Stay Young and Healthy

How to Stay Young and Healthy

• Cleaning the face: One should wash face 5-6 times a day. This helps in cleaning of the dirt accumulated on the face and gives freshness.
• Protecting eyesight: Fill your mouth with water, close the eyes and sprinkle water on them about 10-15 times. Gently rub the eyelids and give a tender massage to the eye balls. Staying up late in the night and sleeping after sunrise is harmful for the eyes.
• Drinking a glass of water: After this one should take a glass of water. This helps in the smooth passing of stool and urine. Make it a regular habit to drink 10-12 glass of water everyday. Warm water is especially good for regulating elimination and cleansing toxins from the physiology.
• Cleaning teeth: The twig of neem or babool should be used for cleaning the teeths.
• Scraping the tongue: Tongue should be scraped regularly otherwise it gives rise to foul smells. Scrapets made of copper, steel or plastic can be used.
• Gargling: Til oil gargling is good for jaws, depth of voice and good taste for food. By doing this type of gargling one never gets cracked lips, bad odour, sore throat and toothache.
• Bathing: Bath removes dirt, sweating and fatigue and brings freshness to the body. Before bath Til oil massage is very beneficial for skin and body.
• Application of oil: One who applies Til oil on his head regularly does not suffer from headache, baldness or graying of hair. It is also beneficial for applications in nose and ears and makes the skin soft and smooth.
• Exercise: Physical exercise and Yoga Asans bring lightness to the body, ability to work, stability and stimulate the power of digestion.
• Hair and nails: The dressing and cutting of hair, mustaches, beard and nails of hand and feet, add cleanliness and beauty to one's personality.
• Food: Ayurveda recommends vegetarian foods which gives more nourishment to the body than the non-vegetarian foods. Simple food makes the body strong and discords diseases. Overeating may cause obesity and may invite diseases.
• Night meals: Food should be taken 2-3 hours before going to bed. This will help in proper digestion of food.

Sex: One should not indulge in sexual intercourse with a woman during her menses or one who is suffering from a disease. Sex done in day time is harmful to health.

Back pain

Back pain

Most people have low back pain at some time in their lives. Back pain is responsible for many lost workdays each year. Most acute back pain will go away by itself in a few days or weeks.

Back pain or injury can occur to anyone. It can be caused by stress on the muscles and ligaments that support the back. Jobs that require a lot of sitting or a lot of standing may contribute to back pain. Being overweight puts extra pressure on the back. Strenuous sports like football can injure the back.

The pain can be a mild discomfort that is just a mild ache in the lower back to severe pain that keeps the person from doing anything. Severe pain does not indicate a more serious cause of the pain.

Often, very little needs to be done for back pain to make it better. Many times it will go away without any treatment. Bed rest is not suggested any more, as staying in bed can make the back muscles weaker. If the pain is severe, no more than 1 to 2 days of rest may help. Sometimes, a healthcare provider will suggest using a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs), such as aspirin or ibuprofen, for the pain. Aspirin or medicines that have aspirin in them should not be given to anyone younger than 18 years of age. Taking aspirin is a risk for a serious illness called Reye's syndrome. NSAIDs should be taken with food or milk to prevent stomach upset. NSAIDs should not be taken by anyone who has been diagnosed with asthma, ulcer disease, or a bleeding disorder. Taking NSAIDs increases the risk of bleeding with trauma, dental work, surgery, or if taking blood thinners (anticoagulants).

A cloth-covered ice pack or heating pad on low may be put on the pack to help with the short-term discomfort. The heat or ice should be on the back no longer than 20 minutes 4 to 8 times a day. Doing some mild exercising like walking or swimming may help to relieve the discomfort too.

If there is still pain after resting the back for several days, if it is severe, or comes back, the healthcare provider should be seen. The provider should also be seen for anyone with pain that goes into the legs or if there is numbness or tingling in the arms or legs. If there is loss of control of the bowel or bladder, this is more serious, and the provider should be seen as soon as possible.

Back pain can be avoided. Prevention starts with exercise on a regular basis and maintaining a healthy weight. Lose excess weight by following appropriate habits of diet and exercise. Have a certified fitness trainer customize a workout plan for you.

Learn safe lifting techniques. Bend with the knees and keep the back straight. Choose recreational and exercise activities that help keep the back flexible without putting too much pressure on it. Always warm up and stretch before participating in any vigorous activities.

Since smoking is known to be a factor in back pain, it is wise to quit, if you smoke.

A healthcare provider or a physical therapist can suggest exercises that will help strengthen the back and make it more flexible.

ABOUT ASTHMA

WHAT IS ASTHMA?

          Asthma is a respiratory disorder, where the patient suffers form breathing difficulty. The intensity of asthma could vary form mild to severe. If neglected, the attack could prove to be fatal.

          Asthma occurs due to the abnormal contraction of bronchial tubes. [Which connect the wind pipe (trachea) to the lungs]. This results in insufficient supply of air and oxygen to the lungs, leading to wheezing & Breathlessness.

