Author: Dr. Vikram Chauhan

Ayurvedic Management for PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

Abstract

Post traumatic stress disorder is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced a traumatic event. Examples include intimate partner violence, historical trauma, rape/sexual assault, war, terrorist acts, serious accidents, and natural disasters etc. This may affect mental as well as physical health. Women are more affected by this disease. People who are suffering with post traumatic stress disorder have disturbing thoughts, sadness, anger and they may feel detached from other people. In this article we will discuss post traumatic stress disorder in detail and its ayurvedic management.

Introduction

Post traumatic stress disorder was formerly known as shell shock during world war 1 and combat fatigue after world war 2. It is a very serious condition which develops after someone has experienced a stressful or terrifying event. The main Symptoms shown by PTSD are anxiety, avoidance, feeling outside from his body and panic disorders etc. Stress, prolonged traumatic experience, physical abuse and sexual violence are the major causes of this disease and its diagnoses mainly on the basis of symptoms. But this disease can be manageable by ayurvedic herbs and therapies easily. Let’s discuss Post traumatic stress disorder in detail.

Post Traumatic stress disorder

Types

Post traumatic stress disorder is mainly of four types

1. Acute stress disorder (ASD)

In this anxiety and avoidance develops within a month after a traumatic event. The people who are suffering from acute stress disorder go on to develop post traumatic stress disorder.

2. Dissociative post traumatic stress disorder

It develops when a patient detaches himself from the trauma. Patient feel separated from the event or feel outside from his body

3. Uncomplicated post traumatic stress disorder

In this symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder appear in the patient but the patient dont have any other mental health issues. People suffering from this type often respond well to treatment.

4. Comorbid PTSD

This type involves symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder along with other mental health disorders such as depression and panic disorders.

Causes

  1. Stress
  2. Prolonged traumatic experience
  3. Physical abuse
  4. Sexual violence
  5. Family history

Symptoms

Symptoms shown by post traumatic stress disorder are divided into four categories.

1. Intrusion

  • It includes intrusive thoughts such as flashbacks of the traumatic event, distressing dreams, involuntary dreams etc.

2. Avoidance

  • People will try to avoid  people, places, activities, objects and situations that may trigger distressing memories. People may try to avoid remembering about the past event.

3. Alterations in cognition and mood

  • People have  inability to remember important aspects of the traumatic event, negative thoughts, distorted thoughts about cause, feeling detached from others, inability to experience positive emotions

4. Alterations in arousal and reactivity

  • It includes having problem with sleeping, having problem with concentrating, being easily startled, behaving in a self destructive way, having angry outbursts and being irritable.

Post traumatic stress disorder risk factors

The traumatic events which are more likely to trigger post traumatic stress disorder are:-

  1. Disasters
  2. Childhood abuse
  3. Accident
  4. Assault
  5. Sexual violence
  6. Military combat

Other factors that may also increase risk of post traumatic stress disorder include:-

  1. Genetic history
  2. Lack of support
  3. Substance misuse
  4. Depression

Diagnosis

Post traumatic stress disorder can be diagnosed only on the basis of symptoms. There is no lab test to diagnose PTSD but physicians may use various tests to rule out post traumatic stress disorder. Some test are as follows:-

  1. Physical examination
  2. Psychological examination
  3. Use the criteria in the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorder.

Treatment

It includes a number of different treatments such as talk therapy, medication, and personal lifestyle changes. Some therapies treating post traumatic stress disorder are:-

  1. Cognitive behavioural therapy
  2. Exposure therapy
  3. Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy
  4. Medicine
  5. Lifestyle changes
  6. Emergency treatment

Ayurvedic overview

Ayurveda simply means knowledge of life which includes many therapies such as herbal medicines, oils, enemas, laxatives, massage, yoga and special diet etc. According to ayurveda our body is composed of three components such as dhatu, mal and doshas. Doshas is of two types sharirk doshas and mansik doshas. According to ayurveda mind disorders occur due to imbalance of mansik doshas i.e. raja and tama. The person who shows high emotions such as anger, horror, fear, and negative thoughts are due to imbalance of rajas dosha. Imbalance of vata and pitta may also cause symptoms at the physical level. These doshas contaminate the mind and mind carrying channels that lead to post traumatic stress disorder. Some people show low end emotions such a void of happiness, loss of interest, shame, worry, guilt, depression and are detached from everything and everyone. These symptoms are due to imbalance of tama dosha.

Imbalance of dhee, dhruti, and smriti

In this condition three important faculties of mind i.e. memory, courage and intellect are all disturbed.

Dhee- Negative thoughts, alterations in arousal, avoidance,and  negative thoughts shows the disturbance of dhee.

Smriti- flashbacks of traumatic events, distressing dreams, repeated involuntary memories, reliving the bad experiences and recollecting them shows the imbalance the smriti

Dhruti- void of satisfaction, feeling detached, loss of interest in activities, horror and guilt explain the imbalance of dhriti

Post traumatic stress disorder can be manageable by some ayurvedic therapies such as shirodhara, meditation etc. and also manageable by some ayurvedic herbs such as ashwagandha, brahmi, tagar, daru haridra, dalchini and arjuna. These herbs mainly work on the brain to reduce the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder.

