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AYURPATRA Your
monthly health e-newsletter
Vol:
1-Diseases of - Above Shoulder region SERIES
URDHWAJATRUGATA XXXII–
JUNE 2007 |
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This monthly
e-feature “Ayurpatra” is a sincere effort for the welfare of the
mankind through Ayurveda. Our web site (www.ayurplanet.com)
has helped millions of people. Ayurpatra is loaded with lots of
information, events and happenings related to Ayurveda including featured
articles, details of very useful herbs, beauty tips and various herbal
products and health supplements. The aim of this Newsletter is to serve
humanity from health aspect by natural means. FEATURE
HEALTH ARTICLE: ANOSMIA
(Gandhras) ANOSMIA
comes from the Greek; an [no] -osmia [smell]. Of the five senses, smell
ranks fourth in importance for humans, although it is much more pronounced
in other animals. Taste, considered the fifth sense, is mostly the smell
of food in the mouth. The sense of smell originates from the first cranial
nerves (the olfactory nerves).A small area on the mucous membrane that
lines the nose (the olfactory epithelium) contains specialized nerve cells
called smell receptors. These receptors have hair like projections (cilia)
that detect odors. Airborne molecules entering the nasal passage stimulate
the cilia, triggering a nerve impulse in nearby nerve fibers. The fibers
extend upward through the bone that forms the roof of the nasal cavity (cribriform
plate) and connect to enlargements of nerve cells (olfactory bulbs) that
form the cranial nerves of smell (olfactory nerves). The impulse travels
through the olfactory bulbs, along the olfactory nerves, to the brain. The
brain interprets the impulse as a distinct odor. Also, the area of the
brain where memories of odors are stored—the middle part of the temporal
lobe—is stimulated. The memories enable a person to distinguish and
identify many different odors experienced over a lifetime. A reduced ability to smell (hyposmia) and loss of smell (anosmia) are the most common disorders of smell and taste. Because distinguishing one flavor from another is based largely on smell, people often first notice that their ability to smell is reduced when their food seems tasteless. Ayurveda says that everything in this universe is made up of 5 elements so is our body. From
Akasha (Ether) came the Shrotendriya (organ of hearing) From
Agni (Fire)came the Chakshrindriya (organ of vision)
It
must be borne in mind that Indriya does not mean the physical organ,these
are are sense perception medias. Thus
it carries connotations of dominance or control.
For
example, the nose is an organ. In it is situated a subtle Indriya called
Nasa (nose). If this Indriya is defective,
the person will not be able to smell although his nostrils are normal.
Just as Prana is vital for the The Ayurvedic texts define the source of all disease and suffering as pragyaparadh, or "the mistake of the intellect." This occurs when individuals (or even single cells) "forget" their connection with the wholeness of life and believe themselves to be isolated entities. Creating, and then eating, genetically engineered foods exposes us to pragyaparadh. We are all threads in the fabric of creation, say ancient Ayurvedic texts. To believe ourselves to be the weavers, capable of successfully manipulating nature's intelligence, is a symptom of pragyaparadh—and the assumption reveals our ultimate naiveté.The genetic program of a living organism is vastly more powerful and more complex than limited human intelligence. To keep our nasal strength good we all must be very careful for the smells. Be it in the form of perfumes, aromas, spices, cooking, fumes, or smoke. Causes
and symptoms Anosmia
occurs from either an obstruction in the nose or nerve damage. An
obstruction prevents odors from reaching the delicate nerve fibers of the
nose. The most common cause of anosmia is nasal occlusion caused by
rhinitis (inflammation of the nasal membranes). If no air gets to the
olfactory nerves, smell will not happen. In turn, rhinitis and nasal
polyps (growths on nasal membranes) are caused by irritants. Anosmia
can also follow a head injury or an acute or chronic attack of allergies.
Many medications may change or decrease the ability to detect odors. The
sense of smell is often lost with disorders like tumours,
or surgery of the brain. It may also be due to zinc deficiency.
Tobacco smoking is the most concentrated form of pollution that most
people will ever be exposed to. It impairs the ability to identify odors.
