Urticaria (Hives)

Urticaria (Hives)

Definition
Urticaria (Hives) are red, itchy, raised areas of the skin that appear in varying shapes and sizes. They range in size, from a few millimeters to several inches in diameter. Hives can be round, or they can form rings or large patches. They can occur anywhere on the body, such as the trunk, arms and legs. They are produced by histamine (the substance that plays a major role in many allergic reactions). Histamine dilates blood vessels and makes the vessel walls abnormally permeable. It also causes fluid to leak from the local blood vessels, leading to swelling in the skin.

Causes

• Combination of cold and heat
• Contact with excessive cold and heat
• Allergens in food
• Intestinal worms
• Suppressing the urge of vomiting
• Improper handling of Panchakarma (Vaman, especially Asamyakvaman)
• Eating incompatible foods
• Insect bite
• Contact with herbs such as Bhilawa (Semecarpus Anacardium) or Kaunch (Mucuna Pruriens)
• Arsenic usage
• Medicines, including certain painkillers, antibiotics, anti-hypertensives, codeine

Symptoms
Early symptoms might be excessive thirst, lack of appetite, nausea, congestion of eyes, and heaviness in the body. The primary symptoms of Urticaria are skin eruptions that itch and feel irritated. There may also be headache, flushing, and swelling. The patches of rashes are red or pink with pale, swollen centers, and darker red around the edges. They are known as hives or wheals. They can quickly change size, shape, and place.

Ayurvedic View
When a person comes in contact with cold air often, it causes aggravation of Kapha (Water) and Vata (Air). It assimilates with aggravation of Pitta Dosha (Fire) and spreads into the Rakta Dhatu (blood tissues). This leads to Sthan Sanshrya (relocation) in the skin, eventually causing Shitpitta or Urticaria.

Urticaria can also be an allergy. Allergies are an inappropriate response – either an overreaction or an inappropriate reaction – to the environment. These appear due to imbalanced immunity or aggravated body energies that lead to the formation of toxins in the body.

The line of Ayurvedic treatment consists of purification of the body of toxins with herbal preparations. Administration of digestive herbs restores the digestive fire and oils may be applied to nourish and tone the skin. Relaxation of the mind is also an important part of the treatment. Panchakarma treatment therapies such as abhyanga (massage), svedana (fomentation), vaman (induced vomiting) and virechen (induced lose motion) are known to be effective in treating Urticaria.

Diet & Lifestyle Advice

• Avoid all sweets including sugar, jaggery, and alcohol.
• Avoid incompatible foods, sour foods, and heavy foods that are difficult to digest.
• Have freshly prepared, easily digestible foods.
• Eat cooked split gram (split legumes), bitter gourd vegetable, and pomegranate.
• Use honey rather than sugar.
• Use mustard oil for cooking.
• Fast for one day or have very light foods like porridge, boiled rice, vegetable soup, etc.
• Avoid suppressing the urge to vomit.
• Avoid exposure to wind, sleeping in the daytime, sunbathing, and excessive indulgence in sex.

Some Home Remedies

• The primary treatment is to increase the immunity of the body. An excellent remedy is to take 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder (Haldi) with a glass of milk or water two to three times a day.
• Massage the skin with mustard oil for 15 minutes, followed by a bath with lukewarm water.
• Apply Aloe Vera gel on the affected area for 30-40 minutes or until the itching is reduced.

Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative Colitis

Definition
Ulcerative Colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease, which causes inflammation and ulceration of inner lining of the colon and rectum. The inflammation usually begins in the rectum and spreads upward to the entire colon. This disease can occur at any age but its onset is most common among people between ages of 15 - 40. Ulcerative colitis also appears to run in some families.

Causes
Autoimmune factors, food allergies, collagen disorders, genetic factors and infection are some of the factors that cause inflammation in cases of Ulcerative Colitis. According to Ayurveda, all the factors that imbalance Pitta are responsible for this problem. These include eating while watching TV or walking, excessive heat or exposure of the sun, excessive alcohol and smoking, excessive mental activity, skipping meals, spicy, sour or stale and infected foods, etc.

