Understanding Jwara: Ayurvedic Approach to Managing Fevers

Ayurveda for Everyone
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This is a season of changes from incessant rains which have made the soil wet and muddy, the Sun shining in-between causing temperatures to rise more and cloud covers that trap the heat near ground consequently raising the temperature higher, From Humid environment to hot environment with clouds obscuring the Sunlight.

This is perfect combination of environmental factors to affect human health by vitiation of Vata and Pita along with Kapha. And so the season of fevers , flues, dengue malaria chikengunya starts.
Ayurveda management of Fevers is not Anti-pyerexial in nature like modern way, but the focus is more on aiding the human biome in self-recovery mode.

Per Ayurveda, Jwara is the term used to describe the ability of a disease to cause great distress and anguish not only to body but also to mind. Jwara includes diverse clinical signs and symptoms which may be with or without measurable rise in body surface temperature. Fever is one physical symptom of this anguish. Physical rise of body surface temperature can be measured by mercury or digital thermometer. but Psychological Jwara is SwaAnubhut, only a sufferer can describe the anguish to mind which is termed as Manasik Jwara or Mansik Santaap, which is not measurable by a thermometer but felt by the self who suffers. This Mansik Santaap can be equated with psychological stressors which heat up the mind or Manas tattva on a subtle level perceptible only to the self or Swa. thats is why termed as SwaAnubhut or realised and suffered by self.

No clinical examination can examine it by pathalogical or diagnostic tests.

Ayurved management of Jwara.

Charak Samhita, Sushrut Samhita, Ashtang Hruday and Ashtang Samgrah, all have mentioned the causes, clinical and non-clinical picture which a Vaidya need to examine, diagnosis as per Ayurved Nidan Shastra and Treatment for the resolution of the disease diagnosed.

Ayurveda Nidan Shastra doesnt diagnose Fevers as Malaria dengue chikangunya viral bacterial typhoid jaundice etc.
Ayurveda has its own methodology to diagnose, identify, and name the disease based on TriDosha SaptaDhatu snd TriMala, which is covered under Nidanshastra.
Based on examination of these by 11 types of Examinations, treatment regimen is applied as part of therapeutic measures.

Scope of this short article is limited to fever manifesting which is causing anguish to body- mind composite and management of this fever doable at home by the family or caregivers or by self.

The objective of ayurved mangement of fever is achieving normal homeostasis i.e. Prakrutisthapana.

The general protocol for management of fever by Ayurveda is as follows:-

  1. Fasting or Langhana- When fever develops the best thing to do is to do fasting with proper hydration in the focus. Fever is an immune response to toxins that are affecting the homeostasis causing an imbalance in the process of salutogenesis. Agni is affected and Aama or free radicals are produced as metabolism gets affected. The focus of Langhan is to aid Agni to be in self recovery mode so Aama can be reduced thereby obstructing the pathophysiology-in-the-process from going into a fulminant morbid disease.
    Fevers lasting 8 to 10 days or a week are considered as NavJwara or Tarun Jwara and lasting more than this are Jeerna or chronic Jwara. in NavJwara Fasting first is best method for self recovery.
  2. Hydration- To maintain proper level of hydration Shadang Paniya is important.
    Nagarmotha or Musta,
    Pitpapda or Parpatak, Sugandhabala, Raktachandan, Usheer, Sunth – these 6 herbs are boiled and cooled at room temperature. lukewarm Shadanga Paniya is sipped throught the day and night till sweating starts. -Black pepper, Star Anise or Chakriphool, Cumin Coriander seeds, Cinnamon, Yashtimadhu, Vekhand or Vacha can be used to prepare kadha which is sipped through the whole day till fever reduces.
    -Kirattikta Kadha freshly prepared -Punarnavashtak Kadha
    -Amrittothar Kadha
    -Amrutarishta
    -Turmeric teas prepared by boiling in water with little jaggery
    -Shallot or Sambar onion boiled in water along with Sunth Cumin Coriander and sizzled with pinch of Saindhav salt, esp if coughs, colds and congestion of head neck nose region is present.

Modern method of using NSAIDs to resolve fever and pains reduce the fever but if used for long become a cause of organ damage and reducing fever by drugs masks the disease developing thereby leading to misdiganosis and mistreatment or overmedications causing organ damage esp of liver and kidney- the detoxifying centres of human biome. Ayurveda allows the fever to reduce and resolve naturally, also helps the immune system and organs to detox the toxins so disease is not developed nor symptoms are masked leading to proper disease diagnoses.

  1. Sponging by cold ice packs if fever is too high.
  2. Covering by heavy blanket to induce sweating or Swedana to reduce fevers.
  3. Light to digest soup or Yusha preparation esp made from rosted moong dal and red rice ground to corse powder and boiled in water if feeling hungry.
  4. Rubbing pieces of cooling substances like Pumpkin Onion Ashguard or Dudhi on palms, soles, abdomen, head and forehead also helps to bring fevers down naturally.
  5. Dhupan or fumigation by Kapoor, dry leaves of Neem, Turmeric, Nirgundi, Aparajita along with dry coconut shells with little mustard oil or Goghrut added.
    Dhupana or Fumigation reduces humidity around and helps in reducing congestion and prevents positive ion poisoning. Also reduces the overload in the surrounding of floating particulate matters which may cause allergic responses.
    Kapoor can be used on electric Dhupdani. Ajwain kipping on hot plate and inhaling the vapurs are best for reducing blocked nasal cavity. Steam inhalation with added karpooradi oil or Karvol plus which contain essential oils can be used.
  6. Some medications which can be taken under medical supervision are
    Samshamani vati,
    Tribhuvankirti rasa, Bilwadi vati,
    Guduchi ghan vati Vettumaran gulika Dushivishari gulika,
    Bal guti
    Anand Bhairava rasa, Punarnavasav Dashmularishta,
    Maha Sudarshan Ghanvati. Mahasudarshan Kadha.

Written by Dr Madhuri Patil
M.D, (Ayurved Samihta & Siddhanta)

1.09.2024

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