Preventation From Bronchial Asthma!

Bronchial Asthma - Tamaka Swasa
Difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath may be simply termed as swasa (asthma). It may be primary - originating from respiratory system, secondary - originating from other systems of the body but the impact is on respiratory system.

Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of airway. It leads to recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, tightness of chest and cough particularly at night or early morning. As per ayurveda, swasa is mainly caused by the vata and kapha doshas. Swasa is broadly classified into five types in mahaswasa (dyspnoea major), urdhawaswasa (expiratory dyspnoea), chinna swasa (chyne- stroke respiration), kshudra swasa (dyspnoea minor), tamaka swasa (bronchial asthma).

Causes:
As per ayurveda the causes of tamaka swasa are as follows:

• Intake of dry, cold, heavy, incompatible food and irregular intake of food
• Excessive intake of black gram, beans, sesame, meat of aquatic animals.
• Intake of cold water and exposure to cold climate
• Exposure to dust, smoke and wind
• Excessive exercise, over indulge in the sexual activity
• Trauma to throat, chest and vital organs.
• Suppression of natural urges.

Treatment:
As per the ayurveda bronchial asthma is vatakaphaja disease, it begins in the stomach, progresses to the lungs and bronchi. Hence the aim of treatment is to move the excess kapha back to stomach and then eliminate it. For this purpose following methods are adopted.

• Swedana (sudation)
• Vamana (therapeutic emesis)
• Virechana (therapeutic purgation)

These procedures will be followed as per the need of individual patient. Practice of meditation, pranayama, laxatives, light diet in the night and use of warm water will helps in the treatment of asthma.

Diet:

• Godhuma (wheat), old rice, mudga (green gram), kulattha (horse gram), yava (barley), patola (snake gourd)
• Use of garlic, turmeric, ginger, black pepper
• Luke warm water, goat milk, honey
• Respiratory exercise, pranayama, yoga

Contradication:

• Heavy, cold diet, masha (black gram), deep fried items, mustard leaves, fish
• Exposure to cold & humid atmosphere
• Sweets, chilled water, stored food items, curd
• Suppression of natural urges
• Excessive physical exertion
• Exposure to smoke, dust and fumes, pollutants and pollens.

Home remedies:

1. Taking hot water mixed with honey daily will help you to get rid of wheezing. 
2. Mix turmeric in hot milk and take twice daily. 
3. When there is phlegm accumulation in the chest, inhalation of steam is good. 
4. Garlic is taken in a glass of water and the water is heated on a moderate flame for few minutes and then that water can be taken daily to avoid wheezing. 
5. Avoid cold water, ice creams and cold articles. 
6. Mustard oil mixed with jaggery can also be taken for wheezing. 
7. Diets and fruits containing vitamin c and e are taken to build up the immunity 
8. Good balanced diet should be taken. 
9. Take 1 betel leaf and 5 - 6 basil leaves (tulasi) boil it in half glass of water for 5 min. 
10. Strain the water and to the remaining part add 1 teaspoon of honey and should be taken everyday once. 
11. Sitopaladi churna with honey can be taken daily twice. 
12. Chewing basil leaves (tulasi) daily will also help to get rid of wheezing, asthma and other respiratory problems. 
13. Triphala powder with lukewarm water also helps in wheezing sound.
14. During aggravated period the patient should lye down on alevated bed to get relief from breathlessness.
15. For non productive and dry cough use of old ghee as massage of chest helps patient to get relief from chest pain and coughing.