WHAT CAUSES ASTHMA?

          It could be a natural cause, inherited by parents or an unnatural one, caused due to exposure to allergens like smoke, vehicular and industrial emission, dust, pollen etc. accordingly asthma is classified into Bronchial and Allergic Asthma. However in chronic cases of asthma, lack of oxygen supply to the heart can damage cardiac muscles, known as myo-cardiac infarction, leading to heart attacks. This type is known as Cardiac Asthma.

AYURVEDIC INTERPRETATION

          According to Ayurveda, lack of oxygen supply to the lungs, causes water or fluid collection in the lungs, which lodges as phlegm or mucus. This may even spread to the windpipe and bronchial tubes blocking air passage and hence the heavy breathing. This phlegm is called 'kapha' in Ayurveda.

AYURVEDIC THERAPY

          Expectorant herbs are used to dispel kapha. Herbs promoting digestion, stimulants and carminatives are used in major anti-kapha therapy.

They are hot, pungent herbs that strengthen Agni, enhance metabolism and circulation, thus accelerating the dissolving action on inert kapha. According to Ayurveda, hot and pungent spices are very effective expectorant and mucolyctic agents. Baidyanath has a battery of highly potent ayurvedic medicines that can counter the ill effects of respiratory disorders, most effectively, restore normal breathing and revitalize the system.

SWAS CHINTAMANI RAS (BRIHAT)

                             (With Swarna Bhasma)

Active ingredients: Lauha Bhasma, Purified Sulphur, Purified Mercury, Abhrak Bhasma (mica ash), Swarna Bhasma, Mo9thi Bhasma, Swarna Makshik Bhasma etc.

Indications: Chronic cough, Asthma, Phthisis (Pulmonary tuberculosis), Congestive delirium etc.

Benefits: Swas Chintamani acts as an excellent alternative and tonic. It can rectify diverse types of Congestive disorders. It can effectively combat long drawn coughs and colds, Respiratory Congestive fevers, Delirium, Pulmonary & Tracheal    congestions. This can also energize a patient, pulled down by wheezing.

Dosage and Vehicle: 1-1 tablets for adults in the morning & evening / every 3 hours, 4-5 times, with the juice of betel leaf & honey.

Packing: 20 tabs, 8 tabs, & 4 tabs.

KANAKASAV

Active Ingredients: Dhatura (shwetha), vasa, pippali, Brohatha, Nagakeshar, Talispatra, Bharangi, Dhataki.

Indications: Asthma, Chronic respiratory disorders, acute & long-drawn cough & flatulence.

Dosage & Vehicle: 3 to 6 tea spoonful with equal quantity of water, twice a day after meals.

Packing: 455 ml & 275 ml

SWASKALP TAB

Active Ingredients: Pippalimoola, Somlatha, Rassindhoor

Indications: Smoker's cough, allergic cough associated with respiratory distress. Asthma and Tropical eosinophilia.

Action:  Bronchospasmolytic

Dosage: Children below 3 yrs ½ tab, children above 3 yrs 1 tab, adults 1-2 tabs or as directed by the physician.

Packing: 50 tablets.

Mringank Ras:  Alterative, tonic and heamatinic. Stimulates lungs and heart, indicated in pulmonary diseases, chronic fever and cough bronchitis.

Mahamrigank Ras: Alterative, tonic and indicated in tuberculosis, cough, asthma, tones heart and lungs.

Mukta Pachamrit Ras: Alterative and tonic indicated in phthisis and tuberculosis.

Swarna Malini Basant (Brihat): Alterative and tonic indicated in cough, phthisis, asthma, fever and general debility.

Shwas Kuthar Ras: Anti spasmodic and diaphoretic, indicated in asthma, pneumonia.

Vasarishta: Expectorant, antispasmodic and antipyretic, indicated in asthma, bronchitis, phthisis and cough.

Babbularishta: Antispasmodic and antiphlogestic, indicated in chornic cough.

Bhringarajasav: Expectorant and stomachic, indicated in bronchitis, cold and catarrh.

Eladibati: Expectorant, demulcent, tonic and nutritive, indicated in respiratory disorders, bronchitis, cough and cold.

Vyoshadibati: Carminative and stimulant, indicated in bronchitis, cough and cold.

Marichyadibati: Effective in all types of coughs, tonsillitis and cold.

Sitopaladi Churna: Indicated in respiratory complaints, asthma, cough and cold.

Talisadi Churna: Alterative and expectorant, indicated in bronchitis and chronic fever.

Chandramrit Ras: antispasmodic and expectorant, indicated in bronchitis, cough and other chest diseases.

Abhrak Bhasma: Alterative indicated in tuberculosis and cough.

Abhrak Bhasma (Sahtputi): Indicated in asthma, bronchitis and cough.

Shringa Bhasma: Expectorant and diaphoretic, indicated in bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, cough and cold.

Chandanbalalakshadi Thaila: Antispasmodic, beneficial in treating cough, fever and chest pain.