Asthma & Sadovaman - All About It!

Asthma refers to a respiratory disorder, characterized by narrowing of the airways. This occurs when your body responds to a trigger, say allergens, exposure to cold air, heavy workout, or emotional stress. 

What causes asthma?

According to Ayurveda, asthma occurs when the airways become narrow and eventually get blocked due to the accumulation of Kapha. As the airflow to the lungs is interrupted, as a person experiences difficulty breathing. 

Asthma is caused due to excessive intake of cold (Vata) and consumption of foods that aggravate Kapha, weakening of the lung tissues and health problems resulting from lung diseases. 

Ayurveda considers poor digestion a major cause for asthma. A weak digestive system leads your body to become oversensitive to pollen, dust, and other substances that may trigger an asthma attack. Deposits of mucus (ama) in the respiratory tract or lungs may obstruct breathing and cause coughing or wheezing. 

Ayurvedic Approach to Asthma -

Ayurvedic treatment for asthma aims to restore digestion with natural remedies and therapy combined with lifestyle changes and the right diet. The medicines work on cleansing the toxins from your body and pacifying Kapha. 

One of the best approaches to cure asthma in Ayurveda is Vamana therapy. It is one of the Panchakarma therapies in Ayurveda. Vamana refers to therapeutic vomiting – a medicated emesis. The treatment aims to remove toxins from the gastrointestinal and respiratory tract. 

Since Kapha is located in the chest region, it is easy to expel it orally. To do so, the Kapha dosha first needs to be brought forcefully from the extremities and organs into the stomach, before vomiting is induced.

The Steps to the Procedure - 

• Before Vamana therapy is induced, the individual is asked to consume foods that are likely to aggravate Kapha dosha – yogurt, basmati rice, and sweets – a night before. This is done to increase Kapha so that it forcefully gets eliminated from your system completely. 

• The next day, a drink prepared from certain drugs – licorice, calamus root tea, madanphala is given to induce vomiting. This triggers vomiting in patients. 

• Once the whole Kapha is expelled outside, the person feels a lot better and lighter 

Following the Vamana therapy, patients are advised to rest and consume light food. You might be prescribed to do fasting, as the entire procedure undergoes heavy work. 

Vamana therapy in Ayurveda is highly effective in treating asthma and several other conditions. The therapy helps ease asthma symptoms – a patient might feel tightness in the chest after undergoing therapy. Moreover, it clears the sinuses and offers relief from breathlessness, wheezing and congestion.

Apart from therapy and herbal remedies, focus on improving your diet plan and practice certain asanas to avoid asthma attacks in the near future.