Health and Ayurveda

Thursday, May 10, 2007

HOME REMEDIES

OEDEMA
Non-inflammatory swelling of the body is known as oedema. Oedema is a sign one may see in many diseases especially those, which involve heart, kidney and liver. Swelling or oedema could be generalized or localized. In case of localized oedema the areas, which are often affected, are face, legs and abdomen.

Causes of oedema: Congestive cardiac failure, chronic renal failure, nephritic syndrome and many other renal diseases, cirrhosis of liver, portal hypertension, anaemia, and medicine induced problems etc.

Signs and symptoms: It depends largely on the cause of oedema. The frequently encountered signs and symptoms of oedema of cardiac origin are: breathlessness on exertion, swelling on legs, enlargement of heart.

Home remedies


  • Take ½ teaspoon of dry ginger powder and mix it with ½ teaspoon jaggery and make a ball. Have 2 such balls in a day. The quantity of ginger powder and jaggery can be increased gradually up to 10 days depending upon the patient’s digestive capacity. Continue this maximum dose that the patient can tolerate for next 10 days. From 21st day onwards reduce the dose gradually, till on the 30th day when the patient consumes the same amount that as was consumed on day one. Give a gap of a week and repeat the procedure again for a month.
  • Take 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds and 1teaspoon of cumin seeds. Crush them slightly and soak them in 1 glass of hot water overnight. In the morning strain the mixture and have on an empty stomach.
  • Mix 2 teaspoons of castor oil with 2 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of honey. Take the mixture at bedtime.
  • Cow’s urine is an excellent remedy for any type of swelling. Either consume 100ml of urine daily or if you find it repulsive, consume urine containing formulations like gomutraharitaki.
Diet and lifestyle: Include in your diet on a regular basis: Drumstick and its leaves, radish with its leaves, snake gourd, old rice, green gram, ripe papaya etc. Avoid curds, alcohol, excess salt, non-vegetarian food, cheese, butter, spicy food and sleeping during the day.

Ayurvedic remedies: For cardiogenic oedema use a mixture of 250gms of mruga shringa bhasma, 250gm of karaskarkalpa and 60mg of lakshmivilas ras to be taken twice daily with warm water.
Mix 15ml of dasamoolarishta with 15ml of arjunarishta. Take it with 30ml of warm water twice a day after food.
Punarnavadi guggulu 2 tabs thrice a day with warm water after food is effective in reducing oedema of any type.
Other panchakarma procedures like virechan can be given under professional guidance can be of help.

VARICOSE VEINS
Veins are the blood vessels, which carry deoxygenated blood from various parts of the body to the heart. The veins have thinner walls. When they are carrying blood from lower parts of the body to the heart, they do so against the gravity. Due to dietary deficiency, wrong lifestyle and ageing veins lose their elasticity and become lax. Blood stagnates in them and they appear swollen. This condition is known as varicose veins. Factors which contribute to varicosity are heredity, obesity, prolonged standing over a period of time, constipation, increase in abdominal pressure due to pregnancy or portal vein obstruction etc. The veins most affected are those of feet.

Signs and symptoms: Veins appear dark blue coloured and are engorged. They ache on pressure. The veins become unnaturally curved at different angles. Difficulty and pain may be experienced during walking, in severe cases. Skin ulcers may be formed if veins rupture.

Home remedies
Massage is contraindicated on varicose veins. However massage with olive oil, sesame oil, or other medicated oils like chandan bala lakshadi oil on adjacent muscles help to strengthen them. Use hot and cold baths on legs or spray cool water up the legs after a hot bath.
A supplement of vitamin C helps to ease swelling and pain by improving elasticity. It may be necessary initially.

Diet and lifestyle: Reduce weight gradually if you are obese. Swimming is a very good form of exercise. Increased intake of vitamin C is essential in diet. So include lots of citrus fruits like orange, sweet lime, lemon or other fruits like amla, which are good source of vitamin C. have a diet rich in dietary fibres, which would ensure smooth bowel movements. Yogic asanas like sarvangasan, halasana, shirshasana, viparit karani etc. are quite helpful. While sleeping, lie down without a pillow beneath head. Instead place a pillow under feet to elevate them. Alternatively place wooden blocks under the limbs of the bed at the side of the feet. Quit smoking and drinking.