Symptoms

• Irregular bowel movements
• Bluish or yellowish undigested stool
• Abdominal cramps
• Unexplained fatigue
• Unpleasant body odor
• Weight loss
• Lack of appetite
• Occasional rectal pain
• Burning sensation in chest and throat

Ayurvedic View
Known as Pittaj Grahani in Ayurveda, Ulcerative Colitis is primarily a disease of Pitta Dosha, with varying degrees of Vata involvement in some cases. The excessive consumption of Pitta-aggravating foods and lifestyle initially damages both rakta dhatu (blood tissue) and mamsa dhatu (muscle tissue), leading to formation of ama that gets deposited between the villi in the intestines, forming a smooth coating that impairs the normal function and immunity of the intestines. Vata Dosha in the lower colon is also aggravated and in the early stages blocks the Pitta and Kapha channels, causing inflammation, mucous accumulation and edema.

Ayurvedic treatment of Ulcerative Colitis involves gently eliminating the ama, restoring healthy digestion and creating a bacterially-friendly environment in the body. After the basic strength and immunity of the body is restored, the treatment focuses on natural healing of the ulcers.

Diet & Lifestyle Advice

• Have soup prepared by boiling split gram (split legumes), buttermilk, and yogurt prepared from skimmed milk and goat’s milk.
• Increase use of cumin seeds, coriander, and celery seeds in cooking.
• Avoid whole peas and beans, broccoli, potato, garlic, jaggery, yam, sweet potato and other indigestible foods; fried, oily and highly salted foods; and fermented and packaged foods.
• Improve eating habits by having food in calm surroundings without watching television, listening to music, or working on the computer. Chew the food properly and completely. Eat slightly less than your appetite.
• Avoid tea, coffee, and alcohol.

Some Home Remedies

• Have 1 glassful of buttermilk with ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder, a pinch of roasted cumin seed powder, and rock salt to taste. Have this twice a day with breakfast and lunch. (Avoid having it with the evening meal.)
• Mix powdered dried ginger root, black pepper, and long pepper in equal amounts. Take ½ teaspoon of the powder with water twice a day.
• Make a powdered preparation of cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom, and asafetida. Have 1 teaspoon of this powder twice a day with water.
• Make a preparation of ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg powder, ½ teaspoon powdered Indian gooseberry fruit and ½ teaspoon of celery seeds. Have this at bedtime with water.

Vitiligo

Vitiligo

Definition
Vitiligo or Leucoderma is a pigmentation disorder in which melanocytes (the cells that make pigment) in the skin are destroyed. As a result, white patches appear on the skin in different parts of the body. Similar patches also appear on both the mucous membranes (tissues that line the inside of the mouth and nose), and the retina (inner layer of the eyeball). The hair that grows on areas affected by Vitiligo sometimes turns white. The most widely accepted view is that the depigmentation occurs because Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease - a disease in which a person's immune system reacts against the body's own organs or tissues.

Causes
In Ayurveda, the reason behind autoimmune diseases is mostly virudh aahar sevan, that is, eating foods that are opposite in nature (such as eating fish and milk together). This results in toxin formation inside the body, which ultimately disturbs the immune system due to which the pigment producing melanocytes cells get degenerated, causing Vitiligo.

Additionally, Vitiligo is said to be associated with certain auto-immune and inflammatory diseases such as Thyroid, Diabetes, Psoriasis and Pernicious Anemia. Vitiligo may also be hereditary; that is, it can run in families. Children whose parents have the disorder are more likely to develop Vitiligo.

