Dr. Suneeta Agarwal

According to Ayurveda, Panchakarma therapy aims at detoxifying the human body. “Pancha” means five and ‘karma’ means treatment. This comprises of 5 methods that are used to address the troublesome ‘doshas’ in the body. The excess doshas would be expelled and the ‘ama’ (toxins produced in the body) would be eliminated from the system through the body's own organs elimination channels (urinary tract, colon, sweat organs, digestive tract and the lungs). 

The features of ‘Panchakarma’ include herbal enemas, herbal and oil massages as well as oil showers. Ayurveda prescribes Panchakarma as a regular treatment for the upkeep of mental and physical cleanliness and balance.

Similar to other medicinal procedures, for Panchakarma Therapy you must consult a qualified Ayurvedic physician who can decide the individual's ‘prakriti’ (established nature of the patient), the nature of the problem and the proper dosage of the recommended treatments.

This therapy makes use of a large number of therapies. Sometimes, a combination of two or three processes can be administered. The five different therapies are:

1. Garshana: Garshana medications involve a dry lymphatic brushing of the skin either using a silk glove or a fleece. This improves blood circulation and cleanses the skin so that the oil and medication can seep naturally into the pores of the skin.
2. Abhyanga: This home based oil massage helps the mind and body to unwind and separates the polluting influence as well as stimulate both blood and lymph flow. It helps in toning the body, improving circulation, restoring energy and providing relaxation.
3. Swedana: It comprises of a typical steam treatment and is used to calm the head and heart, while the body warm. It also eliminates mental and physical toxins that are deeply embedded in the tissues. 
4. Pizichili: A non-stop stream of warm herbal oil is soothingly poured over the body by two Ayurvedic specialists as they back rub the body in impeccable harmony.
5. Udvartana: This is a deeply infiltrating lymphatic massage which uses a paste to restore the natural radiance while eliminating other toxic elements.

Polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS is a fairly common female hormonal disorder in which the affected woman produces a surplus of male hormones like testosterone.
And these high levels of androgens produce typical symptoms of PCOS like irregular ovulation or no ovulation at all.

The absence of ovulation, which actually makes a mature egg to release from the ovary every month, results in infertility.

What happens in PCOS ?

Most of the patients having PCOS are seen to have cysts in their ovaries. These cysts cause some hormonal disturbances. One hormone triggers the release of another hormone and so on. Therefore deficiency or excess of a particular hormone can cause imbalance in many other hormones too.

In PCOS, the levels of androgen are raised more than the normal limits. Androgens are the male hormones. They are present in small quantities in normal females. When the levels increase, these can cause disturbance in menstrual periods and cause delayed menses. Facial hair and hair on other parts of the body start appearing in females which are otherwise not present. The normal ovulation cycle also gets disturbed and ovulation gets delayed or does not happen at all.

Other symptoms of PCOS are –

1. Heavy vaginal bleeding because as the women with PCOS don’t ovulate and have normal periods, the lining of their uteri becomes thick leading to heavy bleeding and sometimes uterine cancer.
2. Weight- gain
3. Acne
4. Heart problems
5. Irregular periods
6. Migraines
7. More hair on body
8. Depression and mood swings
9. More chance of getting type-2 diabetes as these women are resistant to insulin

PCOS has no cure in mainstream allopathic medicine but Homeopathy can help alleviate PCOS symptoms in an effective manner though it takes time and patience.

Homeopathy For PCOS!! 

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is curable with the Homeopathic mode of treatment. Homeopathic treatment for polycystic ovarian syndrome is very safe and free from any side effect. Which Homeopathic medicine is required to extract the disease from its roots varies from case to case. Both the physical and mental spheres of the patient are thoroughly investigated while prescribing the Homeopathic medicine. The complete cure of PCOS is a time-consuming process and it cannot be expected in a few days. It requires complete observation regarding the change of symptoms in the patient and frequent clinical follow-ups.

Let’s take a look at a few homoeopathic cures for PCOS:

1. Sepia: This is touted as the best homoeopathic remedy for the cure of PCOS. The symptom that gets cured with sepia are late and scanty periods in women. The ovaries are enlarged and have fluid-filled cysts inside. Sepia is very effective in normalising menstrual flow. It also tackles abnormal hair growth on the face, especially on upper lips.
2. Pulsatilla: This homoeopathic medicine is excellent for starting menses that have been suppressed for a long duration. In such patients, periods are scanty and accompanied by pain. Pulsatilla works by removing the obstacles that cause the periods to be suppressed and this helps in the normalisation of periods.
3. Calcarea Carb: It normalises prolonged and profuse periods. Women presenting with the symptom of obesity are also helped by using Calcarea Carb.
4. Natrum Mur: It not only treats irregular periods but also helps the women conceive.
5. Thuja Occidentalis: This is the definitive homoeopathic medicine for treatment of retarded menstrual flow. Other indications for its use are the presence of multiple cysts in an ovary. Thuja has the innate capacity to dissolve and get rid of abnormal growths anywhere in the body. Thus, it is very effective in dissolving ovarian cysts too. Most women who require Thuja have cysts in the left ovary. Apart from this, Thuja is also very effective in treating hirsutism due to PCOS.

It is wrong to claim that homoeopathy treats PCOS completely. But it does work in correcting hormonal imbalances, regularising ovulation from the ovaries and restoring and normalising the menstrual cycle.
Homoeopathy may also help in dissolving the ovarian cysts which effectively eliminates the need for hormone therapy and surgery- the two common cures for cysts in allopathy.

If you are suffering from PCOS, we suggest that you consult an experienced homoeopath and take medicines rather than self-medicating. This is because a homoeopath will not suggest the same medicine for PCOS to two different patients as PCOS cure needs an individualistic approach. Also, manage your weight and stress levels to get relief from PCOS symptoms.

Fluid retention is a crushing problem faced by many across the world. The condition can be well understood by paying close attention to its name; the propensity of the human body to store water or fluids in general in the tissues leading to a swollen and bloated appearance can be referred to as 'fluid retention', edema or hydropsy. An observant person must have seen signs of fluid retention in people around. The condition usually surfaces in the form of swollen limbs that can result in soft depressed pits on the application of slightest pressure. Your arms, legs, feet and joints such as the ankles and wrists are more prone to the effects of edema.

The various ways in which fluid retention can be disastrous for your body have been laid down here:

1. Edema can impair your ease while walking. A person goes through so much of pain that walking becomes more of a challenge; limping comes naturally in such a situation. Thus, your gait can completely change under the effect of fluid retention.

2. Fluid retention in the joints can make your joints excessively stiff. It therefore prevents free movement, stretching or bending.

3. There can be alterations in the texture and health of your skin over the affected area. It may turn tender and may itch intermittently.

4. Skin ulcers are also a common phenomenon among patients of edema. Ulcers in the skin are hard to remedy and it is hence best to curb the possibility of their development.

5. Tissues that now have a higher content of fluids are larger in size and face friction between one another. This leads to scarring of tissues.

6. Improper blood circulation is a condition that comes along with edema. The blood vessels narrow down when tissues swell up. As a result, there is a sharp decrease in the amount of blood circulated throughout one's body.

7. Veins, arteries and joints lose their inherent elasticity in this case. Subsequently, expansion and contraction of joints may not take place involuntarily and may thus cause immense discomfort. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a doctor and ask a free question.