According to ayurveda three doshas or three energetic forces control the activities of our bodies. These doshas are
1. Vata
2. Pitta
3. Kapha
VATA: The Vata dosha will be the most important from the three doshas. It has been said in ayurveda classic books that ' pitta , Kapha and many types of other body tissues are considered lame without aid of VATA .' Vata dominates the bottom part in the body, which can be below umbilicus. The movements of body fluid, metabolism, removal of waste products, semen ejaculation, pushing the fetus from body, relaying stimulus to brain and reaction to organs and tissues, heart rhythm, respiration, body movements etc are assisted by VATA.
Vata dominated regions are intestines, lower back, ears, bones and skin.
Vata gets vitiated on account of following reasons.
1. Controlling natural urges like urination, defecation, hunger, thirst, etc.
2. Late nights.
3. Irregular food habits.
3. Irregular food habits.
4. Talking inside a high pitch.
5. Over both mental and physical 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 fire or Agni, which plays a serious role in body's metabolic activities. The locations where pitta dominates are gastrointestinal system, skin, eyes, brain, and blood. Pitta maintains temperature. The secretions like digestive juices pigments like melanin (bhrajaka pitta), hemoglobin (ranjaka pitta) are common types of pitta.
Pitta is dominant in aspects of Umbilicus, stomach, sweat, lymph, blood, eyes and skin.
Vata gets vitiated on account of following reasons.
1. Excess utilization of spicy, sour, salty foods.
2. Consuming alcohol in excess.
3. Over experience of hot sunny climate.
4. Short temperedness.
5. Using dried vegetables.
6. Indigestion of food.
The opposites of above-mentioned reason normalize the vitiated pitta.
KAPHA: Kapha provides bulk to body, lubrications, moistness, fertility, stability, strength, and memory. Helps in binding process wherever necessary. This is heaviest coming from all doshas.
Kapha dominated regions are chest, neck, head, stomach, excess 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 dairy.
The opposites of above-mentioned reason normalize the vitiated kapha.
When these doshas come in balanced condition the body remains healthy. If these doshas get imbalanced one's body succumbs to diseases. Doshas get imbalanced frequently as a result of change in climate, seasons, lifestyles, diet etc. The treatment is usually to bring back the doshas to normalcy and expel the toxin or ama produced through the imbalanced condition.
Causes of Genital Herpes
Herpes is the result of a virus the hsv simplex virus (HSV), which belongs to the same group of viruses that create chickenpox. There are two types of herpes simplex viruses
1. Herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) and mostly causes oral herpes
2. Herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2). And mostly causes genital herpes
However, both type-1 and type-2 can happen in the genitals, oral area or both.
Due to unhealthy life styles and diet the delicate balance between doshas get disturbed. This disturbs one's body fire or Agni.
(Agni is one's body fire, which is responsible for transformation of 1 substance to a new. It reduces 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 meal completely to create Pakwa Anna rasa (the liquid type of food that's completely digested by digestive support enzymes), that's ready to get absorbed by body tissues. According to ayurveda Pakwa Anna Rasa nourishes one's body and its components to keep our bodies devoid of diseases. But when body fire is impaired you will see an incomplete digestion of food forming Apakwa Rasa (indigested food). The indigested food fails to nourish your body components leading to lowered body resistance.)
The disturbed Agni does not digest the meals and toxins get accumulated in body because of improper metabolism. Accumulation of toxins reduces your body immunity and makes way for invasion by microbes.
When someone who has low immunity comes in contact with HSV virus, he/she contains the genital or oral herpes.
Unhealthy lifestyle
1. Over eating
2. Sleeping in afternoons.
3. Over physical exercise.
4. Over mental exertion
4. Over mental exertion
5. Consuming food frequently even when not hungry.
6. Constant contact with hot sunny climates
Unhealthy diet
Excessive utilization of
1. Salty, sour, 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 above-mentioned foods mustn't 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
A person will get genital herpes in following conditions
1. If he could be sexual active then when he performs sex (oral or genital) with infected partners.
2. A individual who has oral herpes transmits herpes to genital organs of the partner during oral sex and someone who has genital herpes transmits this to his partner during coitus whether they have a genital contact.
3. The disease gets transmitted when mucous membrane comes in contact with infected area.
The disease gets transmitted mostly during active phase. But it may spread even during asymptomatic (when individual is free of symptoms for a particular duration) phase. The virus requires a fluid media for the transportation. The body fluids like saliva, semen, vaginal tract secretions etc. Mucous membranes in mouth, vagina, urethra or open wounds facilitate the virus invasion due to their moistness.
In Genital herpes it has an imbalance of all three doshas (VATA, PITTA, KAPHA), which often vitiate lasika (lymph), blood (rakta), muscle (mamsa) and skin (twacha).The imbalanced doshas vitiate skin and the immunity of skin cells is lowered. The virus attacks these weak cells and starts exhibiting symptoms on affected area.
Local symptoms
1. Pricking sensation
2. Edema
3. Pain
4. Feeling of constriction
5. A sensation of ant creeping
6. Many small eruptions gathering in the small area.
7. These eruptions or blisters burst soon with exudates.
8. These blisters will have different colors in accordance with involvement of doshas.
(Blackish red or blue in vata, red, yellow, copper colored in pitta, shades of white in kapha).
The weakened body disease fighting capability tries to resist the herpes simplex virus invasion but fails to achieve the goal. In this futile attempt the subsequent 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
Imbalanced vata causes the symptoms like pain, swelling and body ache
The imbalanced pitta and vitiated blood and skin cause
1. Blisters,
2. Change the color of skin,
3. Cause burning sensation, and fever.
The imbalanced kapha and vitiated lymph cause itching, tingling sensation.
After the initial attack the virus moves from skin from the nerve paths to base with the nerve and becomes inactive. Now the herpes infected person will be devoid of most symptoms. But the imbalance of doshas still persists.
Reactivation of Virus to cause outbreaks
At unpredictable times, herpes becomes active. It multiplies and resurfaces on skin by traveling from the nerve path and exhibits the symptoms locally. The severity of symptoms of out break depends upon the strength of body immunity.
The pelvis or shroni, nerves and skin are dominated by vata. When vata gets vitiated as a result of precipitating factors, it reactivates herpes dormant in base of nerve end and the virus travel through nerve paths to reach the skin surface.
Precipitating Factors
As we know the outbreaks have few precipitating factors like
1. Excessive experience 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 herpes virus, that is dormant.
Low Immunity The systemically imbalanced doshas interfere with our bodies metabolism by vitiating our bodies fire (agni). This leads to indigestion and malassimilation of nutrients, which experts claim causes poor immunity. Due to decreased immunity our bodies fails to offer resistance to outbreaks.
Ayurveda Tips to avoid outbreaks
Avoid
1. Spicy, sour, fried and unhealthy food, which 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. Physical exertion from a meal
8. Taking bath right after exercise or heavy outdoor work.
Include honey, pomegranate, and fruits of Emblica officinalis, legumes, dates and raisins in your daily diet.
Practice Yoga and Meditation to manage emotional disturbances
Ayurveda References
1. Sushruta Samhita
2. Charaka Samhita
3. Madhava nidana
4. Ashtanga Sangraha
5. Yoga Ratnakara
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