Colitis
Colitis refers to the inflammation of gut usually large intestine. Though the earliest explanations of colitis can be dated back to ancient Greek history, pharmacologic interventions of the disease started after Following World War II. The medical term “ulcerative colitis” was first recorded in a case report written by Sir Samuel Wilks in 1859, while describing a similar condition.
Before 2006 in Australian population colitis cases used to be small hospital-based condition. But now the population-based studies shows more prevalence of the disease between 16-60 years of age mostly in females and the number is increasing at an alarming rate . Usually further investigation of anaemia, dehydration and inflammation leads into diagnosis of colitis. After initial blood tests to assess these conditions, structure of the colon can be analysed through colonoscopy, barium enema and CT scans.
The causes and classification of the colitis can be concised as Infectious, Inflammatory, Allergic, Psycological, Ischemic, Genetic, Microscopic and due to overuse of antibiotics. Remission and relapses are common in this chronic condition.
What happens if our colon is not working properly?
Colon is the lower part of abdominal cavity which has a mucosal lining where the product after digestion from small intestine is processed. Water and electrolytes are absorbed back to blood vessels and left over is removed as faeces. The colon has got many friendly bacteria which can produce vitamin K and aminoacids. There is a homeostasis between this gut flora, gut cells and tissues. The disruption of this homeostasis due to the above said reasons lead to prolonged uncontrolled inflammations. Usually things get better soon but care has to be taken if the symptoms get worse.
Ayurveda considers Colitis as a metabolic derangement which needs correction from the cellular level. Ayurveda says that derangement of Agni (digestive fire) plays a major role in the gastrointestinal diseases. Digestive fire (Agni) with the help of Vata (air factors), Pitta (fire factors) and Kapha (water factors) helps in maintaining the homeostasis of gut and a healthy metabolism. Imbalanced Agni can result into tissue derangement (dhatu paka) which in turn can cause pathologic and autoimmune reactions.
Have you ever had stomachache and Diarrhoea?
Well! Care has to be taken if you find these symptoms intermittently persisting for weeks or months!
- Abdominal pain; cramping in nature before or after an episode of diarrhoea.
- Urgency of bowel movement with mucus discharge from rectum.
- Bleeding from rectum with bowel movements ranging from 4-6 per day.
- Fever ,chills, weight loss
- It can also be associated with joint swellings, skin nodules and eye inflammations.
In Ayur Healthcare we aim at the correction of disease from the grass root level
Colitis is a result of imbalanced digestive fire resulting into poor digestion, imbalanced fire factors causing ulcerations and destroying gut flora and imbalanced air factors causing loss of immunity. Imbalance of these factors affect tissues resulting into inflammations, anaemia, weight loss, diarrhoea, anxiety and so on. Holistic approach of Ayurveda considering all these factors and individual differences help in treating the disease from root causes.
- 1. Herbal combinations : Herbs which support digestion, to control inflammation, improve immunity and heal ulcers are used. Different herbal combinations are of great help in colitis as it reduces remissions and preventing complications of the disease itself. Cooling and pacifying Ayurvedic herbs will be of great help in controlling the throbbing nature of the pain in colitis. Ayurvedic medical therapy offers a handful of immuno modulatory herbal drugs. At Ayur Healthcare a wide range of herbal combinations are available.
- 2. Ayurvedic massage therapies: Different Ayurvedic massage therapies can help to boost healing. Abhyanga (Ayurvedic hot oil massage) helps to balance different factors, reduce stress and improve lubrication. Shirodhara- streaming of warm oil at third eye- helps to balance digestive hormones and control stress. Ayur Healthcare provides a wide range of Ayurvedic therapies in a traditional and holistic way.
- 3. Ayurvedic detox (Panchakarma): Ayurveda recommends various individually tailored detox therapies known as Panchakarma to detox the body and to correct the disease from root causes. Ayurvedic detox based on enema is highly beneficial in colitis to control inflammation and to improve general health of gut including gut flora. At Ayur Healthcare we provide customised and efficient detox plans.
- 4. Diet and Life style: Healthy diet and lifestyle is important to support healing and maintain health. Eat healthy foods; include lots of seasonal fruits and veggies in the diet. According to the stage of the disease, you may have to be careful with raw foods including salads. Drink enough water to ensure proper hydration. Avoid eating left overs especially if refrigerated. Keeping a health and diet diary will be helpful in colitis. Avoid fried foods, nuts and popcorns in between diet. Reduce diary to control inflammation. Exercise daily for at least 20 minutes every day. Avoid use of over the counter medicines. Ayurveda is mainly focusing on the preventive and curative management of colitis by reducing the morbidities caused by the disease and improving the physical, emotional and social wellbeing of the person. Begin your journey of Ayurvedic healing by booking an initial consultation and / or therapies with Ayur Healthcare.
