RSS FeedsAyurveda approach to Genital Herpes
Ayurveda approach to Genital Herpes
Dosha theory that help in diagnosis of the diseases
Per ayurveda 3 doshas or three energetic forces management the activities of the body. These doshas are
1. Vata
2. Pitta
3. Kapha
VATA: The Vata dosha is the most vital of the three doshas. It’s been said in ayurveda classic books that “ pitta , Kapha and every one other body tissues are considered lame without help of VATA .” Vata dominates the lower half of the body, that is below umbilicus. The movements of body fluid, metabolism, elimination of waste products, semen ejaculation, pushing the fetus out of body, relaying stimulus to brain and response to organs and tissues, heart beat, respiration, body movements etc are assisted by VATA.
Vata dominated regions are intestines, lumbar region, ears, bones and skin.
Vata gets vitiated because of following reasons.
1. Controlling natural urges like urination, defecation, hunger, thirst, etc.
2. Late nights.
3. Irregular food habits.
4. Talking in an exceedingly high pitch.
5. Over physical and mental exertion.
6. Consumption of spicy, dry, bitter foods.
7. Exposure to severe dry and cold climate.
The opposites of above-mentioned reason normalize the vitiated vata.
PITTA: The pitta dosha assists the body hearth or Agni, that plays a significant role in body’s metabolic activities. The locations where pitta dominates are digestive system, skin, eyes, brain, and blood. Pitta maintains body temperature. The secretions like digestive juices pigments like melanin (bhrajaka pitta), hemoglobin (ranjaka pitta) are all varieties of pitta.
Pitta is dominant in regions of Umbilicus, stomach, sweat, lymph, blood, eyes and skin.
Vata gets vitiated because of following reasons.
1. Excess consumption of spicy, bitter, salty foods.
2. Consuming alcohol in excess.
3. Over exposure to hot sunny climate.
4. Short temperedness.
5. Using dried vegetables.
6. Indigestion of food.
The opposites of higher than-mentioned reason normalize the vitiated pitta.
KAPHA: Kapha provides bulk to body, lubrications, moistness, fertility, stability, strength, and memory. Helps in binding method wherever necessary. This is often heaviest of all doshas.
Kapha dominated regions are chest, neck, head, stomach, body fat, nose and tongue
Kapha gets vitiated because of following reasons.
1. Sleeping in daytime.
2. Consuming sweets , chilled food, in excess.
3. Consuming fish, sesame, sugarcane, milk and milk products.
The opposites of above-mentioned reason normalize the vitiated kapha.
When these doshas are in balanced condition the body remains healthy. If these doshas get imbalanced the body succumbs to diseases. Doshas get imbalanced frequently due to alter in climate, seasons, lifestyles, diet etc. The treatment is to bring back the doshas to normalcy and expel the toxin or ama made throughout the imbalanced condition.
Causes of Genital Herpes
Herpes is caused by a plague the herpes simplex virus (HSV), that belongs to the identical family of viruses that cause chickenpox. There are 2 sorts of herpes simplex viruses
1. Herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) and largely causes oral herpes
2. Herpes simplex sort 2 (HSV-2). And principally causes genital herpes
However, both sort-1 and sort-2 can occur within the genitals, oral space or both.
Thanks to unhealthy life styles and diet the delicate balance between doshas get disturbed. This disturbs the body hearth or Agni.
(Agni is the body fire, that is responsible for transformation of 1 substance to another. It breaks down the food substances, eliminates toxins and wastes, maintains body temperature, and resists the invasion of microbes by maintaining strong body immunity.
The body fire, which is assisted by balanced doshas, digests the food utterly to make Pakwa Anna rasa (the liquid kind of food which is completely digested by digestive enzymes), that is ready to get absorbed by body tissues. According to ayurveda Pakwa Anna Rasa nourishes the body and its elements to stay the body devoid of diseases. However when body fire is impaired there will be an incomplete digestion of food forming Apakwa Rasa (indigested food). The indigested food fails to nourish the body parts resulting in lowered body resistance.)
The disturbed Agni fails to digest the food and toxins get accumulated in body due to improper metabolism. Accumulation of poisons reduces the body immunity and paves the means for invasion by microbes.
When a person who has low immunity comes in grips with HSV virus, he/she gets the genital or oral herpes.
Unhealthy lifestyle
1. Over eating
2. Sleeping in afternoons.
3. Over physical exertion.
4. Over mental exertion
5. Consuming food frequently even when not hungry.
6. Constant exposure to hot sunny climates
Unhealthy diet
Excessive consumption of
1. Salty, bitter, hot, spicy food.
2. Sour curds
3. Alcohol.
4. Cheese
5. Charred and overcooked food.
6. Sesame, Bengal gram, horse gram, sesame oil, rice flour, garlic, fish.
Opposite foods
1. Curds, salt, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, sour fruits, meat, prawn, pork, should not be consumed with milk. The on top of-mentioned foods should not be consumed by mixing one item with another.
