappears. It is therefore, necessary to take care of constipation well in time.

For this change of food habits is a better way to deal with constipation than drugs of any kinds. Since the disorder is born out of the habit of taking heavily spiced, fatty foods and too refined cereals, the first step in dealing with constipation is to advise the patient to take light foods.

Milk, fruit juices, and boiled vegetables and total abstinence from fats and refined foods, is the first step towards the treatment of the constipation.

The patient should be advised to take sufficient amounts of liquids- water, milk etc.-which will deal with dryness of the intestines which obstructs faces to come out.

In the case of children suffering from constipation, a suppository made of macerated leaves of Harita-Manjari ( acalypha indica) should be introduced into the rectum.

An alternative is the suppository made of the stalk of betel leaf coated with castor oil, or a poultice made of the leaves of Kidmari (aritolochia bracteata) should be applied upon the abdomen of the child.

The other remedies which tend to relieve constipation are:-

(1) powder of Madhuka (liquorice root) taken with gur and water;

(2) decoction of Akashbel (dodder);

(3) the pulp of the roots of Arni (clerodendrum phlomidia) taken with ghee;

(4) Isabagol (flea seed) – two heaped tablespoons - taken with milk or water;

(5) Castor oil seed in small doses;

(6) Sienna, one part and Harada half a part, finely powdered taken in one gram doses thrice daily.

But the chronic constipation can be best dealt with by the pills made of the following ingredients-

Rose buds - 5 parts

Sienna leaves - 4 parts

Pulp of Amaltas - 3 parts

Harad - 5 parts

Alternatively Pipli - 4 parts

Nishottar - 2 parts

Harada - 5 parts

Gur (equal to the quantity of all the substances enumerated above)

If the constipation is attended to dry, hard and lumpy stools, Jhohar (euphorbia nerifolia) should be cooked as a pot herb and eaten before meals.

Harada should be fried in ghee or castor oil and the powder made out of it should be taken with black salt (kala namak).

Swadishtra Virechan, Lasuna Kshira and Avipittakar Churna are also the standard drugs for the remedy of constipation.

The patient suffering from chronic constipation should be advised to take fruits, leafy vegetables and fruit juice in plenty.

The bran of both rice and wheat are useful in relieving constipation. The patient should, therefore, use whole meal flour and not refined flour. Similarly, he should use rice along with it bran, and not polished rice.

Among the vegetables, surana and papaya are very useful in relieving constipation.

Fried things, pulses and preparations of pulses are extremely harmful for patients suffering from chronic constipation. Taking sugarcane juice is very useful for relieving constipation. Regularity in the habit of evacuating bowels, is very important for a person to keep himself free from chronic constipation. Whether he gets motion or not, he should attend to the call of nature.

Persons who are given to sedentary activities are often exposed to constipation and constipation produces several other diseases like fistula and piles in them. Persons suffering from chronic constipation should undertake some physical exercises regularly. Walking a few kilometers is also sufficient for a person to get himself relieved of his constipation. Mental worries and anxieties have a great role to play in causing constipation. It is, therefore, necessary that the patient should change his daily habits and lead a care-free life to keep himself free form this aliment. Excessive intake of tea and coffee is most harmful for such person.

COMMON FEVER

2008-09-01T22:21:00.001+05:30

COMMON FEVER

The term fever may be defined as a condition of the body characterized by increase in temperature, but this term has a very wide application as fever is one of the most common accompaniments of diseases in general.

According to the modern classification the fevers are of the following 25 types: (1) Influenza ; (2) pneumonia; (3) typhoid; (4) cerebro-spinal fever; (5) plague; (6) diphtheria; (7) dengue fever; (8) sand fly fever; (9) yellow fever; (10) mumps; (11) rheumatic fever; (12) heat exhaustion and heat stroke; (13) small pox and chicken pox; (14) erysipelas; (15) measles; (16) hectic fever; (17) fever at the various stages and types of tuberculosis; (18) fever of dysentery; (19) malaria; cerebral malaria; (20) black water fever; (21) kala-azar; (22) relapsing fever; (23) Malta fever; (24) rat bite fever; and (25) filarial.

In the case of common fever, where there are no side complications , or in fevers which are not due to any specific causes, the following Ayurvedic medicines are very helpful to discord them.

The Tulsi plant and its tender leaves are a specific for many types of fevers. During the rainy season when Malaria and Dengue fevers are common, some tender leaves of the plant boiled with one’s daily tea would act are preventive against fever.

In the case of acute fever of unknown or unspecified origin, a decoction made of about 12 gms. of Tulsi leaves, boiled with half a little of water, should be administrated with milk, sugar and powdered cardamom to bring down the temperature.

Powder of the root of the horse-radish tree (shigru) is another remedy for common fever in their preliminary stage.

Powder of Indrani leaves is also efficacious in these fevers. If the patient is constipated, costiveness must also be dealt with: Jwarakesari (one tablet) should be taken at night.

The following two prescriptions should deal with any ordinary case of fever:

Mrityunjaya - 120 mg.

Godanti Bhasma - 120 mg.

Pippali Churna - 240 mg.

To be taken thrice daily with warm water, milk or decoction of Tulsi leaves.

Tribhuvanakirti Rasa - 120 mg.

Abhraka Bhasma - 120 mg.

Amritasatva - 240 mg.

To be taken thrice daily with warm water, juice of fresh ginger or honey.

If the fever is acute, i.e., if there is shivering, dryness of the throat and intense thirst, pain in the region of the chest or joints of the body, the following medicines will help.

Kirtatiktadi Quath - 50 ml.

In the morning with the medicine indicated above.

Hinguleshwara - 120 mg.

Godanti Bhasma - 120 mg.

Powder of the black cumin seeds

roasted over a hot plate - 500 mg.

To be taken thrice daily with warm water.

In case, there is diarrhea present, along with vomiting,. Intense thirst, insomnia, profuse sweating and signs of delirium or disorientation or even fainting fits, the following prescription would be more effective.

Sarvatobhadra Rasa - 250 mg.

Golanti Bhasma - 120 mg.

Amritasava - 240 mg.

To be taken 3 times in a day with warm water.

When fever strikes, the patient should not be permitted to sleep during a day, bathe, cat, or sexual intercourse, going out in the open where the wind blow strongly, taking exercise and eating of sour substances should also be prohibited.

