Increased body temperature due to vitiated Pitta is called Fever or “Jwara.” Usually pachaka Pitta is vitiated and it then affect rasa dhatu and Rasavaha channel. Low digestive fire is almost always associated with this disorder.
Ayurveda has classified ths disease into Vata type Pitta type, and Kapha type due to vitiation of all doshas. Tridoshic type has further been divided into 13 types by Charaka. It also has been dvided into 8 diferent types due to vitiation of doshas and tissues.
Some major types are newly developed chronic fevers. Thy can be due to internal or external causes (virus and bacteria), or can be from mild causes like dosha vitiation of Vata and Kapha type, to extreme vitiation of Pitta, with toxins and without toxins.
- Fevers with rashes: chicken pox, small pox, rubella, measles, scarlet fever, and erysipelas.
- Fevers with neurological disorders: meningitis, polio myletis.
- Viral fevers; dengue fever, flu, or influenza.
- Bacterial fevers: tuberculosis, typhoid, pneumonia, pleurisy, and syphilis. In various malignant disorders, malaria, and diseases of kidney, heart fever can be one of the symptoms.
The common treatment for all the fevers described below is fasting to destroy Ama or toxin I the system, slight internal fomentation with herbs having hot potency, and biter herbs.
Pitta Type
Symptoms
Sudden rise of temperature during afternoon, during digestion of food, or during midnight is common. It is accompanied with bitter taste in mouth, vertigo, yellowish discoloration of skin, diarrhea, or vomiting pitta from the stomach. There may be restlessness with irritability and disturbance in sleep.
Treatment
In acute condition when gigh fever is present, sponge the entire body with cold water and immediately dry the body. This should be carried out repeatedly until the temperature comes down to normal. In Ayurveda godanti oxide, a special mineral is used to bring down the temperature. In Chinese medicine, the mineral gypsum is used for the same purpose. Ideal herbs are swertia chirata, fumaria fficinalis, erythrina indica, katuki-picrorhiza kuroa and ocimum sanctum. Decoction of these herbs should be given.
In ama stage, tab. Sootashekhara 250 mgm, 3 to 4 times a day for 5 days is ideal.
In nirama stage, tab. Kamadugha 250 mgm, 3 times a day for 4 days is indicated. If they are not available, give western cooling diaphoretic herbs like boneset, catnip, chamomile, and chrysanthemum are useful in dose of 1 gm. twice a day for 7 days.
Kapha Type
Symptoms
Low grade fever with lethargy, nausea, vomiting sensation, indigestion, low digestive fire, cough, and cold are common symptoms.
Treatment
Herbs of choice are trikatu, katuki, and neem, root of piper longum and aconitum heterophyllum. In ama stage, tab. Kapha chintamani rasa (RSS) 50 mgm, 3 times a day with chaturbhuja rasa 50 mgm. 2 times a day for 7 days is ideal. In nirama stage, tab. Ananda bhairava rasa (RSS) 250 mgm, 3 times a day for 5 days r heating diaphoretic herbs like basil, angelica, camphor, cloves should be used.
Vata Type
Symptoms
Fever is present in the early morning hours or in the evening It is with various types of pain in the body like pricking, splitting. The pattern of ever is very irregular with anxiety, insomnia or sense of stiffness in the body. There may be body ache and pain in joints. Fever can be with chills and constipation.
Treatment
Herbs of choice are bhunimba (swertia chirata), musta (cyperus rotundus), guduchi (tinospora cordifolia), dry ginger and aconitum ferox.
In nirama stage, give decoctons of these herbs in dose of 15 ml. 3 to 4 times a day. In ama stage, tab. Tribhuvan kirti rasa, 250 mgm, 3 to 4 times a day for 7 days is indicated. Western heating diaphoretic herbs like eucalyptus, sage, thyme, wild ginger can be given.
Fever with ama
When toxins are present the rise in temperature is very quick and signs like delirium, coated white tongue, constipation, a sense of heaviness in the body, and a sense that organs are not functioning properly is presen.
Tab. Jwarankusha rasa 125 mgm, twice a day or tab tribhuvan kirti 250 mgm, 3 times a day for 5 days is ideal.