Herbal remedies by planet ayurveda for post traumatic stress disorder

Planet ayurveda is a worldwide company which treats humans as well as animals. This is a GMP certified company. All the medicines made by this company are natural and free from side effects. This company makes medicines under the observation of MD ayurveda doctors. Planet Ayurveda makes medicine in the form of tablets, syrup and churna. All the products are gluten free. In case of post traumatic stress disorder following products are offered by Planet ayurveda:-

Product list

  1. Neurogenie capsules
  2. Stress support
  3. Mahakalyanaka ghrit
  4. Arjun tea

Herbal Supplements for Post Traumatic stress disorder

Herbal Supplements for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Product Description

1.Neurogenie capsules

This capsule is formulated using extract of two medicinal herbs i.e.  brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) and ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). Both of the ingredients in this capsule are natural and help in management of mental illness, anxiety and maintain healthy functions of the brain. Ashwagandha and brahmi both are very helpful in the health of the brain. Thus these capsules are very helpful in the management of brain disorders.

Dosage:- 2 capsules twice daily with plain water after meals.

2. Stress support

These are the herbal capsules that consist mainly of three wonderful herbs such as tagar (Valeriana wallichii), ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) and brahmi (Bacopa monnieri). Stress is the main symptom of post traumatic stress disorder so as the name suggests help in treating the stress. Ashwagandha present in this capsule maintains brain health. Brahmi has anxiolytic properties that help in reducing the symptoms of anxiety and mental fatigue while increasing memory span. It also reduces the inflammation of nervous tissue which is responsible for anxiety.

Dose:- 1 capsule twice daily after meals

3. Mahakalyanaka ghrita

Maha kalyanaka ghrita is an ayurvedic medicine in which ghee is used as a base. There are a number of medicinal herbs present in this ghrit.  Some of them are daru haridra (Berberis aristata), prishniparni (Urara picta), shweta sariva (Hemidesmus indicus) and krishna sariva (Ichnocarpus frutescens). This ghrit calms the mind and also helps in treating other mental disorders such as schizophrenia, epilepsy etc. it also helps in treating inflammation in the body.

Dose:- 1 teaspoon twice daily with warm water.

4. Arjun  Tea

This herbal tea is the combination of purely herbal ingredients described in ancient ayurvedic texts. The herbs used in this tea are pipal tavak (Ficus religiosa), chhoti elaichi (Elettaria cardamomum), punarnava (Boerhavia diffusa), dalchini (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) and arjuna (Terminalia arjuna). These herbs mainly work on the heart and control blood pressure. It is the safest choice for problems like hypertension and high cholesterol etc. This tea provides nutrition to the heart and maintains cholesterol and blood pressure. It is totally free from nicotine and caffeine. This tea also relaxes the mind and keeps our mind stress free.

Dosage:-  take one cup of tea daily

Conclusion

A person who is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder needs professional help because post traumatic stress disorder is a serious condition which  may affect mental as well as physical health. It develops after someone has experienced a stressful or terrifying event. People who are suffering from this disease have disturbing thoughts, sadness, anger and they may feel detached from other people. Here in this article we have learnt post traumatic stress disorder in detail and its ayurvedic management.

What is Ascites? – Types, Symptoms, Causes and Herbal Remedies

Abstract

It frequently happens because of cirrhosis of the liver, heart failure, kidney failure, and infections. Mild ascites may not show any symptoms but if you are experiencing the fullness of the abdomen, weight gain, swelling in the ankles, nausea, or shortness of breath you have landed on the right page. Here we have discussed ascites in detail, its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and its Ayurvedic treatment. Ayurveda, our age-old science, has wonderfully treated ascites with remarkable results. Read on to know more.

Introduction

Ascites is a condition in which there is an accumulation of free fluid in the peritoneal or abdominal cavity, which gives a feeling of fullness and rapid weight gain. This free fluid leads the belly to swell and is called a ballooning belly. Ascites is a further complication of non-hepatic or hepatic disease. Mild ascites is hard to notice whereas severe ascites cause distension of the abdomen.

Ascites

TYPES OF ASCITES

Ascites is categorized mainly into two types depending on the protein content in the fluid:

  • Exudate: Exudate has a protein content of more than or equal to 2.5g/dl.
  • Transudate: Transudate has a protein content of less than 2.5g/dl.

The other, more useful way to categorize ascites is by using the SAAG

  1. (SERUM ASCITES ALBUMIN GRADIENT)

CAUSES OF ASCITES

Cirrhosis of the liver is the most common condition that can cause ascites. Other conditions that cause ascites can be heart failure, kidney failure, infections (such as tuberculosis ),or
cancer.

How does cirrhosis cause ascites?

When a patient has cirrhosis, his liver doesn’t function normally as it should. The abnormal liver function combines with portal hypertension to cause ascites. This portal hypertension is the high pressure in portal veins (the veins that supply blood to the liver). This abnormally high pressure in portal veins causes fluid to leak out of the veins into the belly and collect there as a fluid.

