Swine Flu

A new epidemic has started recently and is known as Swine flu. Needless to say it is imported. Swine influenza (also called swine flu, hog flu, and pig flu) is an infection by any one of several types of swine influenza virus. Swine influenza virus (SIV) is any strain of the family of viruses that is endemic in pigs. As of 2009, the known SIV strains include influenza C and the subtypes of influenza A known as H1N1, H1N2, H3N1, H3N2, and H2N3.
The central health dept has given declaration that this condition is treatable and medicines are available. I still wonder why the deaths in the countries are being reported whose medicine system the central health dept. is following. This condition is a viral infection. Anti viral therapeutics is grown to an extent but is it sufficiently effective in treating this virus?
Ayurvedic sciences have given an elaborate chapter the Jwara Adhyaya. Many Jwara types described in this chapter are clinically the same as described in recent past as Chickun gunya, Influeza, Dombivali fever, Dengue, veriola and vericella groups etc. The sore throat and fever combination of Swine flu and the high fever and rashes combination in dengue found in the Pitta Pradhana Sannipatik Jwara. These fevers can effectively treated by Ayurvedic therapy. I am working on viral infections since 1996 and have good record of treating the Herpes zoster, Hepatitis B, Dengue etc viruses. Anybody who has studied the Ayurvedic sciences carefully can treat these diseases and diseases like these which may be imported in future. An herbal combination is developed and the results are showing that the viral titre goes down per day. Fastest recovery is ensured with the use of this combination.

Not the least this preparation is quiet useful in Prophylaxis of viral infections. This is my experience in the last epidemic of Chickungunya a couple of years before. The preparation is lab tested nontoxic and safe to use.

Ayurvedic view of preventing care - following seeps may be taken.

• Keeping the good habits of covering the mouth and nose while sneezing and coughing is essential. Every one may apply a layer of sesamon oil or Ghee in the nose frequently to avoid the bad effects of pollution and keeping away from infection.
• The medicine as mentioned by me can be taken in low doses for prophylaxis.
• Keeping the vicinity clean and dry is essential. Allowing the sunlight and fresh air inside the working place and home is essential.
• Ayurvedic texts have given a medicine which is to be burnt and smoke created. This smoke is having anti bacterial and antiviral properties.
• The Atirudra Anushthana with proper Hawan is essential public measure. It has the capacity to kill the viruses and other microorganisms in the air. Ample research on this is done by Gayatri Vidyapeeth and even in Europian countries. The Vedic sages may be consulted further for these services.