Common cold

2008-09-01T22:16:00.001+05:30

Common cold

A definition of the common cold( medical name: coryza) seems pretty gratuitous. However, cold also refers to a sensation which can easily be a symptom. The running nose usually first produces a clear liquid, mucus mixed with water and perhaps a few other molecules. After two or three days, the fluid often becomes thick and yellowish, a sign that bacterial infection has followed the cold infection. From the outset, the running nose will have been accompanied by sneezing. Sore throat may actually precede the running nose. Headache is common, especially if the bacterial infection affect the sinuses.

If the infection spread, it can also cause earache and a cough which may be due to bronchitis or pneumonia. A person with a clod often has a slight fever and feels generally tired and unwell. Of course, as everyone knows. It is possible to have a cold without all of these signs and symptoms.

One can also have a “sub-clinical” cold characterized by mild sore throat and general malaise without the obvious symptoms like running nose, but these can precede a great many illnesses.

Universal, incurable given existing knowledge, and a damn nuisance. Cold seem to be more common in autumn and winter because people stay squeezed together in warm trains, offices and cinemas, with less incentive and less opportunity for some life in the open. Anyone who lives in city can expect to have three or four colds a year.

One of upwards of 30 different viruses, mostly of the rhinovirus family, but adenoviruses and other may also be the cause. They are carried in droplets of water sneezed out by sufferers and breathed in by the victims. Cold air, draughts and wet feet do not cause colds, as skiers and yachtsmen can testify, but they may be predisposing factors in the sense that a feeling of overwork or tiredness seems to make you more susceptible to a cold or any other infection.

Ayurveda has recognized five types of cold or Pratishyaya :

(1) Chronic cold, born out of the three Doshas.

(2) Born out of Vata.

(3) Born out of the vitiation of Pitta.

(4) Born out of Kapha.

(5) Born out of disorders of the blood.

In the case of a running nose, smoke from burning turmeric should be inhaled; it will encourage a copious discharge and would shortly provide relief.

Smoke from the root of Amaltas also provides quick relief.

Paste made of nutmeg ( Jaipahla) and cow milk together with 75mg of opium should be applied on the forehead and the nose.

In case the nose is blocked and the patient feels difficulty to eject the phlegm, a powder of equal parts of cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom and seeds of Khrishnajiraka should be sniffed to induce sneezing.

In chronic coryza, the Ayurveda remedies to be taken are :-

Madhuyasthyadi Quath, - 50ml.

(thrice daily.)

Mahalaxmi Vilas - 120mg.

(To be taken with powder

of Mulethi, honey and ghee)

Chitrak Hiratiki( to be taken - 10gm.

in the morning and last thing at

night with warm cow’s milk.

Vyoshadya Churna( To be taken - 3gm.

Twice with warm after meals)

Six gm. of garlic and an equal quantity of gur pounded together may be given at bed time.

In a coryza of recent origin, the standard preparation in Ayurveda is the Laxmivilas Churna 120mg. Shring Bhasma (clax of the horn) 120mg and Narsar 240mg administered thrice in the day with warm water.

Vyoshadi Vati should be sucked as a lozenge thrice to four times a day. Decoction of bran should be taken at bed time in a dose of 50ml.

A person suffering from cold should encouraged to take vegetable, soups with a bitter or sour taste, garlic in moderate quantities and warm water.

He should avoid a cold bath, particularly of the head, heavily spiced or fried foods and if the nostrils are dry and caked, he should take more curds in his diet. He should take full rest also.

Colic Pain

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Colic Pain

Colic reflects either inflammation, caused by infection or irritation, knowledge, or blockage. Both causes can arise from any internal abdominal organ. Thus, the pain of appendicitis is a colicky pain due to infection. Gallstones can cause pain from irritation or from blockage. The same is true of kidney stone. Food poisoning causes colic often associated with vomiting and distension. Ulcers usually cause pain sometimes accompanied by bleeding. Colic pain is relieved by some pressure on the abdomen and is not attended by the fever, which distinguishes it from colitis-the inflammation of the intestine. The pain may also travel to other parts of the body like the scapular region or the genital organs. It may also be attended with nausea and vomiting.

Colic in adult is either due to presence of wind in the stomach, the result of chronic constipation or a result of exposure too damp and cold. Infants being artificially fed are also prone to this disease. The attack of colic is generally-and mercifully-of short duration but it should not be ignored because the spasms are likely to lead to a twisting of the intestine which may necessitate surgical interference. An attack of colic pain may also be due to appendicitis, gallstones or stones in the kidney or inflammation of liver or the ovaries.

In Ayurveda this is known as Shula and caused by the aggravation of vayu, one of the three dominant Doshas.

Depending upon the cause of pain, it is of several types. The common causes of colic are appendicitis, gall-stone, kidney stone, intestinal spasm, duodenal and gastric ulcer and the inflammation of the ovary of the liver.

Colic pain appears all of a sudden, or gradually. Digestion and appetite are usually affected. The patient is constipated. The pain must spread to the other part of the body such as the scapular region, or the genital organs. There might be vomiting and nausea. Other signs and symptoms vary depending upon the organ or part of the body affected.

Immediate relief to the victim can be provided by administration of two remedies : Shankha-Bhasma or Hingvashtaka-Churna, both drugs in Ayurveda for colic pains. Any one of these may be given. In severe cases Maha-Shankha Vati should be administered in doses of two tablets times a day.

Another drug Lasunadli vati containing lasuna is given in a dose of two tablets four times per day. Abhraka Bhasma can also be given in doses of 150 mg four a day mixed with honey.

Hing an lasuna are also considered to be very useful in this condition. Hingvashtaka churna, which contains hing as an important ingredient, is used for the treatment of colic pain in a dose of one teaspoonful to be taken with three time a day.

If the colic is due to appendicitis or presence of stones in the kidney or the bladder then the steps should be taken to relieve these conditions. But if the pain is caused by presence of Vata (air) it should be taken to mean that chronic constipation or dyspepsia has caused it. In that case steps should be taken to relieve constipation after the attack of colic has passed. A mild purgative should be given after which the patient should be advised to improve his diet.

He should take foods which do not aggravate the constipation. Fried foods and carbohydrates and starches should be restricted to the minimum.

