AYURVEDA TREATMENT FOR SINUSITIS
How DO YOU COPE WITH Sinusitis?
Sinuses – What do we know about them?
Sinuses are the facial bones around the nose that are hollow spaces or cavities. In our skull, there are four sinuses and are positioned behind the temples, nasal bones, cheeks and eyes. In Kerala, Ayurveda Treatment for Sinusitis is the most sought after holistic remedy. Ayurveda has classified sinusitis according to the dosha vitiation.
Types of Sinuses
There are four types of sinuses and are classified based on their positioning in the skull.
●Frontal Sinuses – Found in the lower section of the temples and located in the eye cavities and eyebrows
○Inflammation of the frontal sinuses can drive the symptoms such as pain above the eye and forehead, headache etc.
●Maxillary Sinuses – Located on each side of the nasal cavity. Precisely positioned in each cheekbone.
○Inflammation can result in pain over each cheek.
●EthmoidSinuses – Located within the ethmoid bone and are diverged into anterior and posterior compartments. They are positioned behind the nostril bridges and between the eyes.
○Inflammation can result in severe pain behind the eyes, its sides, above the nose etc.
●Sphenoid Sinus – Positioned behind the ethmoid sinuses in the upper area of the nose and behind the eyes.
○Symptoms include throbbing pain and pressure involving the eyeball. The symptoms are intensified by leaning forward. It also emerges as discomfort in the ears, neck strain, pain behind the eyes, the crown of the head, or in the forehead. An infection of the sphenoid sinus is an unusual occurrence.
There are pink, soft tissues that line the sinuses which are called the mucosa. Sinuses help maintain pressure, air filtration, air humidification etc before passing it to the lungs and maintaining internal balance.
What is Sinusitis?
Sinusitis is a condition where the tissue that lines the sinuses get swollen and inflamed. Sinus inflammations drainage of the mucus gets affected and results in its buildup. Running nose, repeated sneezing and nose block as the most common symptoms of sinusitis.
According to CharakaSamhita, When Vatadosha aggravates, it gives rise to the condition called ‘Pratishyaya’. Ayurvedic treatment for sinusitis is based on the understanding that it is not a disease caused by Kapha vitiation, but a result of Kapha blocking the nasal passages. As Vatadosha is comprised of air, it needs a passage to attain balance, which gets blocked due to Kapha vitiation. Thus the accumulated Vatadosha results in the condition of Pratishyay.
Types of Sinusitis - An Ayurvedic Understanding
Ayurveda classifies pratishyayas into four, according to doshas. The symptoms and signs differ depending on the type of condition.
★ VatajaPratishyaya – Pratishyaya with VataDosha
○Spikey feeling in the nose.
○Repeated sneezing
○Light watery discharge.
○Coarseness of the voice.
○Headache.
○Dryness in the nose.
★ PittajaPratishyaya
○A feeling of puffiness in the nose.
○A sensation of burning in the nose.
○Fever
○Thirst
○Yellowish secretion from the nose.
★ KaphajaPratishyaya and
○Lack of appetite
○Dense discharge from the nose.
○Doubled saliva generation.
○Heavy feeling in the nose and face.
○Itchy nose
★ DushtPratishyaya
While the conditions are not addressed at the appropriate time based on the doshas, it gets even more aggravated. According to Ayurveda, chronic sinusitis is referred to as DushtPratishyaya, which means persistent sinusitis with complicated symptoms.
○Excessive Sneezing
○Dried nasal mucosa.
○Nasal Obstruction,
○Rancid smell inside the nose.
○Intricate and recurrent rhinitis.
○Nasal swelling.
○Nasal Adenoids (Nasarbuda as per ayurvedic context)
○Discharge of pus along with the mucus.
○Watery or red eyes
○Obstruction in ears.
○Hair loss
○Greying or whitening of hair.
○Extreme thirst.
○Breathing troubles.
○Fever
○Unexplainable Weight loss.
Causes of Sinusitis
For ayurvedic treatment for sinusitis in adults, it is required to identify the causative factors leading to the condition and try to avoid these at all costs to contain its effects.
●Suppressing natural bodily urges like a sneeze, cough etc
●Dust exposure
●Irregular / Changes in weather
●Heat exposure to the head
●Irregular sleep cycle
●Extreme crying
●Exposure to extreme cold conditions
How does Ayurveda treat the condition?
Attuning one’s lifestyle to that of their biological clock is considered the start of the best ayurvedic treatment for sinusitis. One of the crucial steps in finding the appropriate treatment is an accurate diagnosis of dosha impairment.
If diagnosed with VatajaPratishyaya, ayurvedic treatment for sinusitis Nasya /nasal mucosal oleation is advised. It is performed with ‘hot’ herb-infused oil which can eliminate the dryness resulting from Vatadosha.
In a diagnosis pointing to Pitta type Sinusitis, procedures are performed with medicines that are cold. For people suffering from Pitta type sinusitis, the generic medicines of cold and fever can intensify the condition.
For Kaphaja Sinusitis, ayurvedic treatment of headache is similar to that of VatajaPratishyaya but non-greasy.
To get the desired results from Ayurveda treatment for Sinusitis, appropriate dosha specific diet and lifestyle changes need to be made along with the treatments, as Ahara (diet) and Vihara (lifestyle) are considered vital in the concept of Ayurveda.
Ayurveda Treatment for Sinusitis
Ahara (Diet)
●Avoid Kapha inducing food like ice cream, milk, cottage cheese, banana, oily & fried items, Chinese as well as junk foods.
●Avoid fruits particularly at night when you have sinusitis.
●Drink warm water only upon feeling thirsty.
●Include turmeric, pepper and ginger in food.
Vihara (Lifestyle Changes)
●Avoid applying oil to the head.
●Avoid sleeping at irregular timings.
●Try not to suppress natural urges.
●Avoid direct exposure to cold.
●Include Steam inhalation in daily routine (twice daily).
●Put a warm compress on the affected area for pain relief.
Sinusitis can often be a trigger for cluster headaches also termed Horton’s syndrome, which are headaches that usually occur in a cyclical pattern for a short duration centred along one side of the head and are extremely painful. Cluster headache treatment in Ayurveda is a combination of various procedures to help ease the root cause of the condition.
It includes the application of Lepa (Pain-relieving oil), Shirodhara, Murdhataila (Head massage with oil), and Shiropichu with chandanaditailam, as well as Panchakarma therapy.
In managing headaches and other discomforts with Ayurveda, our experienced health practitioners at Ishani Ayurveda stop at nothing but the best ayurvedic treatment for sinusitis by guiding you along the way until positive results are achieved.