RISK FACTORS FOR ASCITES

Conditions causing cirrhosis of the liver puts a patient at a greater risk of developing ascites. These conditions are Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Hepatitis-B, Hepatitis-C, Autoimmune hepatitis, Alcohol use disorder, Genetic liver diseases that may include Wilson disease and alpha

1 antitrypsin deficiency, and hemochromatosis. Some of the other conditions that can cause ascites are cancers of the abdominal or pelvic organs, infections, congestive heart failure, and kidney failure.

SYMPTOMS OF ASCITES

Depending upon the cause of ascites, symptoms may develop gradually or suddenly. Mild fluid in the abdominal cavity is usually asymptomatic, that is without any symptoms but as the collection of the fluid increases, it thereby causes:

  • swelling in the abdomen
  • sense of fullness
  • Bloating
  • weight gain
  • nausea
  • indigestion
  • shortness of breath
  • back pain
  • fatigue
  • swelling in ankles.

HOW TO DIAGNOSE ASCITES????

Multiple steps are involved in the diagnosis of ascites. The patient’s complete medical history followed by a thorough abdominal examination/physical examination is carried out by a medical practitioner to look for any signs or symptoms. a patient’s history and physical examination help determine a diagnosis. Blood tests and imaging tests are likely needed. Tests to confirm the diagnoses are Ultrasound or CT scans in which the abdominal area can be seen deeply and detailed. CBC is carried out to look for the infections and organ functions that might lead to ascites. The second most important test is paracentesis in which the fluid accumulated is analyzed for signs of cancer, infection, portal hypertension, and other conditions.

CLASSICAL TREATMENT

  • Nidana parivarjana (avoiding causative factors): This is a complete diet restriction to minimize the symptoms along with medicines.
  • Agni Dipti (provocation of digestion)
  • Apyam Doshaharnam and sroto shodhan (removal of the fluid accumulated)
  • Nitya virechana(daily therapeutic purgation)

HERBAL REMEDIES FOR ASCITES BY PLANET AYURVEDA

PLANET AYURVEDA provides the best and most effective treatment by the touch of herbs for the treatment of ascites. As the diseased liver is the main cause of ascites, The Planet Ayurveda provides a complete ASCITES CARE PACK which is a combination of herbal remedies for liver health. Remedies that are herbal and with the non-touch of artificial ingredients. chemical and preservative-free herbal remedies are used worldwide to treat diseases.

This ASCITES CARE PACK consists of

  1. PUNARNAVA CAPSULES
  2. WATER EX-TABLETS
  3. RENCURE FORMULA
  4. LIVER DETOX CAPSULES
  5. JALODARARI RASA

Ayurvedic Treatment For Ascites

Herbal Supplements for Ascites

PRODUCT DETAIL

1. Punarnava capsules

This ayurvedic remedy has a great tendency to control water retention in the abdomen as it is prepared from the standardized extract of Boerhaavia diffusa . It possesses diuretic properties that flush out the toxins from the abdominal cavity, through urine by increasing its flow.

Dosage: 2 capsules to be taken two times a day after meals with warm water.

2. Water ex-tablets

These water ex-tablets consist of natural herbs like gokshura (Tribulus Terrestris), Varuna (crataeva nurvala), etc which have the properties of fluid expulsion from the body and reduce inflammation caused by any infection.

3. Rencure Formula

It consists of palash (butea monosperma), gokshur (Tribulus terrestris), punarnava (boerhavia diffusa),varun (crataeva nurvala) etc. This formula has tremendous effects on kidney disease which can be a leading cause of ascites. It maintains the normal

functioning of the kidneys.

Dosage: 1 capsule is to be taken twice after meals with water.

4. Liver Detox Capsules

This combination of herbs helps in the detoxification of the liver byremoving harmful toxins that cause fluid to accumulate. The herbs in this formulation are kaansi (Cichorium intybus), kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata), makoy (Solanum Indicum), etc.

Dosage: 1 capsules to be taken two times a day after meals with warm water

5. Jalodarari ras

These herbal tablets have been prepared with the combination of pippali (piper longum), maricha (piper nigrum), jaiphala (Croton tiglium), Haridra (Curcuma longa), etc. This combination of herbs serves as an anti-inflammatory agent and eliminates accumulated fluid.

HOME-BASED MANAGEMENT OF ASCITES

Ascites can be well managed at home along with these herbal remedies. Managing the diet with low salt intake can be beneficial. By Quitting alcohol and smoking the disease can be limited to a greater extent. A healthy lifestyle with exercising can prevent further liver
disease.

CONCLUSION

ASCITES mainly affects patients with cirrhosis of the liver. Another systemic disease can also lead to ascites. Important diagnostic tools are scans and blood tests. A physical examination plays an important role in diagnosis. PLANET AYURVEDA medicines are significantly effective in ascites under the guidance of well-experienced doctors. Management of diet and healthy lifestyle can add more value to the early recovery. Ayurvedic treatment is followed by the internal purification process, herbal remedies, a special diet, and meditation. The primary basis of Ayurveda is the interconnection between