Burps, flatulence, Vata balancing

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Balancing Vata

 

When Vata becomes unbalanced, the first acute symptom is either constipation,

vomits, burps or migraine/headache caused by acidic ama being carried to head

side. This simple thing may often cause admission to ER and quick ECG,

angiography and even angioplasty in some cases. However, vaidya can handle the

situation well and avoid all these complications.

 

Burrrrp…Burrrp….Burrp.. A patient kept burping every few minutes. No chest

pain, stomach pain, no burning sensation in oesophagous, throat. The patient

used to start burping within an hour after meals, and burps used to start even

if fingertips or hands were pressed at any location. Patient got admitted in a

well known hospital and the tests continued for nearly two weeks. The diagnosis

was GERD. Antacids were prescribed, which patient took faithfully for 6 weeks,

but burps continued. Hence patient visited the ayurvedic vaidya.

 

When food does not digest properly or in reasonable time, the fermentation by

stomach acids causes gas formation. Digestive track has continuous path with

some valves in between which open in forward direction only. So this gas escapes

through the anus, being termed as flatulance, relieving the dicomfort. If this

does not happen, the gas pressure causes heaviness and discomfort which is

difficult to describe. The pain slightly above navel is most commonly

experienced.

 

Now this is through experience, do not ask the reference lists. If the gas

escapes with sound, you will find it does not have foul smell. This is just air

ingested while chewing food. That is why it is recommended that we should not

talk while eating. Keep the mouth closed and chew well.

 

If the gas escapes in a single stroke with large volume passed out without

sound and smell, then too the gas this situation does not warrant any further

action.

However, if it requires effort to pass the gas and it has foul smell, there is

a strong fermentation, generation of acidic toxins. This was confirmed by pH

test of fecal matter in few cases.

 

All these cases can be taken care by modification of diet, meals style or

herbal powder.

But when the Vata, which causes the movement of the gas gets deranged, it can

become “stabdha” or “vistibdha” the increased heaviness in the stomach makes one

feel that he should either vomit out the food or the gas should escape in normal

downward direction.

 

When the gas direction becomes reversed, it can it assumes one of the two

directions. One direction is straight upward, in which cases it causes continual

burps. When direction becomes inclined, the burps get trapped and the gas causes

pressure on the chest muscles, diaphragm, lungs and stomach. This state is more

worrying. It may often cause following symptoms

pain in chest and surrounding areas

chest tightness, heaviness, suffocation feelings. Some rest or medicine may

stop the pain and other symptoms in some time. Such pains are termed angina

pains or angina pectoris.

Chest pressure, mild or heavy pain in chest, often patient unable to point out

where exactly pain is originating. Pains last upto 15 minutes.

other symptoms can differ widely from person to person. For instance

Pressure, heaviness in chest accompanied by tooth pain\

Pain in neck or jawbone

Pain in one or both hands, especially hind arms

Pain in upper shoulders or upper back

Feeling of trapped gas under the chest and above stomach region

Breathing difficulties

Yellowish color and sweating.

Any of above symptoms do they represent heart attack or angina pectoris?

 

A Vaidya knowing marma points can find the answer in one minute by examining

those points. If you get these symptoms after heavy dinner, do not ignore

them. The most widespread bad lifestyle is arranging heavy dinner in social

functions, where people invariably tend to stuff themselves. Chest pain, bloated

stomach, increased blood pressure, insomnia, headache, short breath are all due

to the overstuffing and trapped gas pressure as a result of fermentation.

Author will address angina pain in a separate post. One can mix Sodium bi

Carbonate powder(51%) and Tartaric acid powder(49%) and keep in a tight jar

bottle. When indigestion occurs, take half, one or one and half tsp (depending

on your constipation state, light, medicum or hard) of this mixture in warm

water. In an hour or two, you will get a motion and relief from pressure. Even

sodium carbonate ½ tsp with lemon juice and water mixed well will show similar

effect. Sodium Carbonate is Sajikhar in local language

in Mumbai. This remedy reduces acidity also and virechana action removes

vitiated pitta from digestive track. It is not addictive.

 

There are five types of Vata. Saman Vata is responsible for movement and

digestion of the food in stomach(Post#1443). The seat of this vata is in the

navel. When this vata’s movement becomes erratic, digestion gets affected and

other kinds of Vata also become affected, less efficient in their function. This

cascade effect is observed not only for Vata, but Pitta also. Even endocrine

glands exhibit this effect. That is the reason ayurveda is a wholistic science,

in sharp contrast to allopathy’s reductionist approach.

 

 

The lifestyle is as much important as food in strategies to fight vatic

unbalance, One should adopt breathing exercises, yogasanas and reduce stress and

sedentary life to balance Vata. Learn the techniques from a Yoga teacher or

Vaidya who is well versed in teaching Yoga too. Attend promptly to natural urges

of the body, which helps balancing Vata. Massage with navel as center, using

warm sesame oil or castor oil also helps in balancing Saman Vata.

 

There are certain medicines in ayurveda which balance this Vata rapidly. Many

good medicines use Bhasmas and author refrains from describing them here, since

Bhasmas have cast so many shadows in the minds of ayurveda community. If

you wish to avoid Bhasmas, you will have to resort to herbs only approach,

taking months instead of weeks for cure. For those who can prepare their own

potent herbal medicine, author gives a receipe:

 

Take Haitaki fruit small size. Fry it in castor oil at proper temperatures

which will cause enlargement of Haritaki fruit, but not deep frying. This is now

known as Gandharva Haritaki. Allow it to dry in shade. Powder it, mix in black

salt, ginger powder, ajwain powder, little asfoetida. This mixture can be made

more patient-specific by Vaidya by adding Chitrak, Chavak, other salts, black

peper, pippali etc. Taking 1-2 tsp of this mixture after meal with buttermilk,

helps balancing samana vata, so that digestion is improved Those who find it

difficult to take powders, they can take tablets made by adding lemon juice,

pomegranate juice or bijora juice (Citrus medica).

 

Ayurveda offers many other formulations which are mainly in the form of

powders, e.g. Hingashtak Churna, Samudradya Churna, Aampachak Churna, Lavan

Bhaskar Churna, Ajmodadi Churna, Kavyad Ras, etc which invigorate Agni to cause

better digestion. However, restrain yourself from trying self medication and

take proper medication under supervision.

 

Finally, if it is not possible to meet a vaidya in neighbourhood, author

suggests a simple home remedy.

 

Take a lemon fruit, cut it along longitudes partially to divide into four

parts but do not separate those parts. Put Saindhav salt, black peeper powder

and roasted cumeen seed powder into it. Tie the parts again with a thread and

let the lemon be exposed overnight to sky in balcony. It will absorb the early

morning dew and is ready to be used as medicine. Lick the juice of this lemon

first thing in the morning when stomach is empty. This medicine may be repeated

for 3-4 days. It will take care of flatulence, burps, unbalance in saman as

well as apana vata. So the heaviness of stomach will vanish, stomach will become

very light, gas/indigestion will reduce and hunger will increase.

Do not take hard laxative under any of the problems mentioned in this post.

You will be causing exhaustion of the colon.

[Guest indresh]

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