Category: Dementia

Natural Cure For Dementia

Abstract

Dementia is a condition where some cognitive functions like thinking, memory, reasoning and judgment can interfere with one’s social life. Women are more affected than men. Dementia itself is not a specific disease but is caused by some diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and accounts for most of the cases of dementia around 70% of cases. It can be reversible depending on the cause in some cases. In this article we will discuss the causes, signs and symptoms of dementia and how it can be managed by using natural ayurvedic herbs and the ayurvedic viewpoint of dementia.

dementia

Introduction

Dementia usually leads to deterioration of cognitive function and affects memory, thinking and reasoning and leads to impact on one’s life. Dementia has physical, physiological and social impact in people. Dementia affects older people but according to the cause it can affect people of any age group nowadays pertaining to the change in dietary and social lifestyle. It is a neurodegenerative disorder. It is caused by abnormal brain changes. It can be reversed in some cases while it can stay for a long time.

Ayurvedic View

In ayurveda dementia is generally associated with the vitiation of vata disorder where neurodegeneration occurs in the brain tissues leading to cause moha type symptoms where one faces difficulty in concentrating, low social activity, loss of interest in things at once loved doing. It comes under manovikshipti (psychosis) of manas vyadhi (mental disorder) which is caused due to following reasons.

  • Asatmendriyasamyoga
  • Pragyapradha
  • Parinam

In asatmendriyartha samyoga five senses like strot (ear), twak (skin), chaksu (eyes), rasna (tongue) and ghrana (nose) are having atiyoga, ayoga and mithyayoga among themselves. In pragyapradha there is the vitiation of dhi, dhriti and smriti after that doshas start getting imbalanced. While in parinam there is atiyoga, ayoga and mithyayoga of kala or time. It is also mentioned under psychosis type mental disorder according to acharya charaka where a person starts having intense thoughts over certain happenings and he starts getting aloof from the social life. He always seems agitated and restless.

According to its symptoms it is managed in ayurveda by adopting satvavjaya and devvyapashraya chikitsa with neuroprotective drugs and nerve strengthening natural herbs like ashwagandha, brahmi, haridra, shankhpushpi having anxiolytic and antioxidant effects. In satvavajaya, a chikitsa patient is asked to have a balanced and calm life by focusing on the good work, basically he is given a positive attitude. In devvyapashrya chikitsa he is told to focus on spiritual work.

Mental disorders in ayurveda are also managed with other things like snehna (oelation), swedna (sudation), basti (enema), nasya etc.

Some ayurvedic formulations used are

  • Smritisagar ras
  • Ashwagandha churna
  • Jyotishmati churna
  • Brahmi vati
  • Mahakalyanaka ghrita
  • Brahma rasayan

Signs & Symptoms

Some early signs of dementia are

  • Memory changes- it involves short term memory loss
  • Poor judgment
  • Repetitiveness
  • Mood changes and loss of interest
  • Difficulty communicating
  • Reduced concentration

Symptoms

  • Difficulty with everyday tasks
  • Confusion in familiar environment
  • Forgetfulness

Some of the conditions or signs and symptoms of dementia start out slowly and gradually get worse so it is better to consult a physician if you start experiencing any difficulty in day to day life.

Causes

It is generally caused by damage to the nerve cells and it causes symptoms depending on the area of the brain involved or affected. Its causes are differentiated according to the reversible and irreversible or progressive dementias. Dementia conditions that can be reversed-

  • Medication side effects: some medications reactions and interaction may lead to the condition.
  • Brain injury: some subdural hematomas may result in old age after a fall.
  • Nutritional deficiency: inadequate or low intake of vitamin B1
  • Chronic alcoholism leads to reduction of the vitamin b complexes in the body and hampers with its absorption.
  • Hypoglycemia
  • Stroke
  • Thyroid problem
  • Brain tumors
  • Some immune related disorders
  • Inadequate sodium and calcium

