Asthma

Breathe is not just a process to draw in and let out air from your body, but it is a sign of life. Difficulty in breathing may have many reasons but one important dreadful condition which can never make us overlook is asthma. Asthma plays a marked role as one of the major sufferings of mankind.

Asthma is a chronic lower respiratory tract disease, where an excess amount of mucous production and tightening of airway smooth muscles makes them narrow which leads to recurrent attacks of breathlessness. The severity of the condition may vary from person to person. According to World Health Organisation, 235 million people globally suffer from asthma. Over 80% of asthma deaths occur in lower-income countries.

Reasons causing asthma :

• Exposure to allergens in the environment
• Tobacco smoking
• Chemical irritants
• Hereditary condition
• Chronic other respiratory diseases etc.

The above factors trigger the immune system causing type 1 hypersensitivity reaction and releasing IgE antibodies from the body’s immune cells which makes the smooth muscles of airways become tight and also triggers the mucous-producing cells to release thicker mucous, blocking the airways for exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Features of asthma :

• Difficulty in breathing
• Tightness of chest
• Gasping for air
• Can be associated with wheeze or cooing sounds from the chest area
• In children, they may turn blue due to shortness of oxygen which is a sign of an emergency.

Asthma in Ayurveda:

Ayurveda gives an in-depth explanation of asthma under the nomenclature of disease  ‘SWASA’. The word swasa means the disease which makes it ‘difficult to breathe’. It is categorized into 5 main types. TAMAKA SWASA is one of the types which are well correlated to bronchial asthma. The humour Vata (air element) moves in reverse order in the body pervading the channels, afflicts the head, and neck, and stimulates the humour Kapha (mucous element of the body ) thereby blocking channels and causing constriction of airways.

Pranava Kerala Ayurveda Clinic makes it possible to manage your asthma better:

In some phases of asthma, apart from medications people may even have to depend on puffers or inhalers with steroids as primary management. Such a mode of treatment could make the body become more dependent on medicine and even weaken the systems. Ayurveda can show a perfect pathway to control asthma through our expert Ayurvedic hands.

Therapies with detox plans help to eliminate accumulated toxins from channels, Udwarthana (dry powder massage) pacifies the humour Kapha (mucous content of body ), Abhyanga (hot oil massage ) with suitable herbal oils along with steam, and Pinda Sweda (bolus massage) therapies, improves the blood circulation, relax the chest muscles and clears the airway from accumulated mucous. Along with therapies herbs having medicinal values like Vasa (Adhathoda Vasica), Pushkaramoola (Inula racemose), Pippali (Piper longum), etc. act effectively on the immune mechanism and clears the channels and help control flare-ups of asthma.

Your asthma may be a thing of the past after a visit to Pranava Kerala Ayurveda Clinic.