Symptoms

• White patches on skin, hands, feet, face, lips, etc.
• Premature graying of scalp hair, eyelashes, eyebrows, and beard
• Loss of color inside the mouth (esp. in dark-colored people)

Ayurvedic View
According to Ayurveda, Vitiligo or Shivtra is caused due to aggravation of Pitta in the body. Pitta is an Ayurvedic humor that symbolizes fire and is manifested in the skin, along with other organs. Pitta is of five types. One of them is Bhrajak Pitta, which gives coloration to the skin. In the case of Vitiligo, Bhrajak Pitta gets imbalanced, leading to the formation of ama, which consequently impairs deeper body tissues such as rasa dhatu (nutrient plasma), rakta (blood), mamsa (muscles) and lasika (lymph). This ultimately causes depigmentation of the skin.

The disease is deep rooted and needs specific treatment that includes right diet and specialized herbal combinations to pacify Pitta and cleanse ama from the body.

Diet & Lifestyle Advice

• Whole grains like porridge and whole wheat products are better than highly refined carbohydrates like pasta
• Adequate hydration is an important component of healthy diet which should not be ignored
• Foods rich in Vitamin C such as citrus fruits, tomatoes, and green tea should either be avoided or consumed in minimal quantities
• Avoid eating non-vegetarian foods like fish and red meats, as they may be highly antigenic and may worsen the autoimmune process. Also avoid eggs, milk, and dairy products.
• Alcoholic and flavored drinks, ice creams, chocolates and any form of junk food is not recommended
• Avoid intake of sour foods like pickles, sour yogurt, and sour strawberries
• Neem in any form is useful. Mung dal is also good.

Some Home Remedies

• Take 5 teaspoons of turmeric powder and mix in 250 ml of mustard oil and apply on the white patches of skin, twice a day. Use this treatment regularly for one year.
• Drink water kept in a copper utensil overnight. This is known to have a stimulating effect on the melanocytes and thus helps in increasing melanin production.

Chronic Gastritis

Chronic Gastritis

Definition
Gastritis means inflammation of the mucus lining of the stomach. Patients suffering from Chronic Gastritis feel uneasy and uncomfortable during most of the day, and might also experience a persistent feeling of weakness.

Causes
The main causative factors of Chronic Gastritis include excessive consumption of alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, sour, spicy, acidic foods and white flour products. Stress, anger and exposure to heat also lead to the aggravation of this condition.

Symptoms

• Indigestion (dyspepsia)
• Heartburn
• Abdominal pain
• Hiccups
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Vomiting, possibly of blood or material that looks like coffee-grounds
• Dark stools

Ayurvedic View
In Ayurveda, the condition of Chronic Gastritis is known as Urdhvaga Amal Pitta. It is primarily caused by an aggravation of Pitta Dosha (Ayurvedic humor representing Fire), which happens due to improper dietary habits and excessive consumption of alcohol or tobacco. Aggravated Pitta impairs the body’s digestive fire, leading to improper digestion of food and production of ama (toxins). Due to aggravated Pitta, this ama becomes heating in nature. This heating ama gets accumulated in the body and increases the levels of gases in the stomach, causing the condition of Gastritis.

Ayurvedic treatment of Chronic Gastritis involves the reduction of aggravated body energies and the restoration of the digestive fire using cooling herbal preparations and Pitta-pacifying diet. Ayurvedic techniques of reducing tension and stress are also proven to be effective in treating this condition.

Diet & Lifestyle Advice

• Patients suffering from Gastritis should fast for one or two days. They may be given warm water or juicy fruits such as grapes, apples, oranges, water melons, etc. during these days. The main idea is to detoxify the stomach by flushing out toxins.
• Stay away from coffee and carbonated or alcoholic beverages.
• Avoid processed and fermented foods.
• Also avoid rich gravies, sour, salty, and spicy foods.
• Do some amount of exercising daily; practicing Pranayama can be helpful.
• Drink at least 8-9 glasses of water in a day. Water will relax the stomach and clear all the toxins accumulated inside.

