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AYURPATRA Your
monthly health e-newsletter
Vol:
1-Diseases of - Above Shoulder region SERIES
URDHWAJATRUGATA XIX
– MAY 2006 |
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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: MUKHAPAKA (STOMATITIS) The
most annoying complaint of mouth is ‘mouth ulcer’ and it is the most
common complaint often left untreated. Mouth
ulcer is an inflammatory and ulcerative condition of the mouth. It is
medically termed as stomatitis or apthous mouth or canker sores. It is
mostly superficial, shallow and non contagious. The sores are usually
small, occurring in the oral mucosal lining, due to irritants or
infection. It often has the tendency to recur with the precipitating
factors. They can appear on the tongue, the lips, the gums, or the
insides of the cheeks as oval or round whitish or yellowish or grayish
ulcer surrounded by reddish mucous membrane. The ulcers, on treating
with medicines, or on its own go off in a week, without leaving any
scar. Canker sores do not form blisters as cold sores (fever blisters)
do. The cold sore, commonly confused with the canker sore, is caused by
the herpes simplex virus type 1. The canker sore, on the other hand, is
an inflammation, rather than an infection. Canker sores may range in
size from the size of a pinhead to as large as a quarter. They are
usually about an eighth of an inch in diameter-the size of a pencil
eraser. Ayurveda
suggests that canker sores manifest in people with high pitta and
disturbed Agni.Generally Pitta and Agni go hand in hand.Sometime if Agni
is subdued due to Ama or some other psychological reason,but Pitta keep
moving in its peak especially in Pitta
people and Pitta dominant season, it disturbs the acids in the body
and the entire mucus membrane of the upper Gastro intestinal tract gets
irritated.This gets manifested in the form of mouth ulcer.The site of
ulcer is related to the organ of the body or where the system is getting
irritated.This can be assessed by an Ayurveda physician. As
per Sushrut diseses located in entire mouth are caused by
vata,pitta,kapha and rakta.The genaralised disease in which mouth is
covered with red –yellow,burning and small blisters is caused by pitta
and is known as Mukhpaka(stomatitis). Causes
of mouth ulcer
– In many cases, the causes remain unknown. Stress is supposed to be
the major causative factor. Nowadays fast foods, carbonated drinks and
preservatives-added, tinned foods add fuel to a hurried life to produce
ulcers. Some relate it to the moon’s phases and some with exams, some
with sleeplessness and some with menses. The bacterial infections (fever
of scarlatina), viral infection – Herpes Simplex (gingivo stomatitis)
and fungal infection – Candida (thrush) - can also resemble mouth
ulcers in its initial stages. Symptoms
– Clinical presentation of mouth ulcers may be usually single or
clusters of shallow, whitish or pale or yellowish punched out ulcers
with surrounding reddish swollen mucous membrane. The common symptom is
burning and throbbing pain in the ulcers with difficulty in mastication
and speaking. There will also be excessive salivation with foul odour.
Fatigue, fever, burning eructations, constipation or diarrhoea may also
follow mouth ulcers. Character – The ulcers are mostly
superficial, and they are painful only during intake of food. But
sometimes they will be deep and very painful all the time.Duration
– Most ulcers heal within 5-7 days or at the maximum get cleared
within 14 days. If it persists longer, it should be seriously
investigated to rule out other serious illnesses. MANAGEMENT Topical
Remedies
Internal
Remedies
Ayurveda
suggests that canker sores manifest in people with high pitta. Follow a
pitta-soothing diet, avoiding hot, spicy foods and fermented food. Also
avoid strong alcoholic drinks, as they may aggravate the sores. Emphasis
should be laid on removing the excess of disturbed Pitta and to balance
the Agni. Several
herbs are useful in the treatment of cranker sores. Most of them contain
tannins and have other wound healing properties. Tannin, the common name
for tannic acid, is a constituent of many plants and gives foods an
astringent taste. Ø
Start
taking Pathyadi Kwatha 10 ml diluted with 20 ml water first thing in the
morning.And 1 Teaspoon of Triphla at bed time with luke warm water.This
helps in even long history of ulcers. Ø
Eat
a mixture of rock candy powder (1/2 teaspoon) and cumin powder (1/2
teaspoon). This will help stop the pain, as well as reduce inflammation
and irritation Ø
Chewing
of leaves of Jasminum officinale (Jati) is very effective. Ø
Myrrh:
Myrrh contains high amounts of tannins. Powdered myrrh is useful for the
treatment of mild inflammations of the mouth. Myrrh had been used as a
traditional remedy for mouth and gum irritations. Mix 200-300 mg of
herbal extract or 4 ml of myrrh tincture with warm water and swish it in
the mouth two to three times per day. Ø
Tea:
Regular beverage tea also has a rich supply of tannins. Try placing a
spent tea bag on canker
sores. Or make tea from some of the other herbs that are high in tannin,
such as bearberry, eucalyptus, St.-John's-wort, sage, raspberry,
peppermint and licorice. Ø
Aloe
Vera:
Aloe Vera is used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat canker sore. An extract
from aloe vera has been shown to be beneficial in one preliminary study.
