:: September 2005 Volume 4/Number 6

Ayurveda Q&A

By Dr. Jay Apte

Ayurveda has been practiced in the U.S. only about 25 years, yet it is the 5000 year old Indian system of medicine and yoga's sister science. Readers are invited to submit questions for "Ayurveda Q & A" to ayurveda@layogamagazine.com.

Q: I have been suffering from hand dermatitis for several years now. I’ve been a nail biter and now I also bite at the skin on my hands when the skin begins to peel. It’s now become a nervous habit to bite at my hands. When I’ve seen a dermatologist I’m diagnosed with hand dermatitis and told to stay away from water as much as possible, so I’m always wearing gloves in the shower, in the kitchen (it’s insane).
My question is: With hand dermatitis, is there something internal causing this horribly embarrassing skin problem? Is there any other remedy other than taking ointment steroids or even the new cream Elidel?

Dr. Apte: You can see how an imbalance in the body can escalate to such a major problem. From your question, I see that you have vata aggravation. (I don’t know your body type but most probably it is vata predominant.)

Aggravated vata causes nervousness which may make you bite your nails. Dry skin may make you bite your hands. Your doctor told you to stay away from water, so it is getting drier, worsening your problem.

You guessed it right! Something internal is causing this embarrassing skin problem. What is going on inside, shows outside. To look good outside, you have to take care of inside - mainly your digestion.

Following will be an Ayurvedic prescription for you:

• First, Stay away from steroids, they do the body harm.
•Massage your hands with warm sesame oil everyday and your whole body twice a week. It will moisten your skin.
• Drink one glass of warm water with 1 tsp. ghee early in the morning on empty stomach, it will lubricate your whole digestive tract and also help have a good bowel movement.
• Get Shirodhara done from an Ayurvedic practitioner.
• Meditate and do pranayama in the morning it will help calm your mind.
• Plan your day’s activities and most importantly stick to the list - it will reduce your anxiety and nervousness.
• Eat warm nourishing foods three times a day with just a little more salt - salt helps to retain moisture.
• Eat a few nuts as a snack. Nuts will moisten the body.
• Drink plenty of water to hydrate your body.
• Do yoga 2-3 times a week.
• Take triphala - 1 tsp. at night to regularize bowel movement.
• Herbs such as Brahmi, sandalwood, jatamansi, jyotishmati, shankhapushpi are very calming for the mind.

Q: I have a regular routine that includes healthy food and yoga, but I continue to have acne problems. Internally, I've tried a lemon in the morning as well as flax oil for many months and that seems to help, but I still have acne mostly on the sides of my face and neck, where a beard would be. I am a kapha/pitta type.

Dr. Apte: Aa Ha! Conventionally healthy and Ayurvedically healthy diet are two different things. Conventional healthy diet is one size fits all, but we are not born one size only. Life is beautiful because we all are of different sizes and shapes, colors and personalities.
You mentioned that your constitution is kapha/pitta and you have recurring acne. Pitta people are destined to suffer from acne and it gets worse in summer.
Your goal should be to follow a pitta pacifying diet, life style and take bitter, astringent herbs especially during pitta season (summer). (Bitter and astringent herbs are good for both kapha and pitta.)
Try following:
• Eat more cooling foods like salads, grains, fruits, vegetables and stay away from hot spicy foods like Indian curries, Mexican salsa, salty junk foods like chips crackers, pretzels, and sour foods like alcohol, oranges, etc.
• Eat three meals. Do not skip meals. (breakfast around 7-8 A.M., lunch around noon and dinner around 7 P.M.)
• Cut down on alcohol if you are taking it regularly.
• Stop going out in the sun. Take a walk in the early morning or in the late evenings. Swimming is another good activity.
• Do not stay up late at night beyond 11.00 P.M.
• If your job is very stressful, do yoga, pranayama (especially left nostril pranayama, sheetali and shitkari).
• Wash your face with cool water twice a day.
• Herbs such as Manjishtha, Turmeric, Arjun, Amalaki, Chandan benefit internally as well as externally as a face mask.
Try this for few weeks and experience the difference between conventional and an Ayurvedic approach. You will be glad to follow Ayurveda.