Home Remedies

• Mix together equal parts of powdered fennel, licorice root, basil leaves, and coriander seeds. Have ½ teaspoon of this mixture with ½ teaspoon of powdered rock candy (or unrefined sugar) 15 minutes before lunch and dinner.
• Make a powdered mixture of equal parts of rock candy (or unrefined sugar), fennel, and green cardamom. Whenever you feel heartburn, mix 1 teaspoon of the mixture in a glass of cold milk and drink.
• Chew 2-3 small pieces of ginger with salt before each meal. This will give fast relief from the uneasiness caused by Gastritis.

Bronchitis

Definition
Bronchitis is a condition in which there is an acute inflammation of the trachea and bronchi of the lungs, resulting in the accumulation and discharge of phlegm or sputum. Bronchitis can be acute or chronic. Acute bronchitis is of short duration and is cured within a few weeks, while chronic bronchitis persists for much longer duration.

Causes
Aggravated Vata (air) blocks the Kapha (water) in the respiratory channels, the movement of the air gets interrupted, and phlegm accumulates in the lung tissue. In order to expel this phlegm, there is a natural reaction of coughing, which results in Bronchitis. This can be attributed to many reasons like inhalation of smoke and dust, physical exertion, intake of foods and drinks that have a drying effect on the body, and the obstruction of the trachea by food particles. Another cause is suppressing the natural urges of the body, such as passing stool and urine, hunger, thirst, sleep, sneezing, breathing, yawning, tears, coughing, etc.

Symptoms
Irritation in the throat, cough, tightness in the chest, and difficulty in breathing are some of the common signs of Bronchitis.

Ayurvedic View
Ayurveda calls this disease Kasroga and considers it to be caused by poor digestion. Poor diet, poor digestion and incomplete elimination of wastes lead to formation of ama (mucus) in the lungs. This creates a favorable ground for growth of infecting organisms in the bronchial area. Stress, poor lifestyle, bad circulation, and lack of rejuvenative measures can deteriorate the body’s immune response to invading organisms in the bronchial area.

The Ayurvedic treatment of Bronchitis is aimed at simultaneously correcting lung and stomach functions. Herbs are given to ease troubled breathing and expel phlegm. At the same time, Ayurvedic digestive formulas are prescribed to enhance the digestive fire in order to kill pathogens.

Diet & Lifestyle Advice

• Stay warm and drink hot herbal drinks.
• Suppression of natural urges should be avoided.
• Regular body massage with warm sesame oil helps to pacify Vata Dosha and softens the Kapha Dosha in the chest.
• Cover your nose when you are in smoky and polluted atmosphere.
• Take a steam treatment whenever you feel irritation in your throat.

Some Home Remedies

• In case of dry cough, massage the chest with warm olive oil followed by the application of a very warm, moist compress (fomentation).
• In case of productive cough, prepare a mixture of powdered dried ginger root, black pepper, and long pepper in equal amounts and store in an airtight container. Have ½ teaspoon of this powder mixed with ½ teaspoon of honey twice a day with lukewarm water.
• Mix ½ teaspoon of licorice root powder, ½ teaspoon of black pepper powder, and ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder along with 7-10 basil leaves in 1 cup of water. Boil until liquid is reduced to half. Add ½ teaspoon of sugar and drink it lukewarm twice a day.

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness) is a mood disorder, which means that the symptoms are disturbances or abnormalities of mood. Major depression is a more common illness, the symptoms of which are mainly those of low mood. Bipolar disorder involves episodes of both serious mania and depression. The person's mood swings from excessively high and irritable, to sad and hopeless, and then back again, with periods of normal mood in between. Different from normal mood states of happiness and sadness, symptoms of manic-depressive illness can be severe and life threatening. In fact, for those afflicted with the illness, it is extremely distressing and disruptive.

Causes
Bipolar disorder manifests due to imbalance of the physical doshas vata, pitta, and kapha and the mental properties satva, rajas and tamas.

