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Sweeteners

In our day today life, we use a wide variety of sweeteners. Chocolates, breads, desserts… all contain a large amount of sweeteners. In Ayurveda too, the topic is discussed and studied well. Let us take a glimpse.

Sugarcane Juice:- Sugarcane juice many properties. It acts like a laxative. Even though it is hard to digest, it nourishes the body and helps in making the body stout. The juice is diuretic and therefore helps in curing urinary problems. Along with that, it is an aphrodisiac. But spoiled sugarcane juice can cause burning sensation. Different varieties of sugarcane juice are mentioned.

Half Cooked Molasses:- This is said to be heavy and hard to digest. But it is diuretic.

Jaggery:- If purified well, the jaggery is laxative and acts as a diuretic. If not purified well, it can cause worm infestation.

Other varieties like brown sugar, sugar candy and refined sugar are also mentioned in Ayurveda. It says that they all have aphrodisiac property.

The best variety of sweetener is refined sugar and least variety is the half cooked molasses.

Honey:- Honey have a lot of medicinal properties. It is good for eye sight. It alleviates thirst. Along with that it helps to cure hiccup, cough diarrhoea. But it should not be heated. For treatment purposes it can be added with warm medicines.

Fissure-in-ano

Fissure---in---ano

Fissure-in-ano is a break or tear in skin of anal canal. A person with fissure-in-ano mein often complain about bright red coloured bleeding. He or she may also complain about pain after defecation.

The causes of fissure-in-ano

Most of the fissure are caused by the stretching of anal mucosa beyond its capability. Usually the fissure looks like a paper cut and therefore is not visible easily.

In adults the fissure is caused by:-

  • Constipation
  • Passing of large and hard stools
  • Prolonged diarrhoea

In older adults, the blood flow to the anus decreases and therefore can cause fissure-in-ano.

Fissure-in-ano is associated with conditions like irritable bowel syndrome etc.

In sexually transmitted diseases like syphilis, herpes and human papillomavirus infection, the anal mucosa becomes unhealthy and may result in fissure-in-ano.

Other common causes that can cause the condition are:-

  • Child birth trauma
  • Anal sex
  • Crohn’s disease
  • Ulcerative colitis

Management of fissure- in-ano in Ayurveda

Medicines are given to smoothen the bowel. After a thorough examination the physician decides the treatment to be done.

The following treatments are effective in fissure in ano:-

  • Avagaha:- douche in medicated water
  • Local application of medicated oil, ghee
  • Basti or enema

Along with the treatments internal medicines are also given to alleviate the condition.

Acne

acne

Acne vulgaris is skin condition caused due to the clogging of hair follicles. Usually acne is seen during puberty

What are the causes of acne

The following are the causes that may cause acne:-

  • Genetics
  • Diet:- a high sugar diet can increase the chances of developing acne.
  • Cigarette smoking
  • Hormonal disorders:- androgens are responsible for producing acne. In some hormonal disorders like PCOD, androgens are produced in large amount and hence acne are formed
  • Stress
  • Environmental factors
  • Side effects of some medications

The increase in production by skin leads to the clogging of the skin pores. The bacteria may grow inside the clogged pores, resulting in acne.

Symptoms of acne

A person suffering from acne medicine with the following symptoms:-

  • Blackheads
  • Whiteheads
  • Pimples
  • Oily skin
  • Scarring

Usually it affects the skin of face, upper part of chest and back.

When the acne affects the appearance of the person it may cause anxiety and low self esteem. in severe cases an individual may go into depression.

According to the severity, the acne can be classified as mild moderate and severe.

Scars are usually formed due to the abnormal healing of the acne and is usually found in severe acne.

In some cases hyperpigmentation can also be seen.

Management of acne vulgaris in Ayurveda

The underlying cause of acne vulgaris is first studied. If the cost is an underlying disease, that condition is treated first.

The following methods can help manage acne vulgaris:-

  • Lepanam:- a medicated paste is made and applied over the affected area. This letter removed after a specified time
  • Jalaukavacharanam:- it is a method of bloodletting therapy. After proper pre operative procedures, the procedure is done under supervision of the physician. It will help in alleviating vitiated doshas.
  • Other purificatory therapies like virechanam, Nasyam etc.

The Treatment for the condition is determined by the physician after the close examination of the patient. Along with the above said treatments there are internal medicines that can help tackle acne vulgaris.

Remedies For Hair Loss In Ayurveda

Remedies for hairloss in ayurveda

Ladies and gentlemen!!! We understand the pain when you realise that you are having hair loss. All most everybody in this world might have faced this problem. And we are sure that you might have already done a research in the topic. Now, what makes this article different from others? You might have already read a hundreds of articles about the causes, treatments, and remedies. This article speaks about what can be done to overcome the hair loss with the help of Ayurveda.

First we can discuss about the common types of Hair loss and its causes.

  • Male/Female pattern baldness
  • Alopecia areata
  • Telogen effluvium
  • Anagen effluvium
  • Hairloss due to some hormonal variations

Male/Female Pattern Baldness: – The main factor for this cause is genetics. But it may be also caused by the excess production of androgens. In females, this usually appears after menopause and the thinning occurs on the top and the crown of the head. The thinning starts as widening of the centre hair part. In males, the thinning occurs on the top and front of the head.

Alopecia areata:- This is a condition in which the hair falls of  in round patches. This may occur not ony on the head but also on the body. The condition may occur in various forms:-

  • Alopecia areata:- The loss of hair in small patches
  • Alopecia totalis:- The loss of the entire hair on scalp
  • Alopecia universalis:- The loss of hair all over the body

Telogen effluvium:- This is a condition of temporary hair loss that usually happens after a stress, shock or a traumatic event. In this case, large amounts of hair may fall off. The condition is often temporary and the hair usually grows back. The person may notice hair falling off during the hair wash or while brushing hair. The causes may include:-

  • Severe stress
  • Poor diet
  • Sudden weight loss
  • Pregnancy
  • Child birth
  • Menopause
  • Certain drug interactions
  • Underlying health conditions
  • Metal toxicity

ANAGEN EFFLUVIUM:- It is a pathologic condition in which the growth phase hairs fall off. The person may have partial or complete baldness. The causes of this condition are the following:-

  • Infection
  • Drugs
  • Toxins, for eg. In case of chemotherapy
  • Radiation therapy
  • Auto-immune diseases, for eg. Arsenic poisoning, gold poisoning etc.

This is just a summary of the hair loss. Now let us see how we can cure hair loss with the help Ayurveda.

HAIR LOSS MANAGEMENT THROUGH AYURVEDA

First the cause of the hair loss is determined by the physician. Then according to the condition, the treatment is prescribed.

Ayurvedic treatments that can be done for Alopecia are:-

  • Siro udwarttanam
  • Nasyam
  • Abhyanga
  • Mild swedanam
  • Lekhanam
  • Virechanam
  • Raktamokshanam
  • Lepanam etc.

For other type of common hair falls:-

  • Mild virechanam
  • Nasyam
  • Siro abhyangam
  • Siro Basthi
  • Siro dhara etc.

Many internal medicines are also there to help manage hair fall.

Tips:-

  • Make sure that your diet includes the necessary nutrients.
  1. Proteins
  2. Biotin
  3. Vitamin C, A, D, B, E
  4. Omega  fatty acids
  5. Calcium
  6. Iron
  7. Zinc

That is make sure that your diet includes, eggs, citrus fruits, berries, spinach, fish, avocados, nuts, seeds, beans, meat etc.

  • Do not brush the hair when wet.