Some progressive dementias that are not reversible include

  • Vascular dementia- It occurs because of blood vessel blockage in the brain hampering the blood supply to the brain leading to stroke like conditions
  • Alzheimer’s disease- patients with Alzheimer’s disease have plaques in their brain, these are the clumps of a protein called beta-amyloid they damage healthy neurons and fibres thus hampering the neuronal exchange in nerves.
  • Mixed dementia- in mixed dementia there is involvement of more than one cause where both diseases Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia may be associated.
  • Fronto-temporal dementia
  • Dementia associated with parkinson’s disease

Dementia can also be categorized into Alzheimer’s and non-alzheimer’s, where Alzheimer’s are presented with symptoms of memory loss and aphasia, inability to move muscles, inability to recognize speech. Non alzheimer’s dementia is included in fronto-temporal lobe degeneration

Diagnosis

Dementia is generally diagnosed by taking careful medical history, physical examination and clinical signs and symptoms. Some imaging tests like CT, MRI and PET scan can be done along with that patients will have to undergo memory tests, problem solving, language skills to identify the area affected.

  • PET scan- shows the presence of amyloid proteins in the brain
  • Lab test- to detect Vitamin B12 deficiency, thyroid and sugar levels
  • CT scan- to detect tumor or stroke

Treatment

Some drugs are used to treat people with dementia like donepezil, galantamine and memantine using these drugs affects the chemical processes in the brain. They have shown to improve memory in some patients.

Prevention

Mainly preventing the causes of dementia is always the necessity by reducing the chances of high blood pressure, blood sugar, weight and keeping the brain active and fueled by increasing blood supply and oxygen levels for normal brain function.

  • Stop alcohol and smoking
  • Stay socially active
  • Solve puzzles and play games for stimulating mental health and brain
  • Exercise daily

Herbal Remedies For Dementia By Planet Ayurveda

Planet ayurveda provides some polyherbal medicines to manage dementia like symptoms having brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), gotukola (Centella asiatica), jyotishmati (Celastrus paniculatus), shankhpushpi (Convolvulus prostratus), Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) are used to protect the brain tissues.

  1. Brahmi Capsules
  2. Medhya Churna
  3. Memory Support
  4. Gotukola Capsules

Dementia

Product’s Description

1. Brahmi Capsules

It is a medicine made up of brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) which is cold in potency and balances vata and pitta disorder to manage the neurological imbalances in the body and maintain nerve and mental balance.

Dosage– 1 to 2 capsules twice daily with plain water after meal.

2. Medhya Churna

This medicine is made up of herbs like ashwagandha, brahmi, vacha, ajmoda and various other herbs where ashwagandha is having ushna (hot), snigdha, madhura (sweet) guna which decreases kapha and toxins from the body and decreases stress and anxiety.

Dosage– 1/4 teaspoon once daily with 1 spoon of Cow Ghee (Clarified Butter).

3. Memory Support

It is a polyherbal medicine made up of brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), vacha (Acorus calamus), shankhpushpi (Convolvulus pluricaulis) and liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) for memory sharpening and improves concentration.

Dosage-1 to 2 capsules twice daily with plain water after meal.

4. Gotukola Capsules

These capsules are made up of gotukola (Centella asiatica) which balances all three doshas, improves memory, slows the progression of brain cell degeneration and maintains healthy blood circulation in the body.

Dosage– 2 capsules twice daily with warm water.

Conclusion

Dementia progression and its symptoms are managed by using these natural herbs which are made up of 100 percent natural extract and free from any side effects and can be taken by people of any age group. In case of any query kindly visit www.PlanetAyurveda.com. For more queries, you can send your queries to our email id herbalremedies123@yahoo.com.

Treatment of Dementia in Ayurveda with Herbal Remedies

Abstract

Dementia is a neurological disorder in which there is an impairment of memory and language. The brain, spinal cord and nerves make up the nervous system and they control all the working of the body. When there is something wrong in this nervous system then the person is facing symptoms like trouble in moving, speaking, swallowing, breathing, loss of memory, etc. In general, neurological disorders are the disorders that affect the brain as well as the nerves. There are approximately 600 neurological disorders and some of the examples are dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, meningitis, encephalitis, etc. So in this article, we are going to discuss Dementia and its Ayurvedic management.

