What does Ayurveda say about Allergies?

Written and Researched by Dr V.D Singh

The immune system is the defence mechanism of your body against certain bacteria, viruses etc. which may harm you. But sometimes when this defense mechanism starts fighting with the substances with which it shouldn’t, the condition is called Allergy. Such substances, found in dust mites, animal dander, pollen, insects, ticks, moulds, foods, some medicines etc., are called allergens and are completely harmless for most people.

An allergic reaction begins when an allergen (for example pollen) enters the body of a person, who is allergic to that particular allergen and triggers the release of antibodies. These antibodies attach themselves to special cells, called mast cells. When this allergen (pollen) comes into contact with the antibodies, the mast cells respond by releasing histamine and other chemicals.

Allergy may be atopic (inherited) or acquired. The allergens may hit your eyes, nose, sinus, skin, stomach, bowels, lungs etc and may cause conjunctivitis, allergic rhinitis, urticaria (hives), eczema, allergic asthma, etc and sometimes may result into anaphylaxis – a serious situation which may put your body into shock.

Antihistamines, intranasal corticosteroid nasal sprays etc may provide the symptomatic relief but the episodes may recur once you get exposed to that particular allergen again.

Allergy and Ayurveda

In Ayurveda, Allergy is described as Asatmya. Asatmya literally means Intolerance or Incompatibility or Unsuitability.

In other words, Asatmya is that “which doesn’t suit the self” and ‘self’ here includes mind, body and soul. Pathophysiologically, Allergy is a condition in which either of the doshas ( Vata, Pitta & Kapha), individually or in unison, refuses to accept and adjust with some specific change in diet or environment and as a result, react against the causative factor.

Apart from doshas, misbalanced Agni (Digestive Fire) and hence produced ama (toxins) play a pivotal role in allergic reactions.

The Ayurvedic treatment puts emphasis on clinical observations of signs and symptoms of Allergy. The first line of treatment being  Nidan Parivarjanam ­ – to avoid the cause.

The causative factors may include any of the substances discussed above. However it is not always possible to evade the cause and sometimes even the patient himself is not aware of the allergen; hence, an all-inclusive Ayurvedic treatment is required.

It includes Shamana Chikitsa (Palliative treatment), and once the acute symptoms subside, Shodhana Chikitsa (Detoxification program or Panchakarma) is done to avoid the recurrence.

By and large Ashwagandha, Shatawari and Yashtimadhu are good herbal antihistamines for Vata, Pitta and Kapha  type of Allergy respectively but Ayurveda believes in individualized approach towards a patient and disease.

 Seasons and Allergy

There are certain seasonal allergies which are described as per Ayurveda those are further connected to the state or changes in the season regimen of the earth at that time, means according to the rituachrya.

Ayurveda further states that season trigger allergies due to ‘doshas’ that are involved. To find a treatment, it is important to determine the aggravated ‘dosha’.

Vata types of allergies are caused due to dryness. Symptoms includes dry cough with dry phlegm, insomnia and anxiety. It gets worse in dry or windy environments and also during autumn.

Pitta type allergies cause excessive heating such as burning eyes, rashes and loose stools. The condition usually worsens during summers.

Kapha allergies develop due to moist, humid conditions and worsen during spring time as the weather warms up. It shows up as cloudy or clear mucus production and slow digestion. You should follow a liquid diet of liquefied fruits and vegetables once a week.

For curing allergies with Ayurveda, we must focus on cleansing the body off the toxins and boosting the immune system. If the allergies last all year long, it is advisable to visit an ayurvedic practitioner for proper guidance and diet plan.

How to Cure Allergies with Ayurveda

• We must avoid heavy foods such as dairy, meats and nuts.
• We should do hearty lunch and opt for a very light dinner.
• Drinking plenty of warm water would be much relaxing.
• Exercising daily.
• Yoga breathing exercise would be good for relaxing the mind and body.
• Allergies are worsened with intense stress. Stress causes disturbance in sleep which in turn aggravates the allergy. One must get adequate sleep to avoid allergies.
• Applying Herbal oil massage enhances blood circulation in the body. This leads to the removal of chemical toxins which might be causing the allergy.

Conclusion

Hence Ayurveda can better deal with the Allergies and we must adhere it according to seasonal regimen, food and taste and for better results one must consult an Ayurveda consultant for complete relief from Allergy.