How it happens
Bipolar disorder may result from a chemical imbalance within the brain. The brain's functions are controlled by chemicals called neurotransmitters. The control of neurotransmitters is through physical and mental doshas according to Ayurvedic perspective. An imbalance in these neurotransmitters may cause bipolar disorder. Aggravated pitta dosha causes aggravation of rajas property, which leads to high levels of these chemicals leading to mania. Aggravated kapha leads to aggravation of tamas property, causing a drop in the normal level of chemicals. As a result, the person may experience depression.

Vata dosha, especially prana vata, is also involved in the pathology. Aggravated prana vata causes premature death of brain cells that deal with mood and emotion. This causes the brain to lose control of mood.

Symptoms
Mania, Depression, or Mixed State. Symptoms are usually limited to distinct episodes of illness.

Treatment
Ayurvedic herbs used for bipolar disorder are adaptogenic in nature. They are equally valuable for mania or depression. The intent is not to force the brain out of a depressive or a manic episode by providing herbal uppers or downers but to balance the doshas and to normalize the production of neurotransmitters.

Diet
Fresh fruits, fruit juices, vegetables (raw or cooked or boiled), vegetable juices, sprouts, nuts, dry fruits, honey, milk, ghee, fresh butter, and buttermilk are the best to increase sattva and enrich the mind. Try to cut down, or if possible stop, the use of black tea, coffee, white flour products, chocolates, white sugar products, deep fried foods, hot spices, meat, fish, and eggs.

Lifestyle
Breathing exercises: Mind has a very close relation with breathing. A person has short and shallow breathing when anxious or stressed and has deep breathing when relaxed and happy. Next time you become stressed, watch your breathing. Try to slow it down. Take a relaxed position and breathe deep using the abdomen muscles. Let the diaphragm expand while breathing in, and contract while breathing out. This will immediately relax you. Exercise, meditation, relaxation techniques and Yoga postures are also recommended.

Other remedies
A gentle massage on the head (with or without oil), using your favorite aroma or fragrance, listening to soft music, chanting of "mantras" and prayers also help to relax the mind and thus should be used whenever possible.Applying oil on the body (abhyanga) at least once a week is a good method to relax the body and mind. Pouring oil on the forehead (shirodhara) is another popular Ayurvedic remedy for relaxing the tension in nerves and head.

Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety Disorder

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) patients suffer from excessive, unrealistic worry that lasts through six months or more; the issues could be health, money, career problems, or just about anything. Its symptoms could include trembling, muscular aches, insomnia/sleep disorders, abdominal upsets, dizziness, irritability and poor concentration.

Symptoms

Besides excessive worry and allied physical symptoms, Anxiety Disorder also encompasses

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Panic Disorder
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Social Anxiety Disorder
• Other specific phobias e.g. acrophobia, arachnophobia etc.

Causes

The various biological, psychological, and social factors that may cause Anxiety Disorder include:

• Heredity
• Brain chemistry
• Personality
• Life experiences

Quick Facts

• Anxiety Disorders cost the USA more than $42 billion a year, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
• More than $22.84 billion is spent on the repeated use of healthcare services, as those with Anxiety Disorders suffer physical symptoms as well
• People with Anxiety Disorders are three to five times more likely to need treatment/ hospitalization for psychiatric disorders.

Anxiety Disorder: The Modern View

Anxiety Disorders are treated with psychosocial therapies (including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, anxiety management and relaxation therapies and general psychotherapy). Medication includes selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines, beta-blockers, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).

Ayurvedic treatment of Anxiety Disorder

Ayurveda, which takes a comprehensive view of an individual's physical, emotional and spiritual conditions, attributes anxiety disorder symptoms to aggravated prana vata, a subsidiary of vata dosha which is associated with worry, anxiety and depression. Prana vata weakens the nervous system and triggers mental imbalance. It also weakens the neuro-hormonal system and nerve impulses. Ayurvedic treatment of anxiety disorder would involve curbing aggravated prana vata and increasing sattva guna, which envisages a stable and peaceful mind through self-realization and self-control, and appropriate changes in diet and lifestyle.