Introduction

Dementia is a general term used for loss of memory, language, problem solving and other thinking abilities. This disease interferes with the daily activities of the patient. This is not a specific disease, but several diseases can cause this disease known as dementia. This disease generally involves memory loss. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia in older patients. Dementia is a general term used for the impaired ability to remember, think or make decisions that interfere with day to day activities. This disease manifests as a set of related symptoms that usually happen when the brain is damaged by injury or any disease.

Dementia

Ayurvedic aspect

We can correlate this disease with Vata roga. Vata is the predominant dosha that causes the symptoms of neurological diseases. Vata has a chal guna that means mobility. Due to this property, it is responsible for this condition. Acharya Charak mentioned that the vata disorders are caused due to the vitiation of vayu that takes place from either wasting of dhatus or obstruction in passage of vessels.

Acharya Charak also mentioned that due to rough diet, cold diet, consumption of little food, excessive coitus, faulty therapeutic management, excessive movements such as leaping, jumping, wayfaring and physical exercise, wasting of dhatus, excessive emaciation due to anxiety, grief and illness, uncomfortable bed and seat, anger, day sleep, fear, suppression of urges, ama dosha can cause the vitiation of vata dosha. This vitiated Vata dosha can lead to the symptoms like contractures, stiffness in joints, crepitations in bones and joints, horripilation, delirium, stiffness in hands, back and head, limping, crippledness, humpedness, drying of organs, sleeplessness, destruction of fetus, sperms and ovum, pulsation, numbness in organs, crookedness of head, nose, eyes, clavicular region and neck, tearing, piercing pain, distress, convulsion, mental confusion and exhaustion.

Etiology/Causes

This disease is caused by damage to the brain. This disease occurs when the part of the brain that involves learning, memory, decision-making and language is affected. The other causes of dementia can be grouped as:

  • Degenerative neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, etc
  • Vascular disorders such as multi-infarct dementia
  • Infections that affect the central nervous system such as HIV, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, etc
  • Long term drug or alcohol use
  • Depression

Clinical features/Signs and Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of this disease are:

  • Forget recent events or information
  • Repeating comments or questions
  • Experiencing a change in mood, behavior or interests
  • Inability to remember and make decisions
  • Talking and finding the right words is difficult
  • Change in sleeping pattern
  • Hallucinations
  • Delusions
  • Anxiety
  • Behavioral symptoms such as agitation, restlessness, etc

Stages of dementia

The course of this disease is described in four stages

  1. Pre-dementia stage
  2. Early stage dementia
  3. Middle stage dementia
  4. Late stage dementia

1. Pre-dementia stage

This stage can include pre-clinical and prodromal stages. In the preclinical stage there is sensory dysfunction, loss of sense of smell, depression, loss of appetite. There is damage in the chemosensory networks and in the prodromal stage, there is a mild cognitive impairment and mild behavioral impairment.

2. Early stage

In this disease the symptoms become noticeable and the symptoms may interfere with daily activities. The symptoms include memory difficulty, word finding problems, and problems with recalling events.

3. Middle stage

When dementia progresses, the initial symptoms get worse. In this stage, a person loses almost all the new information. A patient may be severely impaired in solving problems and also their social judgment. Due to these symptoms these patients should not be left alone.

4. Late stage

In this stage, patients need assistance with most or all their personal care. A patient needs 24 hour supervision in this stage to ensure their personal safety. These patients are not aware of common dangers so they need full assistance. Commonly, they even do not recognize the familiar faces. This is the most severe type of dementia.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of this disease is quite difficult due to many diseases and conditions that cause it. However, a doctor makes a diagnosis of this disease on the basis of personal medical history, review of current symptoms and laboratory tests, imaging tests such as CT scan (Computed tomography), MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) and PET scan (Positron emission test).

