Ayurveda Treatment For Indigestion

Indigestion is not a disease by itself. It is a symptom of many other diseases. It might be caused by some diseases in other parts of the body. Even without a disease one may suffer from indigestion by overeating or  eating wrong food in a wrong manner. It may result in a feeling of heaviness in the stomach, pain , vomiting, diarrhoea, nausea, acid eructation and burning sensation in the chest.

In ayurveda this condition is called agnimandhya. It is caused by the aggrevation of dosas viz. vata, pitta and kapha. Characteristic symptom of agnimandhya caused by the vitiation of these doshas are described in the classical textbook of ayurveda.

In brief, when vata is vitiated there is more pain associated, when pitta is vitiated there is more of burning sensation, when kapha is vitiated there is more nausea and vomiting.

According to ayurveda, psychic factors like anger, anxiety and worry also play an important role in the digestion of food. According to ayurveda food taken in time and in proper quantity doesnot get digested it the individual is suffering from these mental afflictions.

Ayurveda has also defined how to know whether previous meal is digested or not.  If the food is digested the individual gets eructations which are free from any smell, he becomes enthusiastic in his work, there is proper excretion of stool and urine, he feels lightness in the body and there is hunger and thirst.

Treatment
The patient affecting the chronic indigestion can be successfully treated with some home-remedies. Five minutes before taking the food he should take the raw ginger and a piece of rock salt. Both should be chewed thoroughly. This promotes the appetite and corrects the chronic indigestion. For both chronic and acute type of indigestion, hingwastak churna is popularly used by the ayurveda physicians for the treatment of indigestion. The important ingredient of this preparation is hinge(Ferula narthex). This medicine is used in the form of powder.  To get best effect this medicine, it is given to the patient mixed with the first morsal of food. One teaspoonful of this is given to the patient twice daily mixed with one teaspoonful of ghee. This powder can also be given to the patient after intake of food in the same dose. When indigestion is associated with pain, then mahasankha vati is given to the patient  in a dose of two tablets three or four times a day followed by a cup of warm water each time.

Diet
The patient should be given a light diet. It is better to observe fasting. Instead of taking any solid food the patient may be given a glass of lemon juice to which salt has been added. Garlic serves  a very useful purpose for correcting chronic indigestion. Butter milk is the diet of choice. For the treatment of all type of indigestion, it should be thin and free from fat. Asafoetida in the powder form is also used in this condition.

Other regimens
Sleep after lunch during day time produce indigestion and sleep before lunch during day time helps in digestion. This principle should be kept in view while treating the patient. In acute phase of indigestion the patient should be given physical and mental rest, but in chronic indigestion, the patint should be asked to take physical exercise. He shouldnot be kept awake at night. The patient should be kept free from worries and anxieties.