ASTHMA AND ITS AYURVEDIC MANAGEMENT

Asthma is a respiratory disorder that is characterized by the inflammation of airways. The airway become narrow and swell and may produce extra mucus. This causes difficulty in breathing, trigger coughing produce wheezing sound.

CAUSES OF ASTHMA:

• Cigarette smoking.
• Air pollution
• Exposure to cold or dry weather
• Infection such as cold, flu, sinusitis, bronchitis
• Dust mites.
• If someone in our family is suffer from asthma or allergic diseases.
• Stress
• Reflux of stomach acid
• Physical exertion

SYMPTOMS OF ASTHMA:

• Shortness of breathe
• Chest tightness or pain
• Wheezing when exhaling
• Feeling tired
• Dizziness
• Insomnia
• Feeling tired
• Increased rate of respiration.

TYPES OF ASTHMA:

1.Mild intermittent asthma : It is defined as having symptoms less than once a week and having forced expiratory volume in one second or peak expiratory  flow ≥80% predicted with <20% variability.

2. Mild persistent asthma: symptoms occur more than twice a week but less than once a day and affect activity.
3. Moderate persistent asthma: Symptoms occur daily. Flare ups occur and usually last several days.it may disrupt the daily activities and make it difficult to sleep. Night time fare ups may occur more than once a day.
4. Severe persistent asthma: It involves symptoms that persist throughout the day and night.

INVESTIGATION OF ASTHMA:

• Blood test
• CT scan
• X-ray chest.
• MRI scan.

TRIGGERING FACTOR IN ASTHMA:

1. Irritants in the air.
2. Pets

• Anger

1. Exercise or physical activity.
2. Tobacco smoking
3. Pollen

• molds
• fungus spores

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF ASTHMA:

• Chronic obstruction of pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Bronchitis
• Cystic fibrosis
• Pneumonia

AYURVEDIC APPROACH OF ASTHMA:

In ayurveda asthma is compared with tamaka swas .It is mainly caused by vata and kapha dosha. When vayu gets vitiated it starts moving in the upward direction. The abnormally moving vayu occupies and invades all the strotas . When vayu reaching in head region grips the head and neck and also provokes the kapha located in these regions. The provoked kapha with vayu causes cold and congestion .kapha is being blocked in these channels produces sound. Dyspnea, elevation of eyes,wheezing sound on exhale,  sweating of forehead, dryness of mouth ,episode of breathlessness occur.

FIVE  TYPES OF SWASA IN AYURVEDA:

1. Maha swasa
2. Urdhwa swasa
3. China swasa
4. Tamaka swasa
5. Kshudra shwasa

PANCHKARMA PROCEDURES IN TAMAKA SWASA :

1. Snehan
2. Swedan
3. Vamana
4. Virechna
5. Vasti
6. Dhumapana

PATHYA AHAR IN TAMAK SWAS:

• Red rice
• Horse gram
• Goat milk
• Honey
• Brinjal
• Barley
• Sleeping during day time
• Garlic
• Raisins
• Cardamom

APATHYA AHARA IN TMAK SWAS:

• Fish
• Dry foods
• Food which are heavy to digest
• Contaminated water

SINGLE HERBS GOOD FOR TMAK SWAS:

• Vasa (Adhatoda vasica)
• Black pepper
• Ginger
• Cinnamon
• Katuki(picrorrhiza kurroa
• Ela (cardamom)
• Guduchi (Tinospora cardifolia)
• Amalaki (Emblica officinalis)

YOGA ASANA FOR TAMAK SWASA :

• Kapal bhati
• Pavanmuktasana
• Ardha matseyendrasana
• Setu bandhasana
• Bhujangasana
• Shavasana
• Bandhakonasana

CHANDIGARH AYURVED CENTRE MEDICATION FOR THE TREATMENT OF ASTHMA:

1. Kapha Sachet

The powder contains a mixture of herbal ingredients which are mainly made for the treatment of asthma. Their properties generally balance the vata and kapha dosha. The sachet contains ingredients like – Sitopladi churna,  Laxmi vilas ras, Godanti bhasma, etc. It is used mainly in chronic cough, whooping cough and trouble breathing. It also relieves congestion of chest, sore throat. The ingredients loosen the mucus accumulated in the chest thus making it easy to cough it out. Its main therapeutic effects appear on lungs, pleura, and airways.

Recommended Dosage – Take 1 Sachet twice a day with normal water.

2. Swas Kas Chintamani Ras:

Swas Kas Chintamani Ras is an Ayurvedic medicine in tablet form, used in the treatment of respiratory diseases. This medicine should be used under medical supervision. This medicine is most commonly used in north Indian Ayurvedic practice. These tablets are pure Ayurvedic preparatipon  which contains pure herbal ingredients like swarna bhasma, shuddha parad, shuddha gandhak, suwaranmakshik bhasma,  loha bhasma, yashtimadhu, kantakari, etc. It is used in the treatment of cough, cold, bronchitis, asthma, allergic rhinitis, allergic bronchitis.
Recommended dosage: Take 1 tablet twice daily.

3. Anu Tailam

Anu tailam is herbal and ayurvedic oil used for the nasal instillation for curing the various diseases.  It is administrated through the nasal passage to lubricate, protect and calm the mind. It includes – Sesame oil, Bael tree root, Solanum root, Cinnamon stem bark, Holostemma tuber, cardamom fruit, etc. It mainly balances the Kapha dosha and is beneficial in diseases of head, brain, face, nose, and eyes. Its use is generally recommended in chronic headache, problem of migraine, sinusitis, improves the voice, and vocal cords. Anu tailam gives effective results to asthma patients.

Recommended Dosage – Put 2-3 drops of Anu tailam in each nostril.

4. Broncho care syrup:

Broncho care is ayurvedic syrup containing ingredients such as Vasa patra (Adhatoda vasica), Kantkari (Solanum surattense), Mulethi (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Bharangi (Clerodendrum serratum), Chitrakmool (Plumbago zeylanica), Sonth (Zingiber officinale), Pippali (Piper longum), etc. It is mainly used in chronic cough, bronchitis, whooping cough, common cold, etc.
Recommended Dosage – Take 2 teaspoonful twice a day.

5. Cough Go Tablets:

These herbal tablets are beneficial in cough, cold, bronchitis, &amp; other respiratory disorders. Cough Go Tablets are ayurvedic formulation containing Sonth (Zingiber officinale), Mulethi (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Pippali (Piper longum), Kali mirch (Piper nigrum), etc. All these ingredients show antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, bronchodilator, &amp; expectorant properties.
Recommended Dosage – Take 1 tablet twice a day with normal water.

6. Kantha Sudharak Vati:

The ingredients used for the preparation of the Kantha sudharak vati are Mulethi(Glycyrrhiza glabra), Karpura (Cinnamomum camphora), Ela (Elettaria cardamomum), Lavang (Syzygium aromaticum), Javitri (Myristica fragrans), Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi).This is prepared from soothing and expectorant herbs thus relief all throat problems. It gives very effective results in chronic laryngitis, bronchitis and asthma.
Recommended Dosage– Take 2 tablets thrice a day.