Boiled vegetables and fruits should be taken in larger quantities and fats should be avoided. Pulses, beans and fried things are strictly prohibited. The patient should take sufficient rest. Exercise immediately after taking food should be avoided.

Mental worry, anxiety and anger are responsible for the aggravation of vayu, which is responsible for the causation of this condition. They should therefore be avoided.

Cirrhosis of the Liver

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Cirrhosis of the Liver

The liver is the largest gland in our body and one of the five major organs which are vital to life. It regulates the digestion, metabolism and many other physiological functions of the body. A malfunctioning of the liver may not become apparent immediately, unless, of course, the blood flows through it is impeded or the bile ducts are obstructed. Nor does it recover quickly once a disorder lodges itself in the organ. Damage of this organ may, therefore, lead to chronic gastritis, morning sickness and constipation. Apart from loss of appetite, the patient loses weight because of defective metabolism and he may suffer from diarrhea and flatulence. There may be a little pain in the right upper portion of abdomen where the liver is located.

Slowly, the size of liver increases and because of the pressure on the muscular wall which separates the lungs and heat from the organs in the abdomen the patient feels difficulty in breathing and coughing. He may also suffer from nausea and vomiting.

The liver tissues becomes fibrosed and it shrinks in size. Because of this shrinkage the veinous circulation gets obstructed, and there is accumulation of water in the abdomen.

The disease generally occurs because of a faulty diet among children; among adults it is generally the result of excessive intake of alcoholic-drinks. The liver helps neutralize the toxic effects of substances ingested and if such substances are taken in excess, it may fail to meet the demands made on it. The first thing that should be done before medication is started in a case of cirrhosis of the liver is to ban all intoxicating substances like tea coffee, tobacco, and alcohol.

According to Ayurveda Katuki (picrorrhiza kurroa) is the drug of choice for cirrhosis among adults. The root of the herb which grows at high attitudes is given in a powdered form.

One teaspoonful of the powder mixed with an equal amount of honey is administrated three times a day. In case of constipation, the dose should be increased to double and be given with a cup of warm water three to four times a day. It stimulates the liver to produce more bile, the excretion of which relives congestion of the liver and the tissues which have become defunct start functioning again.

A STANDARD Ayurvedic medicine, Aarogyavardhani, a compound of katuki and calx of copper, can be administrated with advantage in cirrhosis of the liver. It has the property of reviving the cells which have become atrophied. A 250 mg. tablet of this medicine is available in the market and two to four tables may be given thrice in the day with a cup of warm water.

The best remedy for this condition of the liver is Bringarakaraja (eclipta alba), a small herb which grows in marshy lands. The juice of the leaves, flowers, stems and roots of plants is administrated in doses of one teaspoonful thrice daily in the case of infantile cirrhosis. The juice should be mixed with honey. Drugs prescribed for jaundice or hepatitis are also helpful in a case of cirrhosis of the liver.

The diet Is more important than any medication in cases of diseases of the liver. All fatty substances and foods are hard to digest should be avoided. Skimmed milk or goat’s milk, butter milk, juice of sugarcane, instead of curds, and garlic should be prescribed.

In case these there is accumulation of fluids in the region of the abdomen, a salt-free-diet should be given to the patient.

Constipation should not be allowed to develop at any cost even if it needs a daily purgative or an enema. If the patient feels uneasiness without intake of salt, he may be permitted to use a little rock sale. Vegetables which are bitter in taste like bitter-gourd should be given to the patient. Garlic is also very useful.

In addition, the patient should be advised to take complete rest. He should not sleep during the day and should not ride a vehicle which might jerk the whole body or take any violent exercise. The only exertion permitted is walking over a flat, even ground to avoid shaking the body.

CHOLERA

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CHOLERA

Cholera, or Vishuchika as described in Ayurveda, is one of the most severe diseases of the intestines. It is supposed to be caused by an organism called vibrio cholerae (comma bacillus) found in large numbers in the faces of those suffering from the disease. It spreads trough flies and water contaminated by the germs of the chloerae variety. It is also fatal if not treated in time. Ninety persons out of a hundred suffering from this disease have an even chance of succumbing to it.

In the first stage which lasts from three to twelve hours, there is painless diarrhea and vomiting. This is followed by cramps In the stomach, intense thirst and restlessness. There is fever also in the latter stages but signs of collapse appear rapidly.

Death occurs in less than 24 hours, but in an epidemic from people are known to have succumbed to the infection within the matter of hours.

In the case of a fast spreading disease like cholera, prevention is as important as cure. The patient suffering from this disease should be segregated and the place where he vomits or passes his stools should be liberally sprinkled with slaked lime or other disinfectant materials.

The initial medicine is Amritdhara or Karpurdhara in small doses of two to three drops every fifteen minutes. Care should be taken to restrict the dosage because larger quantities of these preparations might lead to the stoppage of urine which would create complication. If these remedies fail to help, Lasunadi-vati should be administrated in doses of one pill with water mixed with juice of fresh lime every half an hour to an hour till the virulence of the disease subsides. The other Ayurvedic remedies for cholera include Sanjivani-vati, Ajirnakantaka-Rasa, Amarasthikwatha, Akra-Vati, Visuchika-Vati, and Visuchividhvansan-Rasa.

If there has been dehydration, the only remedy left is to infuse a saline liquid through the vein. If there is suppression of urine, step should be taken to administrator a diuretic. A hot water bag is applied to the region of the bladder can help as a local application.

If after the diarrhea and the vomiting of the cholera patient have been controlled, but he is unable to pass urine, it is an unhealthy sign and must be dealt with expeditiously and for this Mritsanjivani Sura is the drug of choice to induce urination.

Ayurveda recommends that Vaidya should not hasten to stop the diarrhea and the vomiting present in a case of cholera. The disease should be allowed to run its course for an hour or a little more, so that the toxins are ejected from the body. But a serious complication—a direct result of the disease-is the loss of body fluids, or dehydration which must be dealt with.

It should be prevented by administration of liquid preparations in small doses. Attack of Ajwain, water mixed with juice of lime or tamarind water (ripe tamarind mixed with water) should be administrated in small doses.

A patient suffering from cholera should not be given any solid food. Liquid foods, bland substances and gruel are the only substances he can take without endangering a recurrence of the disease. He should drink boiled water made cool.