Regards,

By Dr V D Singh MD (Ay)

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Written and Edited by Dr Vikram Singh (Md, Ayur)

Founder of Ayurcare

Monsoon is a season of romance. The cool breeze and damp smell of the earth after a long roasting summer turn the mind ecstatic. Jumping in the puddles, dancing in the rain, going for a long drive etc add to the pleasure. However, it continues to remains so until an individual holds good health as rainy season brings a plethora of diseases along with. It has been observed that there is an increased occurrence of air and water-borne diseases in the rainy season.

Ayurveda lays emphasis on prevention of diseases rather than to cure them. Based on the analytical reasoning, Ayurveda recommends different regimens of diet and lifestyle for different seasons to ward off the imbalances in the body and thereby helps in boosting immunity and maintaining good health. This concept of following a specific diet and lifestyle modification in a specific season to prevent various diseases is described as Ritucharya.

Ritucharya is derived from two words –

1. Ritu (Season) and
2. Charya (Regimen or routine to be followed).

Monsoon season is categorized as Varsha Ritu in Ayurvedic texts. It ranges from the month of Shravana toBhadrapada (Mid July to Mid September) and denotes the onset of Visarga Kala or Dakshinayana or Southern Solstice. During this season, the sky is covered by clouds and rains occur without the thunderstorm. The ponds, rivers, etc are filled with water.

Ayurveda describes the aggravation of Vata and accumulation of Pitta in Varsha Ritu. Constant raining, moisture in the atmosphere and cold weather results in aggravation of Vata which was accumulated during the dry and dehydrating heat of the summer; while Pitta accumulates following the conducive acidic conditions of the atmosphere as the predominant Rasa is Amla (sour) and Prithvi and Agni are predominant Mahabhutas in the rainy season.

According to Ayurveda, Agni is responsible for the digestive & metabolic activities of the body. During monsoon, the digestive fire or Agni weakens, leaving digestive system most vulnerable to various ailments. Diet thus followed during this season should balance the vitiated doshas and stimulate Agni to perform proper digestion.

Monsoon is the time when body’s immunity drops, thus proper care should be taken to prevent possible illnesses like general debility, blood and skin related problems, pain and swelling of joints, ringworm, fever, malaria, dysentery etc. In addition, other virus and bacteria related diseases may also emerge.

Here are few simple guidelines recommended by Ayurveda that should be followed during the monsoon season. By following these dos and don’ts, you’ll be able to celebrate the monsoons without fearing its adverse impact –

DIETARY REGIMEN 

 

ü One of the foremost rules in monsoon in Ayurveda is to eat according to the ability of one’s digestion. One must use spices such as pepper, ginger, asafoetida (Hing), garlic, cumin powder, coriander and turmeric for enhancing digestive capability. A small piece of ginger with rock salt before every meal is highly recommended. These help in improving immunity too.

ü Consume warm, light and fresh foods prepared from barley, rice, wheat, gram flour, corn or oats. Brown rice and bread are the best food items to go with during monsoons.

ü Avoidance of curds, red meat and any foodstuff, which takes longer time to digest, is good during the monsoon. One may have buttermilk instead of curds. Include cow’s ghee in daily diet to kindle the digestive fire.

ü Consumption of uncooked / raw leafy vegetables and salads should be avoided. You may consume their sour and salted soups instead. However, if you want to have them raw, they should be washed thoroughlyto ensure removal of bacteria and dirt before eating. The leafy vegetables contain larvae too and you need to be very careful in finding them while washing. The vegetables recommended in this season include yam (Suran), snake gourd (Turi), pointed gourd (Parwal), bitter gourd (Karela), cluster beans (Gavaar), apple gourd (Tinda), pumpkin, brinjal, bottle gourd and garlic etc.

ü Drinking boiled water with a dash of honey, or sipping on hot and herbal tea is ideal for this season. Drink small portions of lukewarm water throughout the day for good digestion. Pure water should be taken. If the water is taken from well, pond or river, then alum should be applied before using it. Water should be consumed within 24 hours of boiling. Avoid drinking excess fluids at this time as this further slows down the metabolism.

ü Among fruits, stick to pomegranates, mangoes, bananas, apples, lychees and cherries. Stick to seasonal fruits during monsoons as the unseasonal ones can easily get infected with microbes and worms during the monsoons.