Also the patient undergoes mental function tests such as memory tests,language skills, reasoning and judgment evaluation, problem- solving tasks, and other thinking skill tests

Ayurvedic herbs for dementia

In Ayurveda, we have wonderful nerve tonic herbs for the treatment of dementia. The herbs provide nourishment to the neurons and brain cells. They enhance or boost up the memory power and also rejuvenates the health of the brain cells. These herbs increase the coordination between brain neurons thus these properties help in improving short and long term memory. Some wonderful nervine tonic herbs are

1. Brahmi: Its botanical name is Bacopa monnieri. Its Raspanchak (Ayurvedic medicinal Properties) is as follows:

  • Ras (Taste) – Tikta (Bitter)
  • Guna (Property) – Laghu (Light)
  • Virya (Potency) – Ushna (Hot)
  • Vipaka (Post digestion effect) – Katu (Pungent)
  • Dosha Shamak – It pacifies Vata and kapha dosha
  • karma (uses) – Medhya (Brain tonic), shotha har (Anti-inflammatory), anidra (Insomnia), Unmaada (Mental disorders), Apasmar (Epilepsy)

2. Ashwagandha: Its botanical name is Withania somnifera. Its Raspanchak (Ayurvedic medicinal Properties) is as follows:

  • Ras (Taste) – Tikta (Bitter), Katu (pungent) and madhur (Sweet)
  • Guna (Property) – Laghu (Light) and Snigdha (Unctuous)
  • Virya (Potency) – Ushna (Hot)
  • Vipaka (Post digestion effect) – Madhur (Sweet)
  • Dosha Shamak – It pacifies vata and kapha dosha
  • karma (uses) – Chinta (Stress), Unmaada (Mental disorders), Apasmar (Epilepsy), murcha (fainting), Avsaada (Depression)

3. Jatamansi: Its botanical name is Nardostachys jatamansi. Its Raspanchak (Ayurvedic medicinal Properties) is as follows:

  • Ras (Taste) –  Tikta (Bitter), madhur (sweet) and Kashay (astringent)
  • Guna (Property) – Snigdha (unctuous) and laghu (light)
  • Virya (Potency) – Sheet (Cold)
  • Vipaka (Post digestion effect) – Katu (Pungent)
  • Dosha Shamak – It pacifies vata, pitta and kapha dosha
  • karma (uses) – medhya (brain tonic), anidra (insomnia), sangyasthapan (unconsciousness), deepan (digestive), shirshoola (headache), unmada (Mental disorders)

4. Vacha: Its botanical name is Acorus calamus. Its Raspanchak (Ayurvedic medicinal Properties) is as follows:

  • Ras (Taste) –  Tikta (Bitter) and katu (pungent)
  • Guna (Property) – laghu (light) and tikshna (sharp)
  • Virya (Potency) – Ushna (hot)
  • Vipaka (Post digestion effect) – katu (pungent)
  • Dosha Shamak – It pacifies vata and kapha dosha
  • karma (uses) – sangyanaash (unconsciousness), medhya (brain tonic), unmada (mental disorders), Apasmar (epilepsy), agnimandya (indigestion), aruchi (anorexia)

5. Gotukola: Its botanical name is Centella asiatica. Its Raspanchak (Ayurvedic medicinal Properties) is as follows:

  • Ras (Taste) – Tikta (Bitter)
  • Guna (Property) – Laghu (Light)
  • Virya (Potency) – Sheet (Cold)
  • Vipaka (Post digestion effect) – Madhur (Sweet)
  • Dosha Shamak – It pacifies pitta and kapha dosha
  • karma (uses) – Unmada (Mental disorders), Apasmar (Epilepsy), murcha (fainting), Avsaada (Depression), smriti naash (loss of memory), Agnideepak (digestive stimulant)

6. Jyotishmati: Its botanical name is Celastrus paniculatus. Its Raspanchak (Ayurvedic medicinal Properties) is as follows:

  • Ras (Taste) – Tikta (Bitter) and katu (pungent)
  • Guna (Property) – Tikshna (sharp)
  • Virya (Potency) – Ushna (Hot)
  • Vipaka (Post digestion effect) – Katu (pungent)
  • Dosha Shamak – It pacifies Vata and kapha dosha
  • karma (uses) – Avsaada (Depression), smriti naash (loss of memory), sangyanaash (unconsciousness), Chinta (Stress)