Some doctors of natural medicine recommend 1-3 tablespoons of aloe vera
juice be used as a mouthwash then swallowed three times daily. Ø
Place
1 tsp. fenugreek seeds in 1 cup cold water. After six hours, bring to a
boil and strain immediately. When cooled to lukewarm, add 1 tsp. honey.
Use to gargle and swallow a little. Kawala
and Gandusha-
Holding herbal decoction or oil or ghee in buccal cavity for a specific
period of time.Kawal or Gandusha with following decoctions and mixtures
is benificial in stomatitis. Ø
Licorice.
Licorice(Yashtimadhu) contains tannin, and the compounds glycyrrhetinic-acid
and glycyrrhizin. All of these help speed the healing of sores. In one
study that looked at the power of licorice to heal canker sores, a
mouthwash containing this herb provided relief for 75 percent of the
people who used it. Those who got relief noted substantial improvement
within one day and complete healing by the third day. Mixture
of Licorice with warm water should be hold
in the mouth for two to three minutes and then spit out. This is
found to shorten the healing time for mouth ulcers. Continue this on
each morning and evening for one week.
Licorice can also be used to to sweeten the herbal teas
recommended above. Ø
Decoction
of Katphal should be used with Dalchlni. Ø
Glycerrhiza
glabra (Yashtimadhu) decoction is also a very effective remedy. Ø
Decoction
of Berberis aristata (Daruharidra) & Alum powder. Ø
Decoction
of Acacia catechu (Khadir). HERB
OF THE MONTH: DARUHARIDRA(Berberis aristata) Daruharidra
– Berberis spp. Berberis arista:Indian Barberry Daruharidra
reduces kapha, checks excess secretions and helps to alleviate
inflammation of the liver and spleen. It is ama-pachana in action,
metabolizing toxins whilst pacifying pitta due to its tikta rasa. Its
energetic properties all indicate that it aggravates vata as its action
is drying and catabolic. It stimulates and corrects meda dhatu agni and
alleviates excess body secretions often experience when kapha is
aggravated. This is seen in conditions of the vagina as in leucorrhea
and from weeping wounds experienced when suffering ulcerated skin
disorders. This action relates directly to drying rasa dhatu and
reducing the formation of the mala of rasa being poshaka kapha.Thus the decoctions
of the root bark of Indian Barberry were used in folk medicine to treat
inflammations, sores, abrasions, wounds, ulcerations of the skin,
hemorrhoids, acne, and other skin problems/disorders. The
fresh juice used for mouthwash to strengthen gums or gargle. The
root-bark contains berberine, a bitter alkaloid, that aids in the
secretion of bile and is good for liver problems, acts as a mild
purgative, and helps regulate the digestive processes, dyspepsia.
Possible beneficial effect on the blood pressure by causing a dilatation
of the blood vessels. Good for hepititis, colic, jaundice, diabetes,
consumption. The
powder made into a paste with water and honey is used
treat blemishes and pimples. Add Daruhaldi to facials, masks, and
herbal hair rinses. A strong tea can also be made with daruhaldi and
neem powders to be used as a facial toner for acne prone skin. BEAUTY
TIP OF THE MONTH:
TO PREVENT SUNBURN People
can get sunburn from overexposure to the ultraviolet sun rays. Lighter
skinned and sensitive skinned persons are more at risk. Also, Pitta
body type people are also more likely to develop sunburn. To prevent
sunburn try
not to spend more than ½ hour in direct sunlight. Apply neem oil
(cooked/diluted in sesame oil) to the skin as a natural sunblock. If one
develops sunburn, aloe vera gel can be applied to the skin to soothe
sunburn. An alternative method is to apply crushed lettuce pulp to the
sunburn. Coconut oil may also be applied to soothe the skin while
indoors. For
personalized beauty related queries mail to: beauty@ayurplanet.com
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the Light of spreading Ayurveda throughout the world we have started
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provides the consultation, Ayurveda treatments and Ayurveda education.
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