Sinusitis is the inflammation of the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity. Most commonly the sinuses involved are maxillary followed by ethmoid, frontal and sphenoid. Many a times, at our Centre we come across reports where all sinuses are involved, this is called pansinusitis.
Sinusitis in Ayurveda
Ayurveda has mentioned Dushta Pratishyay which can be correlated to sinusitis. Pratishyay means cold and dushta pratishyay is the chronic stage of pratishyay which occurs due to neglect or improper management of cold
A patient of sinusitis generally complains of nose blockage specially during morning hours.
Heaviness over eyes or forehead
Thick mucus from nose
Sneezing could be occasional or more often
Alteration in smell
Post nasal dripping
Severe headache
Sinusitis is quite disturbing and can give you disturbed sleep. Because of nose blockage, the patient keeps waking up in the night. He tries to blow out the mucus from nose. It causes discomfort and keeps him awake. At our Ayurvedic clinic, we have treated chronic sinusitis cases with oral Ayurvedic medicines and Panchkarma. There have been patients who underwent surgery post which 6-8 months were fine, but the symptoms cropped again after this time. There are many patients who present with sinusitis and allergic cold at the same time. Their symptoms are overlapping and more worrisome.
Many herbs like Vacha, Pippali, Shunthi in Ayurveda can treat nasal obstruction. Medicines like chitrak, haritaki help in prevention of mucus formation. These medicines should be taken under the guidance of an Ayurvedic doctor only. Herbs like Lahsun, Haridra, Ashwagandha, Amla, Neem help in reducing the inflammation. The main task in Sinusitis is to keep a check on inflammation of cavities of nasal passage. There are medicines like Tribhuvan kirti ras, laxmi vilas ras, Punarnava mandoor that can be used in sinusitis. It is better to get your Prakriti analyzed at best ayurvedic clinic near you.
In addition to oral medicines, Panchkarma therapy for sinusitis works remarkable. Nasya is an important procedure to treat sinusitis completely.
Panchkarma treatment is very important line of treatment in sinusitis. It helps in elimination of mucus, relieving of obstruction and cleansing the channels. Nasya is an important treatment protocol in sinusitis. In Ayurveda, it is written Nasa hi shirso dwaram means nose is the door to brain. This is the only way to get rid of mucus that gets deposited in sinuses of the brain.
Nose is the gateway to the respiratory tract. It filters the air that enters the nose. The nasal cavity is covered by a thin mucosa. So, a drug molecule can be transferred quickly across the single epithelial cell layer directly in the blood circulation.
Poorva karma before nasya – First, mild abhyanga or massage is done over nose, forehead and face with medicated oil like Ashwagandha Bala oil. It is followed by Dashmool kashay swedan (steam).
Nasyam – Nasyam is one of the five Panchkarma therapies mentioned in the texts. This not only helps in nasal cleansing but also improves respiratory health. It boosts sensory organ functioning. This is a great treatment for headaches and migraine. It relieves stress and anxiety. It is done by administration of nasal drops depending on the severity of sinuses and Prakriti of patient like Shadbindu oil, Anu tail, Bala tail. The patient is made to lie for 15-20 minutes. Though it is a simple procedure that can be done at home but it is better to get it done at an Panchkarma centre near you for first few days.
Kavala – Then he is asked to do Kavala or pooling with saindhava and turmeric powder. This makes sure that the taste of oil goes away from the throat.
Dhoompan– This is again a very important procedure which is done after Nasya. It is inhalation of medicated nose from nose and mouth. It is also an independent procedure done in many nasal pathologies like allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, recurrent cold. This process is done with the help of a specially designed netra pipe for the required time. In classic texts, it is advised in headache, Migraine, heaviness overhead, ear pain, stiffness. It is also done in pharyngitis, change in voice or hoarseness of voice.
Sinusitis is a long disturbing problem which can be effectively managed with Ayurvedic treatment. If it has relapsed post-surgery, that can also be treated. Ayurveda can offer a long-term solution for sinusitis. It is never late for you to approach an Ayurvedic clinic for sinusitis.
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