Satyam
What is Asthma and How Can It Be Treated?
Asthma can be defined as a chronic respiratory condition caused by constriction or narrowing of the air passages to the lungs. This is a milder form of allergy, which is triggered when the air is exposed to certain allergens. You can also get it from cold, exercise, and emotional stress. Patients who have an air passage that is constricting experience symptoms such as wheezing and difficulty breathing, shortness, coughing, tightness in their chest, and tightness.
Asthma: Causes
Ayurveda says that asthma is often caused by an excessive intake of Vata (cold), Kapha aggravating food items, and weakening lung tissues with aging. Many lifestyle and environmental factors are responsible for this condition. People who eat more stale or cold foods are less able to digest them. This leads to ama (i.e. mucus. This mucus blocks the airway and causes difficulty breathing. Asthma is also triggered by prolonged exposure to cold or damp environments.
Types Of Asthma
Two main types of asthma affect the masses.
Allergic asthma: Allergy to dust, animal fur, mites, or pollen.
No-allergic Asthma. There can be many causes of non-allergic asthma. These include environmental irritants and medications, stress, extreme weather, extreme temperatures, and other factors. The causes of non-allergic asthma are the onset of adulthood; exercise-induced bronchoconstriction; inhalation and exhalation of harmful gases; dangerous substances or excessive dust in the workplace; childhood asthma.
Ayurvedic Treatments to Asthma
Ayurveda states that asthma or swasarog can be caused by an imbalanced Kapha. It is a Pitta Dosha that causes symptoms like irritability. Vata dosha can also cause asthma. It is caused by anxiety and dry skin, dry coughs, dry mouths, and constipation.
Five types of asthma are described in Charak Samhita’s Charak Samhita. Ayurvedic treatment for asthma focuses on determining the cause of doshic imbalance. It is important that the patient participates in the healing process and makes the necessary lifestyle and dietary adjustments.
Panchakarma is an essential part of this treatment. It helps to detoxify the body by using various therapies. Unfortunately, not all patients can do panchakarma-chikitsa. They are directed to palliative care. The patients should refrain from eating sour fruits, lassi, and rice as they can cause coughs. Patients must avoid excessive exercise, dust, pollution, and overindulgence with sex. They should also avoid daytime sleep.
The doctor will then determine which type of asthma the patient has and recommend the treatment. Here’s a quick overview of the treatment options for different types of asthma in Ayurveda.
Vata Type Asthma: To hydrate their dry tissues, such patients should eat a Vata Pacifying Diet that includes warm spices as well as sour and lemon-based juices. Patients are also administered tonic bronchodilators, such as Bala. Nervine tonics are also given to anxiety patients.
Pitta type asthma: All precautions and medicines used for Vata asthma are used in pitta. Patients are also given cooling herbs like Gotu, Kola, coriander, and coriander. Vasa is also recommended to treat Pitta-type asthma.
Kapha Type asthma: Patients with this condition need to avoid Kapha-forming food items such as yogurt, cheese, milk, and sweets. Doctors use pungent spices, such as cayenne, ginger, and pepper to remove Kapha from the body. Sometimes ginger and mustard paste is also applied to the chest. Vasa, thyme, and ephedra can all be used to treat this form of asthma.
Supplements for the diet for patients suffering from asthma, there are three types of dietary supplements:
Vitamins, Vitamin B/Vitamin C can decrease active bronchitis by 30%. These vitamins are essential for patients.
Enzymes Studies have shown that taking 100mg CoQ for a month provides your body with anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant elements that help improve the airflow of asthmatic patients.
Fish oil: Omega-3 fatty acids found in cold-water seafood reduce asthmatic inflammation.
Why Ayurveda
Ayurveda is different from other medicine streams. It focuses on the root cause of asthma. By including healthy food and exercise in patients’ lives, it changes their lifestyle. A healthy diet can improve immunity and many other aspects.
Yoga asanas, pranayama, and other activities work on lung capacity. Both the pranayama and panchakarma therapies form part of ayurvedic medicine. These treatments are available in almost all branches. To sum it all, it is better not to focus on symptoms but rather the root cause of an illness. These medicines are natural and herbal and contain no artificial ingredients. They are completely safe and provide the best results.
