ShwasRog in Ayurveda can be co-related with Asthma. It is an inflammatory and chronic disease of the lungs, which interferes with day to day working. This disease can affect any gender or age group and is usually caused due to environmental and hereditary factors. Mental stress and strain, exposure to cold air, dampness, heavy exercise, allergens etc. are various reasons which triggers this disease.
Nidan or Causative factors: -
Excessive intake of black grams, beans, raw milk, sour curd, flesh of aquatic and wet land animals, etc.
Excessive intake of dry foods (Ruksha), cold drinks (Sheet Dravyas), heavy (Guru) diet, diet which is not easy to digest (Abishyandi) and irritant foods.
External factors are exposure to dust, smoke, cold wind, pollen etc. and other respiratory allergens.
Medications like aspirin, ibuprofen, beta blockers etc. are other factors for Asthma.
Other than the above trauma to vital organs like chest, neck etc. can cause breathing distress.
Roop or Symptoms: -
· Tightness in the chest
· Coughing
· Wheezing
· Shortness of breath
Samprapti or Pathogenesis: -
The vitiated Pranvaya along with the increased accumulated Kaph causes obstruction in the Pranveh Strotas (obstruction in the flow of air in the lungs) causing difficulty in breathing due to shortness of breath.
Types of Shwas (Asthma) in Ayurveda: -
1. Maha Shwas
2. Urdhv Shwas
3. Chinn Shwas
4. Kshudra Shwas
5. Tamak Shwas
The first three types i.e. Maha Shwas, Urdhv Shwas and Chinn Shwas are said to be incurable.
Kshudra Shwas is shortness of breath usually due to physical exertion like exercise, running etc. and normally subsides after some rest or with little treatment. KshudraShwas can also be a symptom of some other underlying disease like anaemia etc.
Tamak Shwas can be co-related to Bronchial Asthma caused due to various allergic factors like pollution, smoke, etc. or can be hereditary in nature.
Do’s: -
Take Oleation (oil massage) and steam treatment (Snehan and Swedan); stay warm, take hot water and ginger honey tea etc.
Don’ts: -
Avoid causative factor like difficult to digest food, pollution, cold foods, fried and spicy food, etc.
Treatment: -
Kantkari (Solanum xanthocarpum), Kaiphal(Myrica esculenta), Hridra(Curcuma longa), Apamarg(Achyranthes aspera), Somlata(Ephedra gerardiana) etc. are the few herbs which are useful in asthmatic condition.
It is most important that a person who is suffering from Asthma should consult with his/her physician and take the prescribed treatment. Further, one should never go in for self-medication as Ayurvedic treatment is both disease specific and dependent on patient’s nature of the body.
Comments