Ayurvedic remedies: Mahayogaraj guggulu 2 tablets can be given thrice a day with warm water after food.
Juice extracted from brahmi leaves 15ml can be administered twice a day.
T. Chandraprabha vati 2 tablets can be given thrice a day.

DENTAL DISORDERS
Dental problems have serious importance in the human body as it plays an important role in the digestive process. More over it maintains the shape of the face. Ayurveda included the dental disorders under Jathrurdwagada rogas. In olden days people were using the neem stick, mango tree leaves etc. as the tooth brush. In most cases we can find that plants tasting astringent are mostly uses in dental disorders.
We can apply the herbs in dentistry in the form of gargling of the decoction, applying the paste, smoking the fumes, rubbing, chewing etc. There are herbs below which can be used in dental disorders:

Bakula
B.N: Mimusops elengi
Being an astringent and styptic (arrests bleeding), it is a valuable aid in dental ailments like bleedings, pyorrhea, dental caries and loose teeth etc. In such conditions the tender stems are used as tooth brush. The powder of the bark skin is used for cleaning the teeth. A popular combination of powders of bakula’s bark skin, root of kantakari (solanum xanthocarpum), saireyaka (Barleria prionitis) leaves and skin of almond fruit is burnt into ash and is used to clean the teeth and strengthen them. The gargles of decoction with its bark and that of khadira (acacia catechu) are effective in bleeding and swollen gum. The unripe fruit is used as a masticatory and helps to fix loose teeth.

Jatiphala
B.N: Myristica fragrans
This is a common plant. Its oil is effectively used in dental ache and incase of infections. This is one of the drugs which can be used as a pain killer.

Kantakari
B.N: Solanum xanthocarpum
The dried fruits are smoked in the form of cigarette and the smoke is help up in the mouth cavity for some in the case of dental infection.

Lavanga
B.N: Syzygium aromaticum
It acts as mouth freshener. In tooth ache lavanga can be administered as first aid. The oil can effectively administer in toothache as a pain killer.

Maricha
B.N: Piper nigrum
In case of tooth decay and aches, the Maricha powder is used for brushing the teeth.
The gargle with its leaf decoction is good in case of oral infection.

Nimba
B.N: Azadiracha indica
Dental infections are well controlled with the gargles of decoction of its leaves. In north India people used to brush their teeth with the crushed end of neem stick.

Poothina
B.N: Mentha arvensis
The juice of leaves is an effective gargle in ailments of oral cavity like halitosis. It is also useful in dental caries.

Rajika
B.N: Brassica juncea
The seed oil of rajika acts effectively in dental disorders. The seed oil with salt is an effective gargle in dental infections and pyorrhea.

Sapthaparna
B.N: Altonia scholaris
The twigs are used to brush the teeth in case of decay and caries. The latex also can be used in dental caries.

Thavaksheera
B.N: Curcuma angustifolia
The powder of rhizomes with honey is applied on the mucous membrane of the oral cavity in stomatitis. It also promotes the healing of stomach ulcers.

Thwak
B.N: Cinnamomum zeylanicum
The small pieces of its bark are chewed for strengthening the gum. It is also used as mouth freshener. The swab dipped in its oil is placed in dental caries to alleviate the pains and to mitigate the dental infections.

Vidanga
B.N: Embelia ribes
The gargles with the decoction of vidanga are beneficial in dental ache. Application of the paste of Vidanga is useful in dental infections.

Thila
B.N: Sesamum indicum
Gargle the paste of sesame seed mixed with buttermilk or hot water can very effectively use in the case of painful sensation of the teeth. Simple chewing of sesame is also helpful in this case.

CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE (C.A.D.)
Coronary arteries supply oxygenated blood to the muscular walls of the heart. In order to carry out pumping action effectively, the cardiac muscles or the heart muscles have to get enough blood supply. Coronary artery disease occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscles become narrow and hard. The main cause of CAD is presence of excessive cholesterol in the blood, which gets deposited on the inner wall of the arteries and over a period of time hard plaques are formed at the place. This condition is known as atherosclerosis. Due to atherosclerosis the lumen of the artery is narrowed and the elasticity is also lost which render the arteries incapable of expanding and contracting effectively. The important risk factors, which may cause the narrowing of the arteries, are –
  • Elevated levels of bad cholesterol (L.D.L./V.L.D.L.) and triglycerides
  • Obesity
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Hypertension
  • Lack of exercise (exercise helps build up the good cholesterol or HDL which protects the heart)
  • Smoking and drinking
  • Stress
  • Heredity
Signs and symptoms

  • Constricting chest pain, which may radiate to hand, back, lower jaw and upper abdomen. It mimics a heart attack.
  • Pain may be precipitated or increased during exercise or exertion or after a meal.
  • Breathlessness on exertion may be present in some cases
  • Sweating
  • Arrhythmias or irregular beating of heart may be noted in some cases.
  • Heart attack or myocardial infarction may result as a complication in severe blockage.
Home remedies

  • Allopathic practitioners routinely prescribe aspirin in such cases to make the blood less viscous and facilitate its flow. Garlic has similar blood thinning action. Take 4-5 cloves of garlic, peel and crush them coarsely, add them to a mixture of half-cup milk and half-cup water. Boil it till only ½ cup mixture is left. This formulation is known as rason ksheerpak. Take this mixture every morning on an empty stomach.
  • Amla and sour fruits like lemon are beneficial for the heart.
  • Take try ginger powder 2-3 grams daily with jaggery. Consume at least 4 betel nut leaves with stalk after food daily.
Diet and lifestyle
  • Include carrot, cucumber, radish, lemon, old rice, whole wheat, buttermilk which is not too sour, fresh fruits, snake gourd, green grams, grapes, pomegranates and dry fruits like dried black grapes, fig, prunes, apricot in the diet. Avoid cheese, palm oil, coconut oil, butter, milk cream, all products made from refined flour (Maida), dried nuts (pistachio, walnut, almonds etc.), red meat, broiler chicken, prawns, egg yolk, hydrogenated vegetable oil, coffee and chocolates.
  • Exercise increases HDL and lowers LDL. However, strenuous exercises may trigger chest pain. One can do vigorous exercises only if cholesterol is elevated in absence of other symptoms. Otherwise just walking for 45 mins is beneficial. It need not be brisk walking either. Just maintain a medium continuous space.
  • Quit drinking and smoking at the earliest.
  • Meditation and yogasana helps to relieve stress, which is one of the leading causes of heart disease.
  • If possible switch to a vegetarian diet.
  • Recent studies show that changing the medium of cooking helps to control the cholesterol levels to certain extent. Hence barring coconut oil and palm oil use the remaining oils like olive oil, sesame oil, groundnut oil, sunflower oil, mustard oil etc. in rotation.
Ayurvedic remedies

  • Do not use medicines containing arjun in presence o cardiogenic chest pain (angina pectoris) as it worsens the condition.
  • Tablet laghu sootshekhar can be given thrice a day with warm water.
  • 250gms of mruga shringa bhasma mixed with 1gm of pushkarmool choorna should be taken twice daily with warm water. Any compound containing guggulu is beneficial in lowering the cholesterol. Select any of the following yogaraj guggulu, ajwain guggulu, triphala guggulu and take 2 tabs thrice a day with warm after food.