Hormonal disturbances or dental problems are also a cause. Anosmia can
occur as a part of other loss of function of the brain. With
the loss of sense of smell there can also be a loss of taste. Distortion
of function-foods or odors that normally are pleasant may taste or smell
odd or distorted, perhaps with an unpleasant smell. Victims may not be
able to distinguish flavours. MANAGEMENT
- Treatment
depends on the cause of a smell or taste disorder. Nasal
steams
with essential oils offer relief of the blockage and tonification of the
membranes. Karpooradi oil,Eucalyptus oil can be used in nasal steam. Jala
Neti--
Blockages can sometimes be resolved through naso-specific therapy--a way
of realigning the nasal cavities.Neti can be called a "nasal
douche". Take warm water, which is slightly above the body
temperature. Add salt to this water at the rate of half a teaspoon per
glass of 300 ml. This is equal to the salinity of the mucous secretions in
the respiratory system. Saturated salt water has high osmotic pressure. It
is a law in physics that fluid flows from low osmotic pressure to higher
osmotic pressure. In inflammatory conditions of nasal cavity including
sinuses, there is congestion and edema of nasal mucosa. Naturally during
"Jalaneti" fluid from mucosal cells comes out which relieves the
congestion and edema very fast. This helps in better functioning of
mucosal cells and also opens up closed openings of the sinuses in nasal
cavity. In
our nose there are nerve endings of olfactory nerve, which are responsible
for our sense of smell. During "Jalaneti" these nerve endings
are stimulated by saline that give us very pleasant sensations. These
pleasant sensations have a very beneficial effect on centre of emotions
located in limbic systems of brain. Thus Neti improves sensitivity of the
olfactory nerves, helping to restore lost sense of smell, and thereby
benefits the relationship with taste and the digestive processes. Nasya
-It
is a process by which drug is administered through the nostrils.
Nasyakarma enhance the activity of sense organs and prevent the diseases
of head (urdhwanga). The nose is the gateway to the brain and to
consciousness. Prana or vital energy enters the body through breath taken
in through the nose. Nasal administration of medication helps to correct
the disorders of prana affecting the higher cerebral, sensory and motor
functions. Nasya is indicated for dryness of the nose, sinus congestion,
hoarseness, migraine headache, neurodegenerative conditions (i.e. multiple
sclerosis), convulsions and certain eye and ear problems. Oils
that can be used for Nasa includes Anu tel, Shadbindu tel. Shiroabhyanga
-
The head massage serves to open the srotas in the head, neck and shoulder
regions.
This treatment nourishes the five senses by focusing on the ‘marma
points’, many of which are located around the head. These points, when
gently massaged have a hugely calming and balancing effect throughout the
body and nervous system. Herbs
and formulations
– Tulsi,Ginger,Garlic,Cloves,Vyoshadi vati,, Agastya haritaki, Lavangadi
churna,Panchamrit ras, Nardiya Laxmivilas Ras are useful herbs and
combinations in this disorder. You
may consult our Ayurveda experts through on
line consultation or
personally. HERB
OF THE MONTH:
LAVANG(CLOVES) Cloves
have many medicinal virtues. They are stimulant. They are useful in
counteracting spasmodic disorders and in relieving flatulence. They help
stimulate sluggish circulation and thereby promote digestion and
metabolism .In the Indian system of medicine cloves are used in various
conditions either in the form of powder or a decoction made of them. Clove
oil applied outwardly, has stimulating effects on the skin, producing heat
and redness. The clove herb
keeps food fresh because the main active component of cloves is eugenol,
which has long been known to help kill bacteria and viruses" says
Gary Elmer, Ph.D., associate professor of medicinal chemistry at the
University of Washington School of Pharmacy in Seattle. By killing
bacteria, eugenol helps keep meat fresh and prevents stomach upset,
diarrhea, and wound infections. Healing uses and
benefits of Cloves:
·
Mouth
Care: Clove
oil is suggested for toothaches, and can help freshen breath.You may have
tasted the sweet-hot flavor of clove oil in over-the-counter toothache
medicines. Try
a drop of this healing oil (available at drugstores and health-food
stores) to ease an aching tooth until you can see a dentist.
Heals
cuts and bites: Studies
show that the oil in cloves can help kill several strains of
staphylococcus bacteria and one strain of pseudomonas-organisms that can
cause skin infections. BEAUTY
TIPS:
Sun-Protection
Lotion For
personalized beauty related queries mail to: beauty@ayurplanet.com
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NEWS:
Ayurveda
India clinic in UK In
the Light of spreading Ayurveda throughout the world we have started with
another Ayurveda clinic project in Europe this month . This centre
provides the consultation, Ayurveda treatments and Ayurveda education.
Dr.Raghunandan Sharma is in UK for the developments of this endeovour. He
can be reached at ayurplanet@gmail.com AYURVEDA
INDIA Our
European Centre:AGN
; Dr.A.K.Mehta
;2521 ZL ;Thijsse straat 16;Denhaag;The Netherlands.
www.agn-ayurveda.com ; E mail: info@agn-ayurveda.com AYURVEDA
UK LTD;Dr.R.N.Sharma,
322 Great
West Road;Hounslow;TW5 0BA. Ph
-020 8577 7436 / 020 8572 7394. *Please
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Disclaimer:
All details, thoughts and opinions shared by the writers in this monthly,
are their own and does not necessarily reflect the views of the editor or
management of this monthly. This monthly is meant only for information
purpose and it is not intended to replace the services of a health
practitioner licensed in the diagnosis or treatment of illness or disease.
Any application of the material in this text is at the reader's discretion
and sole responsibility. For all health concerns you are advised to
consult with a duly licensed health practitioner We do not claim for any
authenticity of the matter. Thank
you for taking the time for reading this newsletter.We hope you have found
it informative.
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