The bodies of cholera victims remain warm even after death. In some cases the temperatures are known to have risen after death leading to muscular contractions as a result of which the limbs are distorted to unnatural positions. Hence, the care of the body should be taken if the unfortunate death has occurred.

Child-Birth Fever

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Child-Birth Fever

Child-birth fever, Pras-utika Jwara,( Peurperal fever) as described in Ayurveda is one of the premier reasons for mortality among the mothers. Of all the maladies and disorders that a woman is subject to after she has given birth to a child, this fever is the most common one.

It is of various types and grades of severity. After the birth of the child, the mother is specially liable, for several reason, to contract any infections disease to which she may be exposed. In the first phase she is much weakened by-labor through which she passed, and often by the loss of a great quantity of the blood.

In the second phase the injuries incidental to child-birth produce raw surfaces in the genital tract from which absorption occurs very easily.

The symptoms of this fever appear generally on the second or third day after the child-birth, the first three days being regarded as critical in recovery. There is general discomfort and feverishness, rise of temperature, quickening of the pulse and pain in the lumber region.

Inflammation of the pelvic region may also occur in some cases.

The fever may rise further and if the infection is not checked, peritonitis may set in, leading in some cases to a most serious condition known as septicemia (or general blood poisoning). In some cases, the symptoms may not be checked and death may occur because of the involvement of the heart.

In case the temperature goes beyond 103 degree Fahrenheit, cold compresses should be applied to reduce it. If the patient is very weak and complains of dizziness, then the blood transfusion should be undertaken.

The following Ayurvedic remedies are very helpful.

Prataplankeshwar Rasa - 240mg.

Sanjivani - 120mg.

To be given thrice daily with juice of ginger and honey.

Shuddha Tankan - 120mg.

Devadarbadi Quath - 58mg.

One dose in the morning.

Saubhagya Vati - 240ml

Two doses in the day.

Dashmularishta - 20ml with water.

If the fever is very high, Shri-Jaimangal Rasa should be given in place of Sanjivani.

If the fever has continued for some days in spite of medication, Vasantmalati may be given nutritious but easy to digest foods.

Clean, healthy surroundings are a must for a woman suffering from child-birth fever. She must be given nutritious but easy to digest foods.

Milk sweetened with sugar should be the main diet of her.

Sour and astringent substances should be avoided. Complete rest is necessary. Her genitals must be properly douched daily with a weak solution of potassium permanganate to keep them clean.

This disease generally occurs due of child proper nutritious substances should be given to the mother, and after birth also proper care and good diet is most essential to her. She must be saved by cold and hot.

Chickenpox

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Chickenpox

Chickenpox or Smallpox-Masurica-or Variola, is an acute infectious disease characterized by fever and by the appearance on the surface of the body of an eruption which after passing through various stages, dries up leaving more or less distinct scars.

Few diseases have been as destructive as smallpox. It is extremely infectious and if one case is imported into a locality then it may cause an epidemic. In spite of the fact that a vaccine to prevent this had been invented many decades ago but it continued to plague in our country mainly because of a superstition against the use of vaccine. This disease is superstitiously known as Goddess of Hindus.(Sitala-mata).

In Ayurveda this called Masurica or Sheetala and is supposed to be caused by the vitiation of any of the three Doshas of the body. It is of many kinds, depending on the severity and persistence of the malady.

The temperature generally does not exceed 104 degree F, but if the swelling accompanying the eruptions is too severe it may lead to internal hemorrhage and cause death. The first thing to be done when a case of smallpox is noticed is to segregate the patient so that the infection does not spread to others.

His bed cloths and use utensils should be thoroughly cleaned as soon as they are soiled. A mild purgative, if the patient is strong, might be given to reduce the virulence of the disease but if the fever is high and the eruptions red and painful, no laxatives are favorable.

In the first week, the following medicine should be given:

Swarnamakshishka - 120 mg in the morning and

Bhasma evening with decoction of Kashnar

Tree bark.

Eladyarishta - 20 ml after meals with lukewarm

Water.

In the second week, the following prescription is helpful:

Indulekha Vatika - 120 mg. in the morning and

Evening.

Haridra churna - One gm. with the juice of leaves of

Bitter-gourd plant twice-midday and

Night,daily.

Chicken pox is an acute contagious disease of children, characterized by feverishness and an eruption on the skin. Children of ages 1 to 12 are more prone to it. Even though it has a superficial resemblance to smallpox it is entirely a separate disease.

Purgatives should be avoided and also the hard food. A patient may be kept on normal soft diet.

CHANCRE

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CHANCRE

Chancre is characterized by pain as if the affected part generally the male organ or the outer vagina is being pierced by a needle.

Eruptions like small boils appear which exude pus of a pale yellow colour. In “Upadansha” born out of the vitiation of blood there may be also exudation of blood from the affected part. It gives more pain at the time of urinating and the patient feels that the organ is being pierced by needles.

Chance is the primary lesion of syphilis according to allopathy, but in Ayurveda it is treated separately. It is a contagious disease contacted thorough sexual intercourse with an infected person. it may also be caused by wounds on the male organ by nails, teeth or during intercourse with a woman during her monthly periods or with a woman suffering from some vaginal infection,

Charak has described this as Dhwahabhanga. It is of five types: three varieties are born out of the vitiation of the three Doshas of the body, one by the vitation of the blood and the fifth because of the vitiation of all the three Doshas together. It is known us Updansha in Ayurveda. There is also a feeling of itching and even in a mild form there is inflammation and the parts are tender to the touch.

The boils, when they burst, give rise to wounds with sharply defined edges. The affection spreads to glands, penis and the prepuce in the males and the labia minora and clitoris in the females.

According to Charak the following medicines are most helpful in chancre—

Chopchindadi paka - 12 gm

To be given once at breakfast time with milk.

Rasamanikya - 120 mg.

Varadadi Guggul - 1 ½ gm.

Chopchina Churna - 1 ½ gm.

To be given twice daily with decoction of neem leaves.

Sarivadyasava - 12 ml

Rasashekhar - 240 mg.

With water after meals twice daily. At bed time with water.

