Headache

A headache is a symptom rather than a disease and may be caused by high blood pressure, insomnia, weak eyesight, sinusitis, hunger, anemia, listening to loud music, studying in improper light, emotional strain, overwork, constipation, and flatulence. In Ayurveda, headache is known as shirehshool. Headache may be accompanied with watering of the eyes, bleeding from the nose or giddiness depending on the body energy that is aggravated.

Causes

Improper diet and lifestyle causes vitiation (impairment) of the vata (air) and kapha (water). Vata is obstructed by the kapha in the head region, causing headache. As the pain intensifies, vata also vitiates pitta dosha (fire), causing a burning sensation in the head, nausea and vomiting. Headache is also often caused by emotional stress, overwork or insomnia.

Symptoms

• Pain in the back of the neck and shoulders.
• Pain in the head

Ayurvedic Headache Treatment

The traditional science of Ayurveda considers headache to be caused because of two primary reasons – a sensitive nervous system and impaired digestion. Improper diet and lifestyle causes aggravation of Pitta (Ayurvedic humor representing Fire) in the body. In an aggravated state, Pitta impairs digestion, leading to production of digestive impurities (known as ama). This ama gets stored in the manovahi strotas (mind channels), thereby becoming the cause for headaches.

A sensitive nervous system lowers the ojas (energy) in the body. Ojas is the essence of all body tissues and provides strength to the nervous system and body. If you have a strong nervous system, you are able to fight against problems and carry on with your work with a healthy mind. Lowering of ojas causes migraine-like problems.

Ayurvedic treatment of headache does not focus on simply alleviating the pain but aims at treating the root cause. Herbal preparations are administered to balance aggravated body energies and restore the digestive function.

Hair Loss and Premature Graying

Stress, worry, anxiety, and inadequate nutrition lead to hair loss and premature graying of hair. A certain amount of hair loss is considered normal, as old strands are replaced by new. When hair loss is excessive, care must be taken. Similarly, the graying of hair after a certain age is a normal phenomenon, but when this starts in the early years of life, one should look into for remedies.

Causes

Increased intake of fried, sour, spicy, salty, and fermented foods, as well as tea and coffee, aggravate the Pitta Dosha (Ayurvedic humor representing Fire) in the body. This Pitta accumulates in the skin of the scalp, leading to hair falling out and graying prematurely. Factors like excessive anger and stress are also responsible. Excessive consumption of alcohol and meat also aggravate Pitta.

Ayurvedic Hair Loss and Premature Graying Treatment

Hair loss is known as Khalitya in Ayurveda. According to Ayurveda, hair is a byproduct of bone formation and the tissue responsible for building bones is also responsible for the growth of hair. Early hair loss is related to body type and the balance of the mind-body constitution (doshas). People who have excess Pitta in their body are likely to lose their hair early in life, or have prematurely thin or gray hair. Excess Pitta in the sebaceous gland, at the root of the hair, or folliculitis can lead to hair loss.

Ayurvedic treatment of hair loss is aimed at pacification of Pitta through a customized diet and lifestyle regime, along with medication. A combination of diet, herbs, oil massage, meditation, aromatherapy, breathing and yoga can be beneficial in addressing the problem of hair loss and premature graying of hair.

Constipation

Inability to completely evacuate the bowels or passing very hard stools is known as Constipation or Vibandh in Ayurveda. This prevalent problem is due to an incorrect lifestyle and poor eating patterns. Although constipation is often looked upon as a common problem, if not treated or if treatment is delayed, it can lead to further problems such as fissures, fistulas, piles, lack of appetite and indigestion.

Causes

The basic cause is weak digestive power that results from irregular and incorrect eating patterns, not taking in enough fluids, taking a diet that is low in fiber, a sedentary lifestyle, and bowel evacuation habits that are poor. These all lead to incomplete digestion of the food, which is not expelled by the intestines and causes the formation of ama (mucus). Foods that are heavy and difficult to digest, as well as oily, spicy, fried, and junk foods are the culprits. Eating food in a disturbed atmosphere or in front of the television and being awake late at night all lead to bowel disturbance. Psychological factors like stress, anxiety, fear, jealousy, and sorrow also play an important role.

Symptoms

• Indigestion (dyspepsia)
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Flatulence
• Pain at the anus while defecating
• Heaviness of body
• Lack of appetite
• Acid eructation (belching)

Ayurvedic Constipation Treatment

According to Ayurveda, undigested food and occult stool slowly accumulate in the stomach and large intestines respectively and impair Vata Dosha, resulting in obstruction of the digestive tract. When the digestive tract is not clear, the body will not be able to facilitate proper bowel movement, thereby leading to the condition of constipation.

Acne is a skin condition in which there is excess production of oil from the sebaceous glands leading to the blockage of hair follicles. It is the most common problem of adolescents, and is therefore known as Yauvanpidika in Ayurveda; yauvan means ‘adolescence’ and pidika means ‘pustules or papules’. Acne usually affects the face, back and shoulders and other areas that are densely populated with sebaceous glands. Acne presents either as blackheads, whiteheads, pimples or nodules.

Causes

The primary cause is impairment of all the three doshas, predominantly the pitta dosha, which further vitiates the rakta and meda dhatus (blood and fat tissues). Vitiated doshas produce toxins that block the energy channels of the face leading to pimple formation. The condition of acne can also be aggravated by excessive intake of oily, spicy, salty and sour foods.

Symptoms

• Whiteheads
• Blackheads
• Pimples

Ayurvedic Acne Treatment

Ayurveda has a singular approach to all forms of acne as this problem appears due to imbalance of the three doshas — vata, pitta and kapha. However, the main cause is the aggravation of the pitta dosha, an Ayurvedic humor that symbolizes heat or fire. Pitta dosha manifests in the skin and causes accumulation of heating toxins. These heating toxins accumulate in deep tissues like rasa (nutrient plasma), rakta, (blood), mamsa (muscles) and lasika (lymphatic). These toxins cause contamination of deeper tissues, leading to the condition of Yauvanpidika. Because acne is deep-rooted, use of local creams, antibiotics and lotions only masks the symptoms. Thus, specific Ayurvedic treatment is advised which includes right diet, lifestyle and some specialized herbal combinations that tackle the disease from its root cause.