TUBERCULOSIS AND AYURVEDIC SCIENCES

IMPORTANT OBSERVATIONS REGARDING PATHOLOGY AND RECOVERY-
This Bacterium needs moist climate to be alive for longer time. It is short living in the sunlight. It does not grow unless and until the host immunity is good but remains dormant and alive. As the immunity of the creature decreases the power of deactivating the bacteria and their products goes lowering. These bacteria produce proteins that cause cessation in the surrounding tissue causing edema and in this climate mycobacterium multiplies rapidly. The neutrophils in the blood have diminished activity and are in capable of engulfing this bleb. They try to overcome this challenge by fusing together and forming ‘giant’ cells. This is the characteristic tissue change in this disease. All tissues except the skin are susceptible to the attack from this bacterium.
Like other organisms it is killed by antimicrobials. Earlier strep-to-my-cin etc. group was effectively working against these bacteria and started the magic era in the modern history of treating tuberculosis. After a time gap these medicines were found insufficient and new agents like INH were included. Soon the organism developed the power to overcome these specific agents and the era of resistance started. Newer and newer molecules were found to kill this bleb forming monster. The experience based knowledge was followed as a myth over the world. Pharmaceutical companies took active part in the quest for newer agents and produced tons of it to save the world. The only thing on which they concentrated was to kill the bacteria. They forgot to look after the immune suppression caused by these agents and hepato toxicity of these agents which was indirectly hitting the passive immunity of all the tissues in body. Killing the bacteria was the criteria and the clear healing by removing the bleb in totality was not considered. This contracted and dried/ shrunken bleb partially deactivated by the body was let to remain in the body. The immunity factor was thought to be taken care of by specifying high protein diet. Whether the patient with a damaged liver can digest this heavy diet was not given proper consideration. Those who did regular exercise in some form did come out of the disease some what, but their experience is that of post treatment gain in weight to the point of becoming overweight. Many of the treated population are in the society and their vulnerability to Diabetes Mellitus and other connective tissue diseases is not traced to the immune compromise due to the treatment and the fatty infiltration of liver which ensued. Recurrence of the infection and now the threat of viruses like the HIV are the dreaded complications. The resistance is developing to the most modern molecules developed. The regimen now consists of six agents all known to be more or less dangerous to the liver. A couple of agents are removed from the old regimen for they were found of no use in the treatment (INH) and are found to lower the immunity status. These agents are still in use in this country.
Incidence of medicine resistant Tuberculosis case approaching an alternative medicine practitioner is increasing and it means that the society needs some better approach in treating this disease. Outside Bharat the condition is more tragic because they do not allow other medicines to treat such cases.
AYURVEDIC SCIENCES AND THEIR APPROACH-
Ayruvedic texts have included this infection under a complex immune linked syndrome (cluster of diseases) known as the RAJAYAKSHMA. Tuberculosis cannot be translated as the Rajyakshma in totality but is a part of this immune depressing complex pathology. The Rajayakshma is the immune deficiency syndrome described in Ayurvedic texts originating from specific four categories of etiology.
Tuberculosis thus can be treated by the medicines described in the Rajayakshma and Shosha chapters. This treatment has many salient features and advantages as compared to the treatment available. We will go through a few of them with which a common person must be concerned.

• The bacterium, which is of a different type, is killed by Herbal medicines. These medicines are non specific molecules and work like chemical agents. This agent is tested by ICMR and is effectively killing the bacterium in the dilution of 1:200 of its water extract.
• This agent is itself having a hepato(liver) protective action rather toxicity. Thus it is most uncommon to get any immune depression post treatment. This agent is having an augmenting effect on the action of medicines used along with it. The researchers working a hybrid regime were able to reduce the dose of modern antibiotics to 1/6th of their normal doses. Their activity was still observed at the best. This agent does the same thing with herbal and other chemical agents used with it.
• This agent helps in dissolving the bleb after killing the bacteria. The dissolved material can be deactivated and eliminated from the body by colonic secretion and along with other wastes elimination.
• Ayurvedic texts have described the medicines in next stage which are capable of regenerating an epithelial tissue (skin like tissue which is originated from the same layer of tissue in a fetus which generates skin) layer on the inner surface of the cavity formed by re absorption of the bleb. Thus by virtue of this correct healing process the risk of a shrunken bleb re activation and re development of the disease in post treatment period is reduced considerably. The development of a tissue which is resistant most to the attack of these bacteria thus offers maximum safety to the damaged tissue. The damaged tissue can be regenerated later on by employing the Rasayana medicines. In this case the original bleb cavity is reduced to a linear potential space.
• As said earlier the bacteria killing agent being non toxic to the immunity forming organ in body immunity status is not deteriorated further due to the treatment. In the state where this infection occurs in a person with existing immune compromised disease active immunity is given to the patient by the diet described in Ayurvedic texts. My experience of this diet is simply fantastic to the extent that an insulin dependent diabetic with tuberculosis recovered in a time period of one month.
• The immunity can be further boosted by agents given which can stop future dreaded complications like HIV infection and other viral infections.
• The bacteria killing agent can be administered by various routes so as to reach the target tissue in the shortest time (even in the state of tubercular infection of the brain coverings and the brain proper.
• Not the least texts have narrated the treatment to the point till the color and luster of the skin of the diseased returns to the point where the one was not diseased at all.
• The diet is described in detail and includes many mouth watering dishes and combinations.

By now it will be clear to the readers that Ayurvedic texts have given a better and total approach for treating this disease. This approach is host friendly and ensuring a healthy population needed to form a healthy and strong nation.