Bhairava Ratnavali is the best medicine for chancre. It should be given in doses of 900 mg. daily for three days and 300 mg. for the next 11 days. The total intake should be about 5.1 mg. in 14 days. The maximum allowed is 7.5 gms of the medicine throughout the course of the treatment.

The medicine must be given in a capsule because its direct oral administration may lead to eruptions in the mouth.

The affected parts should be washed with decoction of need-leaves or boric powder and properly dried.

Washing them with mild and using hot water for cleaning the parts is also very helpful.

Patient suffering from this disease should take a salt free diet. Bitter, sour and pungent substances should be avoided and intercourse is strictly prohibited.

Bed Wetting

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Bed Wetting

Generally the boys and girls up to the age of 15-16 years suffer from this ailment, but boys are more sufferers than girls.

Due to certain reasons, this control does not manifest because of which they continue to pass urine in beds at night.

Bed-wetter may pass urine at night even more than once. It is often found that the brothers and sisters of the same family use to pass urine involuntarily at night. It is also recorded that the parents in their young age had also the same trouble. The causative factors of bed-wetting are physical and emotional. If there is an infection in the bladder or kidney or an organic defect in the urinary tract then the child may wet the bed.

Thread worms also play mischievous role. At night they come out of the anus to lay the egg outside and thus they cause a certain amount of irritation and as a reflex action the child passes urine. Other intestinal worms are also found to cause this problem. They cause some amount of pain in stomach and as a reaction, the child wets at bed. If there is an organic defect in the urinary tract, Ayurvedic medicines, if used continuously for sufficiently long time, help the child to get control over his urinary sphincters and thus he stops bed-wetting.

The medicine that is commonly used for this purpose is shilajit. To a child of five years, this medicine can be given twice daily in a dose of 1/4^th of a gm mixed with milk on empty stomach.

For young boys and girls of the age up to 15 it can be given in a dose of 1/2gm twice daily. This produces a sense of warm in the body of the patient when taken continuously for a long time, therefore, during winter season and in summer, its doses should be reduced to 50%.

The psychic factors of bed-wetting are…

(1) Too early an attempt for bladder training,

(2) Emotional immaturity.

(3) Shyness.

(4) Conflicts between parents.

(5) Conflict between the child and his parents

(6) Rivalry among brothers and sisters.

(7) Insufficient attention from the patients.

(8) Sense of insecurity.

(9) Problems of school adjustments.

The cause of the disease should first be located and if it is physical or emotional it should be corrected treated. The child should not be scolded after 4pm. Should not be given any water to drink even if he feels thirsty. He should have dinner without water or much of fluid. The parents should find out approximately the time of bed-wetting and should wake up the child about half hour before that and take him to the toilet.

As a practice the child should be asked to urinate before going to bed. He or she should be made to get up from his bed and visit the toilet for passing the urine. Some times the children get nightmares and they are mostly thumb suckers or nail bitters.

There are many medicines containing Shilajit as an important ingredient. The one popularly used medicines for bed-wetting is Chandra-prabha vati. Normally tablets of this medicine are available and they weigh 0.25gm. To children of about five years age, half a tablet of this medicine is given in the morning and another half in evening on empty stomach with half a cup of milk or lukewarm water.

Children of more than 10years of age can take one full tablet, twice daily with milk. It strengthens the geneto-urinary tract and simultaneously strengthens the nervous system.

The patients’ bowels should be kept clear so that the thread worms do not trouble him or her at night. This is one of the important cause of bed-wetting. He or she should be shown affection and an atmosphere of friendship should be created amongst his or her brother and sisters.

He or she should stop taking water after 4o clock in the after noon and no liquids should be given to him during night meals.

Food ingredients which are spicy which cause constipation and wind formation in the stomach are strictly prohibited. The patient should take punpkranpatola, bitter gourd, tomato, potato, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, radish drumstick and other leafy vegetables.

Cervical Spondylosis

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Cervical Spondylosis

This disease is a particular form of arthritis which attacks vertebrae and connecting bony and ligamental structures. It is known as spondylosis. The osteo-arthritic type of spondylitis is known as spondylosis. Frequently it occurs in the cervical vertebrae. The spines of majority of people above the age of 50/60 have certain degree of osteo-arthritic changes. Though they seldom cause acute symptoms. Certain precipitating factors like excessive intake of sour food trauma, incorrect posture of the body and pressure while sleeping, usually form these attacks.

In Ayurveda this condition is known as griva sandhigata vata. Pain in the back of the neck, shoulder and arms stiffness of the neck and even paraplegia occur due to this condition. The pain of the neck is generally aggravated by the movement of the spine. It is generally associated with loss of memory and sleeplessness.

Violent massage with deep pressure is very harmful for the patient. Only gentle massage of mahanarayana taila is best suited. This gentle massage can be given 2-3 times a day. In winter season, this oil should be gently warmed before application. Guggulu, gum-resin extracted from the plant is the best medicine for the treatment of this condition. A compound preparation named as simhanada guggulu is popularly used for the treatment of this condition. It is given in a dose of 2-4 tablets, four times a day. Usually hot water or hot milk is given to the patient after the administration of this medicine.

For the patient is recover from this ailment, it is necessary that his bowels should move easily and regularly. This medicine, is very helpful for this purpose. For patients having clear motions, this medicine should be given in a dose of 2 tablets and for constipated patients the dose should be at least of 4 tablets.

Triphala powder is the best medicine for the above purpose. One teaspoonful of triphala should be given to the patient, mixed with a cup of warm milk and one spoon of sugar I night. If the motions become regular by the intake of simhanada guggulu, then triphala powder may be given only twice a week.

Hot fomentation of the vertebrae of the neck is very helpful in this condition. In a big handkerchief about 500 gm. of salt should be kept over a frying pan till it becomes tolerably hot. Then this should be applied over the neck.

After fomentation the affected pat should not be exposed to cold wind. In winter season, therefore, immediately after fomentation, the affected part should be covered with some cotton garments. It is good to take fomentation before bedtime. After fomentation the patient should go to sleep so that there may be no risk of exposure.

Bitter vegetables like bitter variety of drumstick, neem flowers and bitter-gourd are very useful. Wheat is better than rice for the patient.

