Asthma - Symptom, Causes, Home Remedies for treating Asthma
What is Asthma ?
Asthma is known as Tomaka Shvasa in Ayurveda. It is on the rise today, with increasing levels of pollution and the stressful lifestyle followed by people.
Asthma is characterised by difficulty in breathing, a sense of tightness, constriction around the chest, and a wheezing noise as the breath is expelled. The small bronchial tubes which connect with the lungs are constricted due to swelling or accumulation of viscid phlegm in the main bronchi, hence the difficulty in inspiration and expiration.
Symptoms & Causes of Asthma
Bronchial asthma is supposed to originate from afflictions of the stomach and the gastro-intestinal tract. That is why in the preliminary stage of the disease or just before its onset, the patient complains of indigestion, constipation, or diarrhoea. The attack of asthma may come without warning because of the hypersensitivity of the patient to certain substances like pollen, dust, emanations from certain animals like dogs and cats, certain foods to which the person is allergic and, of course, certain bacteria.
The attack of asthma comes on in the early morning when the patient suddenly wakes up with a feeling of apprehension and alarm. He sits up as the breathing suddenly becomes impossible in a recumbent position. He may rush to open the window as it becomes difficult to breathe in a closed room. The attack may last for a few hours or a few days before it subsides, and, in the early stages of the disease, the patient feels normal after the attack. It is only when it becomes chronic that he acquires a typical asthmatic look--a pale face and an emaciated body.
Home Remedies for Treating Asthma
The patient is advised to avoid curd, buttermilk, bananas, guavas, and fried foods. Light food should be taken at night and all sour substances should be banned. Smoking is contraindicated and consumption of liquor should be reduced to the minimum. Excessive physical exercise and exposure to cold and damp should be avoided.
Medicines & Prescriptions for Asthma
Well-known preparations for this disease in Ayurveda are Chyavanaprash and Agastya Rasayana. The main ingredient of the former medicine is amla, the richest source of Vitamin C in nature. A peculiarity of this fruit is that its vitamin content is not lost by exposure to heat as is the case with other drugs and fruits. The latter preparation is indicated in cases of asthma where the patient is constipated; in particularly emaciated sufferers, however, Chyavanaprash is the better remedy. Both the drugs can be taken in one teaspoonful doses thrice a day, preferably before food is ingested. They are slow-acting remedies but are surer in their efficacy. In chronic cases, their effect is evident from the increasing gap between successive attacks.
Along with the preparations mentioned above, Sitopaladi Churna should be taken thrice or four times a day in one teaspoonful doses with honey. Since the drug is likely to cause irritation of the throat, it is better when mixed with honey and taken as a linctus. Medicines containing minerals which are recommended in cases of asthma are: Swasha-Kasa-Chintamani Rasa, Suvarna-Pushpasuga Rasa, and Kanakasava. The dosage and duration of these medicines will depend upon the severity of the disease.
Other Respiratory Diseases
Whooping Cough
Bronchitis
Asthma
Tuberculosis
Pneumonia
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