The symptoms ae similar to disease called “Rajayakshma.”Low grade fever usually having evening rise of temperature with cough is present in initial stage. Later on there may be and wasting. Although it is due to all doshas, low digestive and tissue fire, obstruction in channels and ama production is always there with Kapha predominant symptoms.
Treatment
Tonification should be done but care must be taken that Kapha should not be increased too much. Herbs of choice are sida cordifolia, ashwagandha, shatavari and marshmallow. There are various refuvenating preparations, which are herbal as well as mineral like chyvanaprasha jelly or other compounds containing purified gold oxides.
Tab. Laghu malini vasant 250 mgm, twice a day for 1 month or tab. Laxmivilas rasa 125 mgm, twice a day for 1 month is indicated.
Symptoms
This is called “parshvashoola” In Ayurveda. When vitiated Vata brings Pitta and Kapha into the respiratory system this disease is formed. It is of two types; due to vitiation of Vata, and due to vitiation of Pitta and Kapha. Usually this is due to tubercular infection. But it can be due to extension of inflammation from the adjoining organs or due to cancer. In initial stage there is catching type of pain during respiration. This is dry stage. When fluid starts accumulating in the pleural cavity, pain disappears. Low-grade fever is present from the beginning
Treatment
Herbs of choice in this condition are inula racemosus, adhatoda vasika, cyperous, acoitum- ferox and aconitum heterophyllum. Medicines indicated during dry stage are rasasindura 50 mgm. With vata kulantaka rasa 125 mgm. Twice a day for 15 days.
While talisadi 1 part, oxide of mruga shringa 1/8 part, rasasindura 1/8 part and mica oxide ¼ part in mixture – 1 gm. 2 times a day for 1month, are indicated for absorption of fluid from the pleural cavity.
Valnerary herbs are useful like marshmallow, selfheal, slippery elm, are also useful.
This is also high Pitta condition affecting upper respiratory tract. It can be due to some indication. Usually it is due to inflammation of pharynx, larynx or throat.
Treatment
Herbs of choice are trikatu, triphala, guduchi, curcuma, and cyperus. Tab. Guduchi 500 mgm, 3 times a day and tab. Gandhaka rasayana or tab. Guduchi Ghana gives good results
Fever is present with pain in the throat region and dysphagia or hoarsness of voice.
Gargling with hot water and pinch of salt and curcuma, 2 to 3 times a day is helpful. Tab. Guduchi 500 mgm, 3 times a day is indicated.
Symptoms
It is known as ‘vishama jeara.’ Ayurveda has classified this disease in four types: fever occurring twice every day, fever occurring on every second day, fever occurring on every third day, and fever occurring on every fourth day.
Treatment
Herbs of choice are aconite, cyperus, vasa, neem and swertia chirata and tinospora cordifolia. Popular Ayurvedic medicine is tab. Mahasudarshan 250 mgm, 3 times a day or tab. Samshamani 500 mgm, twice a day with amrutarishta 15 ml. 3 times a day for 15 days is ideal.
Similarly tab. Panchatikta ghanavati 250 mgm, or mahamruyunjaya rasa 150 mgm, twice a day is also useful. The latest research has shown that, artemisnin from Chinese Artemisia annua in dose of 50 mgm. 3 times a day for 15 days is very much useful for treating P. falciparum cases of malaria.
This is called “ jeerna jwara.” When low grade fever lasts for more than 3 weeks, it is also called as pyrexia of unknown origin. When Pitta vitiation is present for long time, Pitta becomes more dry, hot and penetrating quality, this causes Vata aggravation, the digestive fire becomes very low and all tissue formation gets impaired.
Treatment
For treating such type of chronic fever condition I is always better to use bitter herbs having antipyretic action with some oleating substance like ghee. Medicated ghee prepared with tinospora cordifolia, and azadirechta indica are the best. Thiscan be given in ose of 1 teaspon, twice a day for 1 month.
Similarly, mahatikta ghrit (SYS) or panchatikta ghrit (BR) should be given 1 rea – spon twice a day for 1 month.