Exposure to cold, cold bath and any violent exercise of the neck muscles, including pressure, are very harmful for the patients. Under the impression that this pain is being caused by some defects in the muscles, people undertake different types of exercises of the neck. If the pain is acute even ordinary head bath is prohibited. Morning walk gives considerable relief to the patient ; but if it is cold outside, the patient should always use a woolen scarf around his neck while going out. He should ,however, avoid taking refined wheat which is known as maida ( fine flour) and suji (semolina). To some extend they are constipative and do not help the patient in his recovery. Sour things, particularly curd, are strictly prohibited. Fried things, pulses and various preparations of pulses are also contraindicated in this condition.

Cataract

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Cataract

In this disease one first notices deteriorating vision, especially for distances. Indeed, close vision may actually improve for a time. One eye may see a double image. Like any other affliction associated primarily with age, records of cataract are very old. It may be more common today because people live longer, but on the other hand, early eye care is better, and eye infections and physical damage probably less common. On balance, there may even be fewer cases of cataract than there once were. Injury to the eye can lead to cataract, and a few infants are born with a defect resulting in early cataracts.

The lens is a clear tissue consisting of regularly aligned molecules of protein connected to fat. These molecules become deformed so that their regular alignment is disrupted. In outline, that is what happens, but why it happens, no one knows. The lens lies just behind the iris, the colored portion of the eye. In normal light the lens is invisible, showing only as the black pupil. However, its dimensions are regulated along with the size of the opening by muscles in the iris which are also attached to the lens. Light enters through the glassy surface of the eye, the cornea, passes through the iris and is focused by the lens on the heavily innervated inner surface of the eyeball, the retina. However, the curved surface of the cornea also helps to focus light on the retina.

At first, cataract obscures sight at the periphery, and slowly it produces total blindness in the affected eye. In Ayurveda this disease called timira or linga nasha. Aggravated vayu (air) is considered to be responsible for the manifestation of this disease.

One of the properties of vayu is to make things dry up. When the uncutaneousness and softness of the lens and its capsule are lost, it become opaque and the rays of light coming from the object are unable to pass through this. When the rays do not pass through this, the retina becomes incapable of accepting them. Thereby, the preparation of vision is impaired. In the first stage of the cataract the whole lens or the capsule may not be affected and thus, there will be only partial impairment of vision. The object may appear disrupted or dull.

The aggravated vayu has to be corrected first. Ghee is one of the important articles which corrects vayu. Triphala provides nourishment and strengthens the nerves and other tissue of the eye ball.

MahaTriphala ghrita consisting of ghee with triphala, among others, is generally used for the treatment of this condition. This medicine, acts very well only in the first stage of the development of this condition. This medicated ghee is given to the patient in a dose of two teaspoonfuls twice daily about one hour before taking food mixed with a cup of warm milk. If the cataract is fully matured, then it is very difficult to correct it.

Chandrodaya vati is used externally in this condition. On a clean stone it is rubbed with a little water and the paste is applied in the form of a collyrium. It promotes blood circulation and lacrimation in the eyes. The collyrium also provides nourishment to the tissue of the eye. To keeps the eyes free from any disease it is necessary to keep the patient free from constipation. Both maha Triphala ghrita and triphala water help in keeping the patient free from constipation. For prevention of this disease and also for curing when it has just started, triphala water is very useful.

Triphala powder should be taken in a dose of one tablespoonful and added to a tumbler full of water in the evening. This is kept for 12 hours well covered. In the morning, this should be squeezed and strained through a piece of clean cloth. The filtrate, thus obtained, should be used both for washing the eyes and taking internally.

Exposure to excessive heat and sun is strictly prohibited. Excessive worry, anger and anxiety should be avoided, because they promote the disease.

Cow’s ghee, milk and butter are very useful. The patient can take wheat, rice, moong dal, banana, spinach, methi, patola, sweet variety of koshataki, drumsticks, lady’s fingers, pomegranates, grapes, apples, and oranges. But pungent, bitter, soar, and saline ingredients of food should be avoided.

Very carefully the treatment should be done otherwise a total blindness may erupt.

Bulbous Eruptions

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Bulbous Eruptions

There is an another category fever-Visphotaka Jwara the one which accompanies eruptions, particularly bulbous eruptions. They may be confused with eruptions of smallpox even though the two are of different varieties.

Ayurveda recommends drugs which alleviate Pitta and help to purify the blood. When there is fever along with a bulbous eruption on the body or any of its parts, the following drugs should be administrated.

Shuddha Gandhka - 120 mg.

Chandanadi Loha - 240 mg.

Pravala Pishti - 120 mg.

(To be given daily with candy)

No cold substances or food causing ‘Pitta’ should be given. A complete rest is also advised.

Burning Urine

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Burning Urine

Some people feeling burning sensation while passing urine. An infection in the urinary passage caused by venereal disease like gonorrhea, enlargement of prostrate glands, a stone in the urinary bladder, or simple concentrated urine, as it happens in summer, might be responsible for this types of complaint.

The burning sensation may occur along with the passage of urine or it may occur even after that. In the beginning it may subside by some alkaline drinks or few glasses of simple water. Other symptoms like discharge of pus from the urethra, stoppage of urination, bleeding and fever might accompany, when occur then the treatment is very necessary.

The main disease because of which burning sensation occurs in the urinary passage has to be treated meticulously. There are some Ayurvedic medicines which act to correct the burning sensation. They are shilajatu, gokshura, chandan ,and ushira. Many preparations of these medicines are also available and they are commonly administrated to such patients.

Gokshuradi guggula and Chandra prabha vathi are given to the patients in a dose of two tablets, three or four times a day. They act as an antiseptic while being eliminated through the urinary tract. They are used both for preventing and curative purpose.

Chandanaseva and Ushiraseva are two alcoholic preparations. They are given to the patient in a dose of six teaspoonful after food, twice daily mixed with equal quantity of water.

If the complain is chronic, the patient has to given pravala in a powder form. It is made to a powder by grinding with rose water. This is usually given in a dose of 0.5 mg. twice daily mixed with milk.

The patient must be given as much water as possible to drink. Fresh lemon juice, orange juice, carrot juice, fresh coconut water, sugarcane juice , and pineapple juice are useful in this condition. Hot spices are to be strictly avoided. The patient should be given the fruits like grapes, apple, peaches. And plums.