2. Sprouts, honey and milk should not be consumed with meat and fish.
3. Fish & milk: fish &sugarcane juice; jaggery & pork; honey & pork; milk & mango; banana & milk; are opposite foods.
The Transmission Of genital Herpes
Someone can get genital herpes in following conditions
1. If he is sexual active and when he performs sex (oral or genital) with infected partners.
2. A one that has oral herpes transmits herpes to genital organs of a partner throughout oral sex and a person who has genital herpes transmits this to his partner throughout coitus once they have a genital contact.
3. The disease gets transmitted when mucous membrane comes to bear with infected area.
The disease gets transmitted largely throughout active phase. However it may unfold even during asymptomatic (when person is free of symptoms for a specific period) phase. The virus needs a fluid media for its transportation. The body fluids like saliva, semen, vaginal tract secretions etc. Mucous membranes in mouth, vagina, urethra or open wounds facilitate the virus invasion thanks to their moistness.
In Genital herpes there’s an imbalance of all 3 doshas (VATA, PITTA, KAPHA), that in flip vitiate lasika (lymph), blood (rakta), muscle (mamsa) and skin (twacha).
The imbalanced doshas vitiate skin and therefore the immunity of skin cells is lowered. The virus attacks these weak cells and starts exhibiting symptoms on affected area.
Native symptoms
1. Pricking sensation
2. Edema
3. Pain
4. Feeling of constriction
5. A sensation of ant creeping
6. Many little eruptions gathering in a very small area.
7. These eruptions or blisters burst soon with exudates.
8. These blisters will have different colours consistent with involvement of doshas. (Blackish red or blue in vata, red, yellow, copper colored in pitta, shades of white in kapha).
The weakened body immune system tries to resist the virus invasion but fails to attain the goal. In this futile attempt the following systemic symptoms are exhibited.
Systemic symptoms
1. Fever
2. Weakness
3. Indigestion
4. Impaired bowels
5. Increased frequency of urination.
6. Body pain.
7. Increased thirst.
Imbalanced vata causes the symptoms like pain, swelling and body ache
The imbalanced pitta and vitiated blood and skin cause
1. Blisters,
2. Modification the colour of skin,
3. Cause burning sensation, and fever.
The imbalanced kapha and vitiated lymph cause itching, tingling sensation.
After the first attack the virus moves from skin through the nerve methods to base of the nerve and becomes inactive. Now the herpes infected person will be devoid of all symptoms. However the imbalance of doshas still persists.
Reactivation of Virus to cause outbreaks
At unpredictable times, the virus becomes active. It multiplies and resurfaces on skin by traveling through the nerve path and exhibits the symptoms locally. The severity of symptoms of out break depends on the strength of body immunity.
The pelvis or shroni, nerves and skin are dominated by vata. When vata gets vitiated because of precipitating factors, it reactivates the virus dormant in base of nerve finish and the virus travel through nerve ways to reach the skin surface.
Precipitating Factors
As we tend to understand the outbreaks have few precipitating factors like
1. Excessive exposure to sun.
2. Illness,
3. Poor diet,
4. Emotional stress
5. Physical stress,
6. Friction,
7. Steroids
8. Menstruation.
9. Emotional stress.
10. Genital trauma and intercourse.
11. Repeated infections like a cold or pneumonia.
These factors increase vata and increased vata activates the virus, that is dormant.
Low Immunity The systemically imbalanced doshas interfere with the body metabolism by vitiating the body fire (agni). This results in indigestion and malassimilation of nutrients, that in flip causes poor immunity. Thanks to decreased immunity the body fails to offer resistance to outbreaks.
Ayurveda Tips to avoid outbreaks
Avoid
1. Spicy, bitter, fried and junk food, that aggravates vata.
2. Precipitating factors.
3. Sleeping in afternoon.
4. Meat products over fried or deep fried in oil or fat.
5. Charred and overcooked food.
6. Consuming opposite food like fish and milk etc
7. Work up when a meal
8. Taking bathtub immediately when exercise or significant outside work.
Embrace honey, pomegranate, and fruits of Emblica officinalis, legumes, dates and raisins in your diet.
Practice Yoga and Meditation to control emotional disturbances
Ayurveda References
1. Sushruta Samhita
2. Charaka Samhita
3. Madhava nidana
4. Ashtanga Sangraha
5. Yoga Ratnakara