HEART CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM (CIRCULATORY SYSTEM) HYPERTENSION

Hypertension means high blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force exerted by the flowing blood on the arterial walls. The cause of high blood pressure cannot be ascertained in most cases. Such high blood pressure where the cause is not known is known as primary hypertension or essential hypertension. In other cases hypertension may be a complication of other systemic diseases e.g. Pheochromocytoma (tumour of adrenal glands), chronic renal failure, pregnancy etc. In these cases where hypertension arises as complication to other primary diseases of conditions, it is known as secondary hypertension. Some factors that may contribute to hypertension are obesity, alcohol, stress, steroids, oral contraceptive pills, and diabetes mellitus.
Normal blood pressure of a healthy young adult is 120/80 mm of Hg or now days the range that is considered normal is 115/75. The upper reading is known as the systolic pressure, which is the pressure, exerted on the arterial walls when the heart is in the state of contraction. The second reading is the diastolic blood pressure, which is the pressure, exerted on the arterial walls when the heart is in the state of relaxation. A persistent high systolic blood pressure of over 140 or the diastolic pressure above 90 would be considered as high blood pressure. However, in younger adults a persistent blood pressure of 130/90 should also be considered as high blood pressure.

Signs and symptoms:
Most cases could be as symptomatic, whereas in others following signs and symptoms could be present: Headache, irritability, palpitation, and giddiness.

Home remedies:

  • For secondary hypertension the underlying cause has to be dealt with first. For primary hypertension, following remedial measures can be adopted.
  • Garlic is the herb of choice not only to treat hypertension but many other cardiovascular diseases. Peel and crush 3-4 cloves of garlic and take them once a day with a glass of buttermilk.
  • Take handful leaves of drumstick and boil them in little water. Grind it and have it like a soup twice a day after food. Preferably do not add salt.
  • Mix 1 teaspoon of onion juice with ½ teaspoon of honey. Have this solution twice a day. Both onion and garlic have adenosine, which has relaxing effect on muscles. So these two products can be generously taken in diet as well as. However garlic is more potent than onion.
Diet and lifestyle consideration
  • Reduce weight by cutting down animal fat and hydrogenated vegetable oil. Brisk walking for 45 mins is an easy and effective form of exercise for many patients. Take whole wheat with bran to make breads. If you are obese use bajra or millets instead of wheat.
  • Although the number of cases sensitive to salt intake are less, excess salt is best avoided. Salt causes water retention in the body, which in turn causes increase in blood pressure. So although normal salt while cooking is permissible, avoid all food items, which have high quantities of salt, e.g. pickles, pappads, chips, dry fish and all dried and preserved food. Do not take salt separately in serving dish. If possible use rock salt instead of sea salt in food tasteless to you, try adding lemon, amchur (dry mango powder), herbs and unsalted seasoning to flavour the food instead.
  • Meditate or listen to some soothing music everyday for 30 mins.
  • Try to quit smoking and drinking. There is a belief that 30 ml of alcohol once in a while is beneficial to the heart, but excess quantity is unhealthy and damages not only the arterial walls but also the liver, pancreas and brain.
  • Include raw curry leaves, cucumber with skin, radish with leaves, lemon etc in salads.
Ayurvedic remedies
  • Mix ½ teaspoon each of jatamansi choorna and tagar churna with ¼ teaspoon of arjuna choorna. Take the above mixture twice a day.
  • Take ¾ teaspoon triphala choorna with warm water at bedtime.
  • A mixture of 250gms each of swarnamak shik bhasma and mrug shring bhasma to be taken twice daily with honey.
  • Shirodhara with milk and buttermilk treated with herbs is a useful treatment to relieve stress.
  • Sarpagandha choorna is also used to treat hypertension. However it should be used as a whole herb, rather than segregating its active ingredients and using them. Using the entire herb substantially reduces the side effects. However it is better to consult an ayurvedic physician before starting this medicine

3 Comments:

  • What a lovely blog. Don't know how I missed it all these days!

    By Blogger Pratibha, at 12:01 PM  

  • Many good home remedies along with combinations available from reputed Ayurvedic companies.

    Gurudutt Mallapur.

    By Blogger Guru, at 3:48 AM  

  • Varicose veins are twisted, enlarged veins that run under the surface of the skin. People suffering from varicose veins can perform some yoga asanas like shirshasana, tadasana, sarvangasana etc to get relief from varicose veins. Check out here for more information: http://www.interventionsinradiology.com/5-yoga-asanas-for-varicose-veins/

    By Blogger Shilpa Roy, at 11:25 PM  

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