Leafy vegetables, rice, ghee, milk are also helpful for the patient

The patient should not expose himself to sun or heat. In summer season, burning urine commonly occurs along with heat stroke. Before going out in the sun, it is always advisable to take a glass or two of syrup prepared by boiling green mangoes and adding sugar or sugar-candy (Gur) to it known as ‘Panna’. Jamun is also a very useful fruit for this.

Two or three glasses of water mixed with ‘gur’ should be taken early morning every day, during summer season. This will be more helpful in this disease.

Bronchitis

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Bronchitis

In Ayurveda, this is known as Kasa roga. Ayurveda considers Kasa roga to be caused primarily by the impairment of digestion. For the treatment of bronchitis, therefore, drugs having properties to correct both the lungs and stomach are prescribed by Vaidyas

A serious variety of Kasa Roga, bronchitis (Shwasa pranati Shoth) is characterized by inflammation of the bronchial tubes which carry air to the lungs. It is a disease endemic to cold, damp climates but may strike anywhere.

Ayurveda ascribes it to impairment of the digestive processes and the remedies selected for its cure are those which help to restore the digestive balance too.

The disease bronchitis is characterized by the inflammation of the bronchi of the lungs which results in the discharge (coughing out) of a muco-purulent substances, commonly known as phlegm.

It is of several types depending upon the nature of the discharge- bronchitis can occur as a symptom of many other diseases like tuberculosis. In all such cases, one or the other type of germ is considered to be the main causative factor.

The inflammation of bronchitis attacks the mucous membrane of the bronchi to which phlegm adheres and there is difficulty in expelling it. the phlegm, when expelled, is found to be viscid and purulent. because of the tendency of the viscid phlegm to stick to the bronchi, there occurs difficulty in breathing and the lungs are starved of air.

A fit of coughing may turn the face of the patient blue and the patients becomes thin and emaciated. In its acute form it may give rise to temperatures, breathlessness and loss of appetite. In give rise to temperatures, breathlessness and loss of appetite. In its chronic form it is, sometimes a manifestation of tuberculosis.

If proper care is not taken and the disease becomes chronic ir may deteriorate into bronchial asthma.

The simplest treatment for bronchitis is the administration of one teaspoonful of turmeric powder (Haridra) with a glass of milk twice or thrice daily. It acts best when taken on an empty stomach.

A powder of equal quantities of dried ginger, black pepper and long pepper(pipili) can also be given thrice daily.

It may be mixed with honey. Because of their anti- pyretic qualities a powder of these three deals with the fever attendant upon bronchitis and also balances up the metabolism of the patient.

Standard Ayurvedic preparation for bronchitis, both acute and chronic, is as under-

Juice of Vasa

(adhatoda vasika) - 2 teaspoonfuls

Honey - 2 teaspoonful

(This is to be taken thrice daily)

Rasa sindur - 120 mg

Pravala pisthi - 240 mg

Sitopaladi churna - 3 gm

(To be taken thrice daily with deshi ghee)

Kaphachintamani - 120 mg

Kaphaketu - 120 mg

Shringyadi churna - 2 gm

(To be taken thrice daily)

In the case of a congested throat which accompanies bronchitis in many cases, khadiradi vati should be sucked as a lozenge four or five times a day. The main ingredient of the, catechu, helps relief the congestion. The main ingredient of this drug is know as khadira.

At the time of infection, the patient also suffers fever and these medicines cure fever as well, because of their anti-pyretic and stimulant effects.

These drugs create such an environment in the body, and specially in the lungs of the individual, that the harmful germs do not find it congenial to thrive.

If these drugs taken in excess they may produce a little burning sensation in the chest, and in that case, the dose should be reduced, or some more honey should be added.

A plant called vasa is also very useful in curing cough and bronchitis, specially when they become chronic. The juice of the leaves of this plant is generally used in a dose of two teaspoonful, three time a day. The taste of the juice is slightly bitter. Thus to make it palatable, an equal quantity of honey may added.

Exposure to cold wind and rain should be avoided. Bath in cold water is contraindicated, more so when bronchitis is in its acute phase. Curds and sour substances should be avoided. Banana and guava are also fruits which are contraindicated in this disease. Proper care and attention is very necessary for the treatment of this disease.

Black- water fever

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Black- water fever

The disease is found mostly in case where administration of quinine has been present over a long period.

The malaria for which quinine is given enters the tertiary stage and degenerates into black water fever.

Black water fever ‘Kalamcha jwara’ – is an acute disease characterized by haemoglobinuria (black water) – presence of blood pigment in the urine.

The infection of black water fever destroys the red blood corpuscles in the blood vessels or in the urinary passage leading to a dark red colour of the urine. It is generally associated with malignant tertian malaria and occurs mostly in tropical countries as India.

The symptoms of black water fever are: temperature of the body ranging from 104 degree Fahrenheit to 105 degree Fahrenheit, rigor nausea, bilious vomiting, jaundice, gastric discomfort and the passage of blackish or brownish urine due to the presence of the blood pigment in the urine.

Both the spleen and the liver are enlarged and tender to the touch.

The temperature of black water fever falls after a few hours preceded by profuse sweating and the skin become jaundiced. Mild cases may recover in a couple of days but if a failure of diagnosis or carelessness occurs, the fever may last many days.

In this disease the patient should be kept warm. A mild laxative enema may be given. A drip (containing rock salt 6 grams. Soda- bi-carbonate 12 gm, glucose 58 gm, adrelinine 5 minims) would be effective.

Water from a fresh coconut should be given to the patient if during fever he wants to drink something.

The fever, according to Ayurveda, is the result of vitiation of both Vata and Kapha. The following drugs are recommended at the time the fever is at its height:-

Swarnagairika - 240 mg.

Meghnada Rasa - 120 mg.

Talbhasma - 120 mg.

Swarnamakshika Bhasma - 120mg.

Should be taken four times a day.

Raktapittakulakandana Rasa - 120 mg.

Laksha Churna - 500 mg.

Chandanadi Lauha - 240 mg.

Karanjadi Vati 500 mg.

Should be given four times daily with decoction of bark of neem tree.

After the attack has passed, treatment indicated for jaundice should be given with all the regiments regarding food and rest.

One should not to confuse the black water fever with kala Azar. Kala Azar is a totally different fever and probably more serious than this.

