Monday, July 13, 2009

AUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT IN AYURVEDA....

Immunity: It is the body’s way of identifying its enemies and destroying them.It is a naturally existing phenomenon in everybody.The enemies may be in the form of bacteriae,viruses,toxins,cancer cells and transfused blood or grafted tissues from another person or species.atahey are called antigens.The immune system of the body produces antibodies which destroy these harmful substances.

Auto Immune Disorders: Auto immunity is that in which the body fails in identifying self from nonself i.e the system fails in differentiating the antigens from the healthy body tissues.As a result the immune system attacks and destroys the healthy body tissues.As a result a few disorders are caused and they are called Auto immune disorders.

Causes: Genetic, Infections, Some drugs etc

Effect of Auto immune disorders:
*Destruction of one or more types of the body tissues.
*Abnormal growth of an organ.
*Abnormal changes in organ functions.

Organs and tissues commonly affected by Auto immune disorders:
Blood cells and vessels, Connective tissues, Muscles and joints, Skin, Endocrine Glands

Examples of Auto immune disorders: –Pernicious Anaemia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Dermatomyositis, Systemic Lupus Erythmatosus, Type 1 Diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis, Myasthenia Gravis, Grave’s disease, Celiac disease etc

Symptoms: The symptoms of Auto immune disorders are tissue,organ and disease specific. They may range from a mild fever to a severe disabling arthritis.More than one Auto immune disorder can afflict an individual at a time.

Ayurveda and Auto immune disorders:
The concept of Auto immune disorders seems to be a ‘never new’ concept for the Ayurvedic science.
The basic humoral factors of the body i.e the doshas which have a natural tendency to invade and the tissues of the body i.e dhatus which have a natural tendency to resist the invasion, coexist in the same body without afflicting each other.But the concept of Dosha Dooshya Sammurchana in which the disturbed doshas invade its own system i.e the weakened dhatus- indicate the earliest and oldest explanation of Auto immunity.

The information of the self destructive mechanism of the body i.e auto immunity can be obtained and inferred from the similar explanations given in the concepts of Ama,Kapha kshaya or vikruta kapha Agni dushti and Ojo visramsa.
ü Agni – the internal fire or the normal metabolism is an essential factor in the maintainance of health and integrity of the body.The same when disturbed gives rise to ama.
ü Ama is an endotoxin which has a multifactorial origin including disturbed metabolism.It afflicts all the tissues and makes them susceptible for many disorders.
ü Similarly the deflection from normalcy and integrity of Ojus – an essence of all the tissues and severe vitiation of kapha contribute towards the manifestation of Auto immune disorders.
In treatment we focus on the basic correction of these factors.

Goals of Treatment:
v To reduce the symptoms
v To control the Auto immune process
v Maintain the bodys ability to fight diseases

Ayurvedic Interventions:
With Auto immune disorders becoming very common now a days and many treatment modalities failing in tackling them,people are resorting to Ayurveda for effective management. Ayurveda doesn’t disappoint its clients aswell.The below said are the important interventions in tackling the Auto immune disorders:
Ø Shodhana/Panchakarma: Procedures to cleanse and detoxify the system.
Ø Rasayana(Vyadhi hara) Therapy: To supress and balance the immunity and later to strengthen it.Helps rejuvenation.
Ø Bahya Upakramas or Physical Therapies: Like Abhyanga, Swedana, Kizhis, Pizhichil, Udwartanam etc.
Ø Relaxation Therapies: Like Dharas, Moordni taila etc
Ø Counselling and Life style management
Ø Administration of effective medecines and diet.