Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that can render a person handicap and helpless at any moment. People suffering from this disease have a delicate health balance that may get disturbed without any sign or warning. This unpredictability complicates the normal life pattern of the sufferer and forces them to confine their movement and daily life to specific parameters.
However, there is a cure for this problem and it is way more effective than conventional medicine. Ayurveda offers a natural and side effect free treatment for epilepsy. It uses the very forces of nature to rectify the condition and help patients get back to their normal life without any lapses. Want to know how? Keep reading below.
What Is Epilepsy?
Medically, Epilepsy is a disorder related to the Central Nervous System of the human body. The brain starts behaving abnormally due to this disorder and causes unnatural reactions like loss of awareness, seizures, and sensations. As time passes by, the frequency of these unnatural reactions increases leading to uncontrollable muscle twitches, foaming at the mouth, and loss of consciousness. The person concerned has no memory of it afterwards.
The biggest implication of epilepsy is on the social life of the patient. The seizures and loss of consciousness can hamper their professional, social, and personal life to some extent. Social awkwardness and superstitions are some of the major problems that epilepsy patients face in India. Ayurveda offers a guaranteed way out of this problem.
Types of Epilepsy
An epilepsy patient may suffer from two types of seizures. First are the generalized or partial seizures that only influence a small part of the brain. It is not easy to identify partial seizures as they may last for a few seconds.
Then there are strong seizures that result in uncontrollable muscle twitches and spasms. They may last from a few seconds to several minutes. The patient gets confused, giddy, and finally unconscious. The stronger the seizure, the worse the final effects.
In Ayurveda, Epilepsy is known as ‘Apasmara’ and it is categorized into four types:
- Vataj – This type of seizure is caused by an imbalance of Vata in the body. They have a short span and are characterized by increased heartbeat, foam secretion from the mouth, and muscular fits.
- Pittaj – The imbalance of pitta in the patient’s body leads to a reddish or yellowish tint on the patient’s body. The seizures under this disorder are characterized by heatwaves in the body, severe thirst, and secretion of yellowish foam from the patient’s mouth during the seizure.
- Kaphaj – This kind of epilepsy is caused by the vitiation of Kapha in the human body. The seizures under this condition last much longer and a whitish foam is secreted from the patient’s mouth. The patient experiences unusual heaviness in the body.
- Sannipataj – This includes vitiation of all three above mentioned doshas – Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
Ayurvedic Treatment For Epilepsy
Apasmara is the term given to Epilepsy in Ayurveda. Ayurveda states that two basic factors are involved in the aetiology of Epilepsy. The first type includes the endogenous aspects like idiopathic factors, enzymatic, constitutional, genetic, and congenital disturbances.
The next category includes exogenous factors like the aggravation of Vata, brain injuries, trauma, unhygienic foods, and improper eating habits.
The first level of treatment for this disease is called Siravedha which is the process of bloodletting from veins located in the temple region.
Next, the patient is administered various Ayurvedic medicines that are made from natural organic ingredients and medicinal herbs. These medicines work internally to restore the lost balance of the basic life-sustaining forces.
Ayurvedic treatment for epilepsy is a blend of Ayurvedic wisdom and contemporary medicines. Along with the age-old certified methods, they also use conventional methods to provide immediate relief to patients from epilepsy seizures.
The line of treatment followed for this disease slowly reduces the frequency of seizures. It targets the root cause of the disease: the imbalance of three doshas and corrects them with herbs, minerals, and classic therapies.
The effect of the treatment can be noticed from the first dosage which is shortly followed by administration of antidote (Akshepashaman) for spasms and convulsions. These medicines are equivalent to present-day anticonvulsants, but they work without any side effects, unlike the chemical ones.
Preventive Measures
Most episodes of epilepsy are triggered by some specific factors. So, as a preventive measure few things can be done after identifying the trigger for seizures:
- Keep the patient away from emotional stress, anxiety, and tension.
- If the person is on drugs or is an alcoholic, then get them in a program that helps them quit.
- If the person is used to a fixed sleeping schedule then try not to change it suddenly. Also, try to help them get a full sleep.
- If the patient is on anti-seizure medication make sure he or she takes medicines without a miss.
- Keep the patient away from bright, loud, flashy, and computer-generated environments.
- Hormonal changes like pregnancy or menstruation can also lead to seizures. So make sure the patient gets checked regularly and takes medicines during the change.
