Article Details

Constipation and its Management according to Ayurveda | Original Article

Saurabh Kumar Khare*, D. S. Agrawal, Akhilesh Shrivastava, in Journal of Advances and Scholarly Researches in Allied Education | Multidisciplinary Academic Research

ABSTRACT:

Clearing of bowels is a step towards good health. There is a feeling of being uncomfortable and routine work is hampered when the bowels of a person are not cleared. Constipation is one of the most common gastrointestinal complaints all over the world resulting in over two million reported cases annually. The prevalence of constipation around the globe is about 10 whereas in India it is about 14 higher than the world average. Generally, a person is considered to be constipated when bowel movements result in the passage of small amounts of hard and dry stool, usually fewer than three times a week. WHO reports that more than 80 of the world's population specially in developing in develops countries dependent on herbal medicine. Constipation can be broadly classified into two types a) Casual or temporary b) Chronic or habitual. Ayurveda describes in Charaka samhita and Sharangdhara Samhita various herbs and their preparations for restoring normal evacuation of GI tract. These include – Vatanulomaka (Carminative), Sramsana (Laxative), Bhedana (Purgative) and Rechana (Cathartics). The present communication deals with the management of constipation with its Ayurvedic perspectives and mode of action of Ayurvedic and modern aspects.