AGNIMANDYA is decreased digesting capacity of agnis, particularly, jatharagni, which aids digestion. The aggravation of vata, pitta and kapha leads to this disease. Excess of vata leads to pain in the stomach, pitta leads to burning sensation in the stomach and kapha leads to nausea and vomiting in the stomach.

INDIGESTION is defined as the inability to digest or a difficulty in properly digesting food in the alimentary tract.

Ø AGE WISE EFFECT: Indigestion is more common in children and older age, but can affect anyone. The reason for this is that children prefer junk food which takes a lot of time to digest resulting in the symptoms and elder people due to reduced digestive capacity may have this disease.

Ø ECONOMIC STATUS: This affects all people for different reasons, eating overly rich foods, not being able to afford healthy foods, being too busy to eat foods with proper nutrition, etc.

TYPES:

• Related to Oesophagus.
• Related to Stomach.
• Related to Duodenum.
• Related to Small Intestine.
• Related to Large Intestine.

RELATED TO OESOPHAGUS:

·Food getting stuck - Initially hard foods like meat or dry bread gets stuck. If severe, even softer foods or liquid can get stuck. Food getting stuck is often accompanied by pain.

·Heartburn - A burning feeling in the center of the chest sometimes combined with an acid taste in the back of the mouth. Usually may worse by eating a large meal, straining or leaning forward. This is a long standing problem in many people caused by acid from the stomach refluxing back into the oesophagus.

RELATED TO STOMACH:

·Classic indigestion comes on shortly after food and is a described burning discomfort in the top of the abdomen which tends to come and go. This is caused by irritation of the stomach wall.

·If there is vomiting several hours after food and the food is clearly not digested this may be due to an obstruction of the stomach.

RELATED TO DUODENUM:

If discomfort starts on an empty stomach (several hours after food) it is more likely because of an ulcer or irritation of the section of gut which immediately follows the stomach called the duodenum.

RELATED TO SMALL INTESTINE:

Interference in the function of the small bowel often leads the colicky pain. This means the pain, usually in the centre of the abdomen, start slowly then build up into a severe spasm then quite quickly resolve only to build up gradually again. This may indicate partial obstruction of the small bowel.

RELATED TO LARGE INTESTINE:

·Associated with constipation. This is mainly constant on the left lower side of the abdomen, if severe there may be some mild colicky type pains.

·Associated with diarrhoea. This is often associated with a discomfort in the lower abdomen. If severe it may be associated with colicky pains.

CAUSES:

• Faulty eating
  
• Intake of high fat diet.
• Stressful conditions.
• Addiction of smoking.
• Addiction of alcohol.
• Peptic ulcers.
• Presence of gall stones.
• Inflammation of gall bladder.
• Inflammation of oesophagus.

SYMPTOMS:

• Abdominal Pain.
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Burning sensation in the upper abdomen.
• Feeling uncomfortable.
• Feeling sluggish.
• Belching.
• Flatulence.
• A bitter taste in the mouth from stomach acid coming up into the oesophagus.

TREATMENT OF CONSTIPATION

• Precautions
• Home remedies
• Ayurvedic remedies
• Yoga asanas

PRECAUTIONS:

• Avoid triggering foods.
• Reduce stress.
• Quit smoking and alcohol.
• Avoid doing exercise with a full stomach.
• Avoid overeating.
• Avoid taking too much coffee.
• Do at least one meal fasting if the symptoms appear.
• Avoid sleeping immediately after meals.
• Do regular morning or evening walk.
  
• Avoid tight clothing around the abdomen.

HOME REMEDIES:

• Chewing a small piece of fresh ginger with table salt 5 or 10 minutes before meals is good to stimulate digestion.
• Take an equal amount of black pepper, dried mint leaves, ginger powder, coriander seeds, cumin (jeera) and asafoetida (hing). Grind them together to make fine powder. Take one teaspoonful of this powder twice a day after meals.
• Drinking buttermilk (lassi) after breakfast or lunch improves digestion. Adding roasted cumin seed powder and a little of salt into buttermilk enhances its effectiveness.
• Taking plain soda water gives immediate relief from symptoms of gas, distended abdomen and acidity.
• Mix equal parts of baking soda and water in a glass. Drink as soon as you feel indigestion coming.
• Half a glass of carrot juice mixed with equal quantity of water is useful in this disease.
• Mix a tablespoon of lemon juice in a cup of hot water and drink it before a meal to prevent acid indigestion.
• Drink one cup of ginger tea after meals to promote a good digestion and for heartburn, nausea, etc.
• Take 1 tsp each of mint juice, lemon juice, and honey.
• Mix 2 pinches of rock salt and 1/2 tsp carom seeds (ajwain). Chew it and wash it down with water for upset stomach or indigestion

AYURVEDIC REMEDIES:

• Agnitundi Vati– 1-2 tablets with warm water BD
• Avipattikar Churna– 1 TSF with water BD
• Hingwashtak Churna– 1 TSF with warm water BD
• Lashunadi Vati – 2 tab with warm water after meals BD
• Vyoshadi Vati– 1 tab 7-8 times in a day to be sucked
• Chitrakadi Vati – 2 tab with warm water TDS

YOGA ASANAS:

• Paschimothasana
• Salabhasana
• Mayurasana
• Vajra asana
• Dhanur asana

NOTE – Don't take any medication or any asana without the advice of a doctor.

Queries if any may please be addressed to dr_upneet@yahoo.co.in