In medical practice, doctors have to treat a variety of diseases. In this few are easily treated, few need extra care and few diseases offer a lot of challenges to treating doctors.
In Ayurveda also there is categorization of diseases based on disease intensity and treatment to be followed. One such category of disease is called Kshudra rogas or minor medical ailments. These diseases are called Kshudra rogas as they are of lesser severity in comparison to other diseases. Mukhadooshika or Acne Vulgaris is considered as one such ailment.
Acne is a chronic skin condition which appears during adolescence and in some it bothers in adult life too. Acne breakouts affect skin but if it is in severe form, it can affect self-confidence. In adolescents small acne here and there is very common, and it usually fades off after some time. However, in some cases Acne breakouts may occur in clusters on the cheeks, forehead and even shoulders, back and chest making it a matter of concern.
Today I will narrate a case of severe acne break out in an 18-year-old girl and how Ayurveda helped her to come out of her medical ailment
One day a girl came to OPD with her face completely covered with a scarf. After providing her basic details like, name, age etc, I asked her what made her visit me and at this juncture she started crying. After a few seconds of pause, I again tried to comfort her then she told me she is having pimples all over her face. As a doctor I knew it’s not a serious health threat, but in a few individuals the visually unpleasant appearance of Acne makes them lose their confidence with Acne breakouts. I thought the same is the case with this dear girl. After a few comforting words, I asked her to remove the scarf so that I could figure out the intensity. After a few seconds of hesitation, she slowly opened her scarf and to my surprise it was a very severe variety of acne broke out.
Now I understood what made her cry and lose self confidence. She said from 3 months she has done experimentation with different tried-and-tested ways to get rid of pimples but in vain. Now she is hopeful that Ayurveda can help her to get rid of her issue. I decided to accept this case and make this girl regain self-confidence and smile, which she has totally lost.
During history taking, I tried to elicit dietary factors which might be influencing as Ayurveda believes in finding out causative factors and staying away from it itself is a treatment. In this case it was noted that the patient was having a habit of consuming spicy foods, fast foods, and deep fried items very often.
Apart from food habits of individuals, even lifestyle plays a key role in disease occurrence and in this case exposure to dust and experimenting with cosmetics of different brands for facial skin glow was noted.
After careful examination it was decided that the patient is in a stage where Doshas are in abnormal state and to bring back these Doshas into normalcy Shodhana (Bio purification) in sequence was planned.
Vamana as a first purification was planned. It is the doctor induced therapeutic procedure where vitiated Doshas will be thrown out of the body by making patient vomit. After subjecting patient for prerequisite procedures like deepana – Pachana(to improve the digestive capacity ), Sneha pana (drinking medicated ghee), Abhyanga and Sweda (full body massage and Sudation therapy) patient was subjected to Vamana. After comfortably removing vitiated doshas out of the body, the patient was instructed to follow the diet plan which was provided. 50% reduction in symptoms were observed. Then after the gap of 10 days it was time to go for second purification therapy which was Virechana (Purgation). Here vitiated Doshas were removed by making patient purges. After virechana Karma 80 percent improvement in signs and symptoms observed. After the gap of 7 days the patient was subjected to Jalokavacharana (Leech therapy). Here leeches procured from licensed leech rarer were used to let out the vitiated blood.
After this therapy there were no fresh eruptions but as we all know acne has its residual impact interns of marks and scaring. So the patient was prescribed Mukha lepas (face pack) which was a combination of drugs like Manjista, Yastimadhu, Neem and Chandan powder. Patient was suggested to modify the diet and lifestyle and to consume Shamanoushadhis (oral medication).
After two months this girl entered my chamber with a broad smile, Twinkle in her eyes and with confidence. As a doctor it was the most satisfactory moment as the patient regained her lost smile……
