Ayurveda is a complete and holistic science dealing with health and the correct way of living. It explains in detail about how to conduct our daily activities from the moment we wake up till we fall asleep at night and how to main good health. An in depth study of the system revels how correct and scientific it is. It prescribes a daily regimen and the seasonal schedule with respect of good and activities. Influenced by the western culture, we consider Ayurveda as a bundle of Superstitions and have developed an allergy for it. Only when we delve deeply into it, do we realize that it is a science that can eradicate allergy.
According to Ayurveda, all disease is caused by the disturbed "doshas" and for this, the unsuitable and wrong diet and recreation (Aapara & Vihara) are responsible. Earth, water and air are our primary needs and it is a bitter truth that these very essential entities become vitiated to produce allergy. Our changing life styles are also contributory factors. The people, who are enamouved by the mass media, take to drinking Pepsi and cola early in the morning, and loss appetite for the regular food. Such disagreeable food obstructs the digestive process and cause disease. It is observed that the extreme irregularity of the digestive energy is the basic cause of many diseases. In short, it is the disturbed "pittadosha".
It is a common sight to see children moving about into days' crowded and polluted cites, sneezing and coughing all the time and often suffering from fever too. It is the activities in the disturbed environment that upset the system. The main problem with the repent day children is the lack of body resistance. Such children fall an easy prey to ill health when they are in a vitiated atmosphere. When they find it difficult to adjust, they develop minor complaints. This inexplicable sensitivity is commonly referred to as allergy. One who suffers from allergic ailments is a sick person and this demon allergy troubles only some people. No magic formula is prescribed in Ayurveda for allergy.
The common opinion of the public these days is that there is no medicine for allergy, and when they think of medicine, it is invariably allopathy. Only when modern medicine does not provide the cure, do they look up to other systems of medicines. Let us see whether our own indigenous Ayurveda is capable of successfully treating allergy.
If we are to explain in Ayurvedic terms the so-called allergic diseases, it is possible to identify them individually and describe the method, cause and treatment of each one of them. Ayurveda classified all diseases based on the "triosha" theory. Allergy is something that does not agree or sit the system. This is called "Asathmyatha" in Ayurveda. It may be due to anything in the food or environment disagreeable to the body. When such unsuitable changes in diet and surroundings create imbalances in the doshas, allergic problem develop.
From the Ayrvedic point of view, the activities in the human system are controlled by the three "doshas" - "vata, pitta and 'kapha' and any disturbance in one or all of them can cause disease. For example, let us take a case of skin allergy called 'urticaria' in allopathy. It was always known as 'udarda' and 'sheetapitta' in Ayurveda. Let us see what are the causative factors and the treatment for it.
The human body functions due to the three "doshas", seven "dhatas" and the three "malas" and they are the basic of all diseases and treatments too. All activities in the body are governed by the three doshas-vata. Pitta & kapha. The body is composed of the seven 'dhatus like blood, muscle, narrow etc. the three malas are faces urine and sweat, which are the waste products of metabolism. In such a system there can be some disturbance in the doshas depending on the time and situation. It may be due to daily changes in the environment or seasonal variations. In such conditions, the cool breeze aggravates 'kapha and vata and these vitiated doshas com combine with pitta and moves all over in the body causing small eruption or boils. It may also be accompanied by thirst, loss of appetite, pain fever, burning sensation, etching and vomiting. If there is more of disturbed vata, it is called sheetapitta and if it is udarda. Observation of the symptoms gives a clue as to which 'dosha' I disturbed. A type of skin disease, which shows swelling, reddishness and itching, I called 'uthkotha'. Another commonly occurring allergic condition is nickel allergy. Though it is not mentioned in Ayurveda, lit is to the credit of that ancient science, that its profound basic principles have helped to cure such cases.
Ayurvedic treatment involves two major steps 'shodhana' (purification or detoxification) and 'shamana' (palliation). 'Shodhana' is by the famous' punchakarma treatment of Ayurveda, and 'shamana' is treatment by portative herbs and mineral medicines. The above-mentioned skin ailments are effectively treated by vamana (therapeutic vomiting), 'virechana' (purgation) and 'rabtamonbshana' (blood letting), described in the 'panchakarma' treatment. Therapeutic vomiting is done by the in take of the direction of neem and snake gourd, which cleanses the body. (When urgation is require it is done with the help of triphala' and pippali preparations. If the disease is severe, blood letting has to be resorted to. In this manner, when the internal system is purified, the palliative treatment, which followed it, gives immediate relief and when this happens health is restored. "Rastaprasadaka medicines are used in 'shamana' treatment.
This is how sushrathacharya has described a healthy person. But these days it is difficult to find people who fit into this definition. People without disease are very rare at present. In a person, when the 'tridoshas' are in equilibrium, the digestive energy is normal, the 'dhatus' are in order and the sol, senses and mind are in a pleasant state, he will be free from all diseases. No allergic condition will trouble such a person. Contrary to this, when such ideal conditions do not exist, and the change is caused in the environment, sneezing, cold, and cough asthmatic symptoms may income visible. These observations are considered as separate diseases in Ayurveda and exhaustive in explanations are given to describe the cause, symptoms and treatment for each and every such complaint. 'Prathishyaya. This is the name given in Ayurveda to what is called the common cold or allergic rtructs in allopathy. The ancient prophets have given several causes for this problem. They are: walking at night in the outdoors, inhaling dusty air, talking too much, prolonged sleeping during day time, posing sleep at night, using uncomfortable pillows. Change of water, playing with water and suppressing vomiting and tears. These cause aggravation of the 'doshas', which accumulate in the nasal region. The heat of the pitta dosha' melts the 'kapha' and the vata enables it to be discharged through the nostrils. Ayurveda refers to this condition as peenasa or 'Prathishyaya'. Anyone of the above reasons or a few of they can cause it. The symptoms are nasal of smell, loss of appetite and sneezing.
Diseases Cured
Allergy , Paralysis