Q: I suffer from clammy palms that can be embarrassing in social situations where I meet people and shake hands. I can appreciate how unpleasant this is for the other person! What Ayurvedic treatments or remedies can you recommend?

Dr. Apte: Excessive sweating is pitta tendency. Due to lot of internal heat, the body tries to cool down by excess sweating, especially palms.
Do you exercise a lot? Or do you do lot of outdoor activities in the Sun?
The first step is to know your body constitution (Prakriti). Then think about, if your diet and life style is pitta aggravating. If it is, then modify it to pitta balancing.

• Eat more beans and vegetables instead of meats. Eat more grains during meal times. Eat more cooling fruits: watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, etc. as a snack instead of crackers, pretzels and chips and salsa. Stop staying up late at night. (See more pitta balancing tips in question related to acne)
• You can try one more pitta balancing treatment take 4 tbsp. castor oil early in the morning on an empty stomach. Do it on a weekend. You will have few loose motions (off and on for 4-5 hours). Eat khichadi or light foods that day) This is an excellent way to cleanse pitta and excess heat from the body.
• Cooling herbs such as Amalaki, Sandalwood and guduchi are excellent for your problem.
Less heat is less sweat and less clammy hands.

Q: Are there Ayurvedic treatments for Parkinson's disease? The situation we are looking at seems to be quite advanced, but it might also be helpful for people to know when Parkinson’s is diagnosed in its beginning stages.

Dr. Apte: A word of caution: It is difficult to generalize certain diseases that can become severe when advanced. So, it is better to see an Ayurvedic practitioner. Prevention is always better than treatment. Kampavata - described in Charaka Samhita has symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease generally happens in the vata life cycle starting around the age of 50.

• Special Ayurvedic treatments besides a vata balancing diet and life style are:
• Herb Kapikacchu (Macunna Pruriens) 4-5 gms/day with ghee. Ashwagandha, bala, Brahmi help strengthen and balance nervous system and muscles.
• Snehana (oil massage) with bala oil, and swedana (steam treatment) help to reduce vata and balance nervous system.
• Brahmi Nasya (medicated nasal oil drops) also helps to pacify vata.
Other Preventative tips are:
• Staying away from cold, dry, windy climates.
• Avoiding cold, dry light foods such as ice, salads, pop corn, etc. and cold drinks.
• Preventing excessive exercise.
• Setting up a routine and sticking to it.
• Practicing yoga and pranayama.
• Regular walking or light exercise.

Q: There is a condition my sister-in-law is dealing with called spinal stenosis. Hers is located in the lower spine and she is in pain almost constantly and is walking bent over. She has tried many treatments, including yoga, and she is now facing surgery. What would you recommend?

Dr. Apte: Some times it is difficult to recommend something unless we see the whole picture. Ayurvedic diagnosis could be totally different than conventional diagnosis. Ayurveda treats the cause not the symptom so, seeing the client and evaluating him/her Ayurvedically is very important. So, in such an advanced condition I prefer not to suggest anything unless I see a client.

Q: If you continue taking an Ayurvedic herbal formula like triphala, will you become dependent on it?

Dr. Apte: It is good idea to take triphala for 2-3 months in a row and then take a break for 2-4 weeks. Take triphala with different anupanas (anupana is something you take with the herb, e.g. warm water, milk, honey, ghee, etc.) at different seasons. In spring take it with honey and warm water, in summer with rock sugar and water and in fall and winter with ginger or pippali and warm water.

Jay Apte, BAMS, earned her degree in doctor of Ayurveda (BAMS) in India and is a traditional Ayurvedic physician. Dr. Apte regularly schedules consultations in Los Angeles at Dancing Shiva & Ayurveda, Ph: 323-934-VEDA. Reach her at www.herbalcare.com.

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