Tab. Samshamani bati (SYS) 250 mgm, 4 times a day for 1 month is ideal, or tab. Neem 500 mgm, twice a day for 1 month, or tab. Suvarn malini vasanta 50 mgm, twice a day for 1 month is ideal in this condition.
Western herbs like golden seal, gentian are also useful to treat this condition. Once the fever is under control, tonification treatment with chyanprasha jam 1 teaspoon twice a day or tab. Shatavari 500 mgm, twice a day for 1 month can be given.
This is also called as “Santata jwara” because it is continuous type of fever lasting for 5 7, 10 days without coming to normal. All doshas and all tissues in the body are vitiated. Other than fever, there might be slight gastric disturbance and pink rash on the skin. If not properly treated, there is danger of perforation of small intestine. Patient should not be therefore given any strong purgative until the inflammation in intestine is subsided.
Treatment
Plenty of rest and a light diet is utmost essential, since all the tissue in the body is involved and the intestines are very weak. To control the infection and to achieve equilibrium of doshas and for giving energy to all tissues herbs having action of antibiotic nature like isatis, barberry, gentian, katuka should be used. Any of these can be used in dose of 1 gm. Twice a day for 15 days. Chines herbs like forsythia, scute, Echinacea are useful. Western herbs like phellodendron and golden seal have good effects as well.
It is Vata Kapha type of fever and is usually associated with symptoms like fever with chills, cold, running of nose, cough and headache. It can be due to exposure to cold air or wind, very cold and mucous forming foods and drinks or due to viral infection. It can occur in epidemics.
Treatment
Typical Ayurvedic herbs are nyctanthus arbortristis, basil, clove, mint, pippali and vasa. Any two in equal parts should be given 1 gm. twice a day for 15 days. Spicy herbal tea containing ginger, basil, and clove should be taken. Chinese decoction formula, which includes, ma- huang is also very effective. Tab. Tribhuvan kirti rasa (YR) 250 mgm, 3 times a day, or tab. Parijataka vati 250 mgm, 3 times a day for 7 days with hot water, are the medicines of choice.
Anti-Kapha and anti-ama diet should be prescribed. Fasting for at least 1 to 2 days with only light soup of vegetables or green gram. Drinking warm water treted with ginger, piper longum and piper nigrum or warm water with lemon juice and honey is useful. Vegetable soup or steamed vegetables are advised. Lemon and ginger juice with honey is lso good. Avoid all kapha forming diet like dairy and heavy, oily foods.
Infection can be in any organ, hence before starting the treatment, try to find out the focus of infection and then treat that particular organ. It may be due to some boil, abscess or infection in any organ. High fever is common symptom due to vitiated Pitta.
Treatment
For acute infectious fevers, rasasindura is special type of medicine (cooked in glass shell) are useful. For treating chronic infectious fevers, use of bitter herbs e.g. tinospora cordifolia, adhatoda vasika, azadirechta indica are indicated. Tab.Guduchi Ghana (prepared by boiling decoction of guduchi, till it becomes hard) 125 mgm, twice a day or tab. Ananda bhairava rasa (RSS) 250 mgm. 3 times a day for 7 days should be used.
It is Kapha-Pitta type of fever affecting respiratory system. Sudden high fever with dyspnoea, cough, pain in chest is very common. In some types these symptoms are present without apparent fever in the beginning. Later on high fever appeara. This can be due to infection from different types or bacilli or virus.
Treatment
Herbs that are useful are inula racemosus and vasa. To bring down the temperature immediately, use godanti oxide 50 mgm, 3 to 4 times a day or gypsum ash 50 mgm, with rasasindura 25 mgm. 3 times a day, or deerhorn ash (mruga shrunga) 25 mgm, 3 times a day.
Tab. Shlemakalanala rasa (RSS 125 mgm, twice a day with juice of ginger is also very effective
Use mixture of sitopaladi or talisadi powder 500 Mgm. Each and rasasindura and mica oxide 50 mgm, each, twice a day.
Western herbs like comfrey root, slippery elm and dandelion are also useful.
