Autoimmune diseases are becoming the next big threat to humans as there is no explained etiology and pathology of it and the reductionist system of western medicine is not able to help patients beside providing temporary relief in pain and other symptoms from a broad variety of steroids and immune suppressive drugs, which are having their own severe negative impact on the body.
However in Ayurveda the Autoimmune diseases are explained as Kricha Sadhya Vyadhi( Difficult To Treat) and this vyadhi(Disease) is deeply associated with aama dosha & dhatu which cause shoth(inflammation) and strotorodh(blockage) in various dhatu’s ( tissue level or organ system) and microchannels of body, which manifest & appear into several kinds of sign & symptoms. To understand its pathology, you first need to know a few Ayurvedic terms, which will help you understand autoimmune diseases.
Aama: Aama is a kind of toxic substance which develops in the body due to poor digestive capacity and absorptive malfunctioning of intestines. It is basically those toxins which develop in body when the digestive system is not able to break down the food in its finest absorptive form and when intestines absorb this nonabsorptive form of food, which is not supposed to be absorbed and should be getting out of the body instead.
Dhatu: Dhatu’s are actually the organ system/working system of the body. Whatever we eat will covert into several Dhatu’s. These Dhatu are actually the working or organ system of the body, which holds and maintain the life, it is not like organ system
as explained by western medicine, it is deeper and more comprehensive & complex.
There is 7 types of Dhatu in our body which forms from the food we eat. These are
Rasa: The core form of nutrition or the nectar of the food we ate, and it provides energy and other important nutrition which is required for the proper functioning of the cell.
Rakta: It includes blood and blood vessels and contributes in the formation of muscular tissue.
Maansa: Muscular tissue
Meda: It includes Ligaments, synovial fluid, and body fat
Asthi: In includes bones and tendons.
Majja:Bone Marrow
Shukra or Artava: Sperm in males & egg in females.
Strotas: Micro Channels of Body
Etiology & Pathology Of Autoimmune
These toxins(Aama) initially keep circulating in the blood and start accumulating in any
of the above-mentioned dhatu’s. Over the years, these toxins or aama get deep in these different dhatu’s and establish themselves very firmly in microchannels, once they cross the maximum threshold of that particular dhatu, they starts
compromising and affecting the fundamental functioning of that particular dhatu in which they are accumulated. At this stage, it is quite tough to remove them. These toxins not only disturbs the functioning of these dhatu, but also cause blockages in
the microchannel. In later stages these toxins(Aama) causes inflammation(Soth) in these Dhatu and Microchannels. The inflammation in these Dhatu’s & micro channels triggers the appearance of primary signs and symptoms.
Type of Sign & symptoms a patient can have strictly depend on which dhatu these toxins get accumulated, For e.g. if these toxins get accumulated in Asthi & Maans Dhatu the symptoms will appear, as that of Rheumatoid Arthritis, if these toxins are accumulated in Rakta Dhatu , the symptoms will that be of skin diseases like psoriasis or lupus, if these toxins are accumulated in Maans & Rakta dhatu , symptoms will appear as that in Temporal Arteritis, If the toxins are accumulated in Rasa Dhatu, the symptom appear like those of Celiac disease.
To summarize in nutshell, it can be concluded that these toxins also known as aama is the root cause and the symptoms depend on type of dhatu involved and severity depend on the number of dhatu involved and how deep this aama is deposited in those Dhatu’s.
Role Of Mind in Autoimmune diseases
In Ayurveda, it is explained that Mana(Mind) is having a significant effect on both the severity of the disease and recovery from the disease. If the patient is having a peaceful, calm and happy mind, then the body can recognize these toxins in early stages and starts a certain proactive
process to eliminate them, without disturbing the immune system. But when a patient is stressed, not happy, and having an occupied mind, then body is prone to miss the accumulation of aama(toxins) which later develop into an autoimmune
disease.
Moreover, a happy man with good thoughts and peaceful mind is having more than 80% chance of recovery from these autoimmune disease, which is not the case with a stressed, occupied and an unhappy patient.
Treatment Of Autoimmune diseases
The treatment of autoimmune diseases is always customized and depends on various factors. There would be no same treatment for two people having the same autoimmune disease. The treatment is strictly based on the following factors:
1: Age of the patient. The younger patient shows sooner recovery, older patient get cured too but they take slightly more time.
2: Severity of the disease: Severity depends on how badly it has affected the patient daily routine and working capacity. Patient with a less impact on day to day life recovers soon.
3: Chronicity of the disease: Older diseases take more time and a different approach.
4: Geographical location of the patient: For e.g.patient living in a cold climate shows slow recovery in rheumatoid arthritis, but shows faster recovery in celiac disease.
5: Digestive capacity: If a patient is having good digestion without any acidity, flatulence e.t.c recovers soon.
6: Root cause of the disease: Autoimmune diseases with complex root cause takes more time to treat.
7: Diet & Lifestyle of the patients: Patients having a sedentary lifestyle and poor sleep cycle takes more time to treat.
8: Mental & Psychological strength: Patients with strong mental strength get treated faster.
9: Physical strength: Bedridden patients take more time to get treated.
10: Type & number Of Dhatu involved: More the number of Dhatu involved, longer will be the treatment.
11: Secondary symptoms: If an autoimmune disease has started manifesting secondary symptoms, the disease takes time to treatment.
12: Treatment History: Treatment history of pain killers,non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids e.t.c longer the history will take longer time
For More details & any query, you can mail me at mohitkaushik@aol.in
Dr.Mohit V Kaushik
Autoimmune & Chronic Disease Expert.
BAMS, CCYN