​Alleviating Alzheimer’s With Ayurveda

Alzheimer’s is a brain disorder that severely affects one’s memory, thinking, learning, organizing, reasoning, and analyzing skills; and the ability to carry out simple daily activities It’s the most common cause of dementia. An Alzheimer’s disease is a physical disease that progressively affects the brain. It’s a progressive disease in the sense that, it gradually affects and damages more part of the brain, over time.
As the condition gets worse, the patients face difficulties with-

• Caring for themselves
• Recognizing their friends and family
• Carrying on a conversation or finding the right words
• Remembering recent information, events, places, and time 
• Performing simple daily tasks and activities like reading, writing, walking, swallowing, etc.
• Falling asleep

According to Ayurveda, Alzheimer’s disease is termed “smruthi nasha”. As Alzheimer’s disease is a problem of old age where “Vata Dosha” is much aggravated. It is said that Smritibhramsha can develop due to the consumption of unwholesome diet (dominant in Tamas & Rajas) and irregular physical activities which causes vitiation of Dosha affects the mind and body both and leads to Smritibhramsha. Dhatukshaya and Margavarodha are the cardinal aetiologies for the vitiation of Vata Dosha.
What causes AD:
The cause of Alzheimer's disease is poorly understood. About 70% of the risk is believed to be genetic with many genes usually involved. Other risk factors include a history of Head injuries, Depression and Hypertension.
 
 
Ayurvedic Treatment for Alzheimer’s disease:

• Complete Nourishment: The two variants of treatment in Ayurveda are; Apatarpana( aimed to reduce), and Santarpana( to nourish). The Santarpana treatment is being done in Alzheimer’s by using appropriate herbs.
• Removal of Causes: such as dryness, roughness, instability and high mobility in body or mind are the main causes for Vata aggravation.
• Healthy Diet and Lifestyle: What we eat thus reflects directly on our body. thus the need to properly manage diet and lifestyle is important.

Treatments:

• Panchakarma; A special part of treatment in Ayurveda aimed at removing toxins from the body and servicing it for a better efficacy. Vamana, Virechana, Basti, Nasya is advised
• Ayurveda therapies such as Rasayana therapies, Shiro Basti, Shiro Dhara, Shiro Pichu, Abhyanga are commonly prescribed for Alzheimer’s patients.

Herbs under Medhya Rasayana is used like

• Brahmi
• Sankhpushpi
• Ashwagandha
• Jatamansi
• Vacha

Activities:

• Specific Yoga Asanas, Pranayama (breathing techniques), meditation

Yoga and meditation have the following benefits:  

• Reverses memory loss
• Improves sleep quality
• Increases energy levels
• Improves psychological and spiritual well being
• Activates significant anatomical areas of the brain

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