Baldness

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Baldness

Normally, many people are found with hairlessness on a circumscribed area of the skull or the beard. This is known as baldness. This baldness may be local or general. In worst cases, hair of the beard, eye lashes, eyebrows, armpits and even pubic region id lost. In Ayurveda this condition has been described as Khalitya.

Generally mental worry, anxiety and anger are the cause of this ailment. A type of pathogenic organism is also considered to be the cause on the loss of hair from the body including the head. It does not cause any physical pain but it creates a lot of psychic problems.

For this disease Bhringaraja oil is the drug of choice for the treatment of the disease. Mahabhringraja taila or Nilibhringadi taila are also useful. Any one of this is to be gently massaged over the affected area about one hour before taking bath.

By this massage some of the existing weak hair fall out. Therefore, in the beginning, the hair will look thinner and the baldness would appear as if increasing. The patient should not worry about this. This should be used constantly for about six months before ant significant result could be achieved.

Powder of bhringaraja should be given to the patient orally. One teaspoonful of this powder mixed with honey should be given on empty stomach, twice a day.

Elephant tusk is very popularly used by ‘vaidyas’ for the treatment of this ailment. The tusk is cut into small pieces and taken burnt to ashes. This is rubbed with ghee or honey over the patches, daily. This can preferably be done at night so that the ashes of elephant tusk remain in the contact with the skin overnight.

If baldness appears in young age the Ashvakanchuki rasa should be used for this purpose. It is a strong purgative. In the beginning, application of this medicine causes a little redness and irritation but slowly hair begin to grow.

These tablets are crushed, mixed with honey and externally rapid. This is applied over the spot in afternoon and allowed to dry up. The patient should go to bed without washing. According to Ayurveda the main cause of hair-falling is the weakness. Thereafter the sutterer should take nourishing diet like butter, ghee, milk and such other high- protein diet as normally recommended. Therefore, fried things are strictly prohibited for such patients.

Worry is one of the primary causes of baldness. The patient should, therefore, try to maintain a tranquil disposition and avoid anxieties. Spending sleepless nights and suppression of the natural urges of stool and urine, excessive sexual indulgence are strictly prohibited. The tension further aggravates the baldness. The patient should see that he gets clear motions every day because the constipent may disturb sleep and this sleepness may increase this disease. A glass of water early morning will be quite helpful for the patient. It will be necessary for him to walk for about 1-2 kilometers either in the morning or in the evening daily.

If this happens after 50/55 years of age then no treatment should be done because of the age factor.

Remember an early care is very helpful to control this disease.

Asthma

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Asthma

In Ayurveda Asthma is considered to originate from the affliction of the stomach and other parts of gastro-intestinal tract. Therefore, in most of the cases, the patient suffers from constipation, indigestion or diarrhea.

The point of the disease is lungs. Because of pressure, the heart also gets involved. Usually before the attacks, the patient gets nasal congestion, even obstruction and sneezing.

In Ayurveda, therefore, for both the prevention and cure of this disease, primary attention and cure of this disease, primary attention is given to stomach, bowels, nose and lungs. In chronic cases the special care is taken to strengthen the heart.

Asthma and bronchial asthma are similar disease and the remedies for both of them are common. Bronchial asthma is known as Tomak Shvasa in Ayurveda and is supposed to originate from afflictions of the stomach and the gastro intestinal tract. That is why in the preliminary stage of the disease the patient complains of indigestion, constipation and even of diarrhea.

An attack of asthma comes on early in morning when the patient suddenly wakes up with a feeling of apprehension and alarm.

Suddenly breathing becomes impossible in a recumbent position.

The attack may last for a few hours or a few days before it subsides.

In early stages of the disease, it leaves the patient normal. When it becomes chronic then the patient acquires a typical asthmatic look—i.e., a pale face and an emaciated body.

Asthma is characterized by difficulty in breathing, a sense of tightness, constriction around the chest and a wheezing noise as the breath is expelled. The small bronchial tubes which connect with the lungs are constricted due to swelling or accumulation of viscid phlegm in the main bronchi, hence the difficulty in inspiration and expiration. Asthma is of many types. The one commonly found is called bronchial asthma.

For this disease, the medicines commonly used in ayurveda are agastya rasayana and chavan prash. Both these medicines are composed of many drugs. But the chief ingredient of chyavana prasha is the fruit of amalaki. This is one of the important sources of vitamin c. vitamin c is found in many citrus fruits. But they get destroyed when they are exposed to the heat of sun or fire. Amakali, however, is an exception, and the vitamin C content of it does not get destroyed even after boiling. The fruit of haritaki is the main ingredient of the other medicine, viz, agastya rasayana. This is also known as Agastya haritaki.

Of these two, i.e., Chayavana prasha and Agastya rasayana the former is used more as a tonic and is specifically indicated in the cases of bronchial asthma, in which the patient becomes more weak.

Agastya rasayana is given to patients of bronchial asthma who are constipated and also to those who often complain of sneezing, blocking of the nostrils and of the throat.

Both these drugs can be taken in a dose of up to two teaspoonfuls three times a day. Care should be taken to see that the normal appetite of the patient is maintained.

Agastya rasayana, if taken in heavy dose, may cause loose motions and in that case the dose of the medicine should be reduces. Both these medicines are to be taken before food, preferably on empty stomach and at bedtime. A cup of warm milk or even warm water should be taken after these medicines. They are to be taken during and even after the attack of asthma.

They have both preventive and curative value. It takes some time for the action of these medicines to work. Even though they might give some relief immediately after their intake, they usually take two to three weeks to act fully. In chronic cases may take still more time.

Sitopaladi chunamay be taken, three to four times a day, in one teaspoonful dose, thoroughly mixed with honey. In the same manner, and same dose, pippali powder may be used. Some medicines containing mineral products are also very useful in reducing the attacks of asthma immediately. They are kanakasava, shvasa kasa chintamani rasa, suvarnapushpasuga rasa.

Care should be taken about these medicines as they may at times produce side effects. Therefore, they should preferably be taken under the supervision of an expert vaidya.

The patient should strictly avoid curd, butter-milk, banana, guava and other fried things. At night, he should take light food. dry grapes are useful in this condition. Smoking and intake of tea or coffee should be reduced. The patient should not expose himself to rain and severe cold-wind. He should not also indulge in hard- work.