Herbal remedies for the treatment of dementia

We have a wonderful herbal manufacturing company that provides various herbal products for the treatment of various health ailments. Planet Ayurveda is the company that manufactures its own herbal products. These products are made with adherence to ancient ayurveda. All the herbal products are made from natural herbs with ancient time tested formulas and also form in the standardized extracts of potent herbs. Their herbal products include herbal capsules, herbal tablets, herbal powders, herbal teas, herbal oils, herbal juices etc. The herbal products that are offered by this company for dementia are:

  1. Ashwagandha capsules
  2. Brahmi capsules
  3. Stress support
  4. Calm easy
  5. Gotu Kola capsules
  6. Shankhpushpi capsules
  7. Saraswatarishta

Products description

1. Ashwagandha capsules

This is a single herbal formulation. This is an effective stress relief herbal supplement. It is useful in neurological conditions. These capsules are made from the standardized extracts of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). This herb effectively acts as a nerve tonic. It enhances physical as well as mental stamina. This is a natural rejuvenator that helps in maintaining the health of the brain cells. This is a wonderful herb in the Ayurveda medical system.

Dosage: 1 capsule twice a day after meals with plain water

2. Brahmi capsules

This single herb is the most effective memory boosting herbal supplement. This is the world famous memory enhancing herb. This is made from the standardized extracts of Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri). This herb increases concentration, stamina and helps in mental fatigue. Due to these properties this herb is very beneficial in treating dementia.;

Dosage: 1 capsule twice a day after meals with plain water

3. Stress Support

This is a poly herbal formulation that acts as an effective stress reliever formula. This herbal formulation contains powerful herbs to relieve stress, dementia such as Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Tagar (Valeriana wallichii) and Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri). It improves memory and mental concentration. This is the best natural remedy for insomnia and depression. It prevents oxidative damage to the brain cells and a natural mood elevator. It helps in increasing the memory and concentration power. Due to this, this capsule is the best natural remedy for dementia.

Dosage: 1 capsule twice a day after meals with plain water

4. Calm easy

This herbal product is very beneficial in brain disorders. It contains herbs such as Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Tagar (Valeriana wallichii) and Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) that provide relief from various neurological conditions and also these herbs helps in pacifying vata and pitta dosha. Vata is the main cause of neurological disorders. It relaxes the body and reduces the number of thoughts. It enhances memory, grasping power and learning capacity. It also provides relief from hypertension.

Dosage: 1 capsule twice a day after meals with plain water

5. Gotu Kola capsules

This is the best herbal remedy for anxiety, depression and memory. It is useful for lack of concentration, low memory. This wonderful herbal remedy is made from the standardized extracts of Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica). This herb improves circulation, alertness and helps in relaxation. It is traditionally used in enhancing memory power and boosting concentration. Due to this it is very useful in treating dementia.

Dosage: 1 capsule twice a day after meals with plain water

6. Shankhpushpi capsules

This Planet Ayurveda product is a great herbal product for enhancing memory. This is useful in cold, cough, and headaches as well. It is considered as an anti-ageing & also improves life longevity. This capsule is made from the standardized extracts of Shankhpushpi (Convolvulus prostratus). It manages diseases like dementia, insomnia, low power of concentration, poor memory, indigestion, constipation, etc.

Dosage: 1 capsule twice a day after meals with plain water

7. Saraswatarishta

This is a herbal supplement in liquid form. It is a wonderful herbal supplement for brain disorders. This herbal product is made from the extracts of herbs like Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus), Vidari (Pueraria tuberosa), Pippali (Piper longum), Trivrit (Operculina turpenthum), etc. This is a memory tonic and good for people of all ages.It is mainly used in mental conditions. This herbal medicine is used in the treatment of insanity, epilepsy, dementia, insomnia, depression, anxiety, etc.

Dosage: 2 tsp twice a day after meals with equal amount of water

Conclusion

As we saw that this disease is a combination of many symptoms and Vata is the main dosha that is responsible for dementia. So above mentioned herbal products are very beneficial in treating this condition. These herbal supplements can be taken for a longer duration without any side effects. These products are free from chemicals and additives. That is why this Ayurvedic treatment is so pure and worthwhile. Hence we can manage this condition by proper diet and lifestyle along with herbal supplements. For more enquiries you can visit www.planetayurveda.com