ü Avoid non-vegetarian foods in monsoon. The possibility of germ content is highest in non-vegetarian foods.Those who can’t should go for lighter meat preparations like soups and stews rather than heavy curries.

ü Increased intake of sweet, sour and salty food is recommended while excessive pungent, bitter and astringent tastes should be avoided. Food, which contains acid, salt and greasiness, should be taken.

ü Although it is difficult to resist snacks in the cool weather, your diet should mostly consist of cereals and vegetables cooked in minimum of oil. If you want to snack, there is no dearth of healthy options. In rainy season, prefer grilled items such as bhutta (corn), chana (black gram), etc as humidity is very high and these food items are relaxing to the system and will not lead to accumulation of doshas. Having oily food would create problems in digestion.

ü Eat food cooked at home always. Excellent road side temptations like pani puri and bhel puri are not prepared hygienically and thus may cause stomach aches. So it would be better to control yourself till the end of the season so as to keep yourself healthy and fit to enjoy the monsoons to the fullest.

Avoid eatingchaats, fried items such as pakoras, pre-cut fruits and juices from roadside vendors

Avoid foods such as pasta, soups, and other such foods which are meant to be good host for the growth of bacteria. Avoid fermented foods which include idli, dosa, uttapam, etc. People tend to eat a lot of junk and fried food during the rainy season. This can lead to weight gain and lethargy.

ü Excessively spicy foods such as tamarind and pickles should be avoided. They add taste to your food but can be very heavy in the monsoon.

ü Don’t consume food which is stored in cold storage or a refrigerator.

ü Fasting is especially recommended in the monsoon season, particularly for people fond of erratic eating. You can gain a lot of health benefits simply by observing a weekly or fortnightly fast during monsoon. It helps to improve your digestive fire.

 LIFESTYLE MODIFICATIONS

Consumption of healthy diet only may not provide desired results unless supported by lifestyle modifications. Following are the tips for important changes in lifestyle of rainy season –

ü Avoiding daytime sleep is good as it hampers digestion and slows down the metabolism. Similarly, waking during night too is a bad thing to do as it further vitiates an already aggravated Vata.

ü Over exertion or over work will lower your metabolic rate and hence must be avoided. Perform only moderate exercises such as light walks and simple yogasanas. Do not tire yourself.

ü Keep the surrounding dry and clean and do not allow water to stagnate at places near you as it offers mosquito, flies and many microorganisms which may cause many diseases like malaria, typhoid, common cold, conjunctivitis, cholera and a variety of skin diseases.

ü Avoid getting wet in the rains. Always carry an umbrella. However, if it happens, it is better to take a bath with clean water and change into dry clothes as soon as possible in order to avoid exposure from infections as immunity is naturally low during monsoon. Keep body warm, to protect any attack from viruses as and when body temperature goes down.

ü Dampness breeds fungal and bacterial infections. Hence home as well as workplace should be damp free.

ü Oil massage followed by a warm water bath regularly is recommended.

ü Fumigation with likes of loban and dry neem leaves for drying cloths and killing insects / bacteria is recommended.

ü Use of Perfumes is advocated in this season.

PANCHAKARMA

Varsha Ritu or Monsoon season is considered as the best to go through Ayurvedic treatments since the moist climate opens up the pores in the skin, making it more receptive to all the medications and treatments. Ayurvedic treatments are highly recommended during this season in order to prevent any kind of disorders and to boost immunity.

Here are few key benefits of Ayurveda during the Monsoon season 

 

Balances the vitiated doshas

Increases immunity

Cleanses & detoxifies the body

Rejuvenates body & mind 

Prevents lifestyle disorders like diabetes, blood pressure & stress

Conclusion

In this season, more especially, people of vataja prakriti and likewise people suffering from vataja disorders like arthritis (rheumatoid as well as osteoarthritis), backache, lumbar and cervical spondylosis, insomnia, swelling in joints, sciatica, body aches etc are major sufferers. They must consult an Ayurvedic consultant so as to avoid a Vata imbalance.

If the above-mentioned diet and lifestyle is followed during the Monsoon, one can do their best to balance the body and mind.

Note: Article is Originally Written by Dr VD Singh and Author can be reachable at https://drsinghspeaks.blogspot.com/

With Regards,

Dr V D Singh MD (Ay)

Ayurcare, Vijaypur (Jammu)

Mobile : +91- 9419180272 | +91- 9622361874

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