Ayurvedic Remedies for Common Skin Diseases

Dr. K. Nishteswar deserves congratulations for bringing out a handbook on Skin diseases, in the series of other books he authored in the recent past. This book helps practitioners of Ayurveda and Allopathic medicine as a ready reckoner (reference book) consisting of 72 pages which can be enlarged into a text book of several pages.

The external covering of human body is put to a great stress by the external environmental factors like dust, irritants, nonpathogenic and pathogenic organisms. The deleterious effects of these factors on the skin can be prevented by adopting Swasthavritta principles like Tailaabhyanga and udwarthana.

Though Twak (skin) is not a fulfledged 'Dhatu' like any one of the Saptha dhatus there is no 'Uttara dhatu' to it. It serves the body in its own way like any other Dhatu among the Sapta dhatus.

The morbidity of one or more vitiated Doshas surface on the skin culminating into a skin disease. Hence the skin is only an 'Adhishtana' for a group of diseases caused due to the vitiated Doshas. This is the case why the names of certain diseases are linked with the names of the organs of the body viz., Hridrogas, Yakrit rogas etc. Since these organs serve as Adhishtana and are being damaged structurally & functionally, the treatment is to be aimed at rectifying the damaged Adhishtana and the relevant morbid/ vitiated Doshas. This is a part of the holistic approach.

Our Acharyas have recommended Sun bath, 'Sweda karma', Raktha mokshana (Jaluka prayogam) as a part of treatment for skin diseases. These preliminary steps before drug treatment go a long way to assure success in curing/treating the skin diseases.

Sample Pages