Prevention and treatment of swine flu through herbal medicine

Swine flu is an infectious disease whose causative organism is the much dreaded H1N1 virus. It spread in condition of poor body immunity and by being in close proximity with infected persons.

The H1N1 virus makes no discrimination between people when it comes to age and sex. Everyone from a child to an old person may get infected. However, children are more prone to get infected by this virus. The swine flu virus may become drug resistant in the event of incomplete treatment by patients.

 

 

The first case of swine flu was isolated in Mexico in this year (2009) in April. This has since then taken a global pandemic form where the disease has spread across countries and continents. More than 74 nations and over 75,000 people have been affected by this disease as of today.

 

 

Herbal medicine describes swine flu in Brihatrai Grantha like Charak Samhita, Susharata Samhita and Bhagabata Samhita.

 

Ayurveda defines swine flu as Tridoshaja Pratisyai. This affects those people who lead an undisciplined life – people whose eating, sleeping, hygiene, residing and working conditions are unhealthy and abnormal. Due to this, the imbalanced lifestyle changes the Vata, Pitta and Kapha balance in the body and the human respiratory tract system gets initially affected.   Then Rasaviha Shoratasa and body organs like mind and heart are affected. Then the symptoms like water discharge from nose, mouth and eye, mild fever, headache, loss of appetite, body aches and insomnia start showing.

 

 

Dosha – Tridosha (vata, pitta and kapha)

Dhatu – Body media (rasa, rakta and mansa)

Shrotas – Rasvahi Shrotas

Sthana – Swasana Sthana

Lakshana – Chheek (sneezing), jal srawata (nasal and mouth discharge), jwara (fever), swasa kastha (breathlessness)

 

 

First line of herbal treatment is nidan parivarjana or avoiding of causative factors. The second line of herbal treatment is to regularize ahara and vihara or dieting and lifestyle.  Third line of treatment is to maintain balanced position of dosha and dhatu by use of medicines.

 

 

Tulsi, Giloyo and Gugglu are the best medicines for the treatment of swine flu. 
 

Tulsi control kapha dosha and checks jal srawata

Giloya controls pitta dosha and checks jawara 

Gugglu checks vata dosha and body and headache.

 

The liquor of these three herbal drugs should be taken three times by mixing the three in proportion to the symptoms (like if there is excess nasal and mouth discharge, increase the quantity of tulsi), age and bodyweight, and boiling them in water. 
 

Doses – 20 to 40 ml according to body weight.

Precaution – Patients should avoid excess cold and excess hot atmosphere.

Important Note: My advice to swine flu patients is – don't panic, change lifestyle and eat healthy. No disease can affect a healthy body and mind. Swine flu is completely curable just like other flu strains. It just requires timely treatment and proper lifestyle. Negligency in treatment can prove to be fatal.