The Monsoon malady

Monsoon brings in its wake, a number of maladies. Most of our cities have poor storm water drainage system and it is very common to see the mixing of rain water and the sewage. People are forced to wade through roads stagnant with sewage water. Naturally, viral and Bacterial infections rise above normal levels and the doctor’s clinics and Hospitals are full with patients suffering from viral fever, food poisoning and gastro enteritis.
Gastro – enteritis is a word covering a group of stomach disorders caused by infection with a micro – organism or toxins. Gastro – enteritis means, more specially, inflammation of the stomach and Intestine usually due to virus or bacteria or to food poisoning toxins. It consists of diarrhoea (mild to severe), vomitting, nausea etc. The illness usually lasts 3-5 days. In some cases of severe infections (Viral), the illness may last for months. Though Gastro – enteritis may not by itself serious, it can cause life – threatening dehydration.
Causes:
? Contaminated water & food are the main causes. Infection by viral and bacterial micro – organisms could be water – borne. Contaminated water is sometimes drunk unexpectedly such as while swimming in a contaminated pool.
? Some bacteria, like E.Coli, shighella etc invade the lining of the intestine. There they damage cells, causing ulcerations that bleed and allow considerable leakage of body’s electrolytes. More than the bacteria, several tough viruses, such as Rota virus and the Norwalk virus cause gastro – enteritis. Rota viruses cause most cases of serious gastro – enteritis that need hospitalisation. Some Intestinal parasites like Giardia lamblia and cryptosporidium cause Diarrhoea. A list of viruses & bacteria that cause gastro – enteritis is given separately.
? Under cooked and unpasteurised food can get contaminated with bacteria.
? Infections could be transmitted from person to person, as Gastro – entirites is a highly contagious disease.
? Over indulgence in food, incompatible food may cause Gastro – enteritis.
? Travellers to countries with poor sanitation systems
? Eating chemical toxins like poisonous mushrooms, sea food.
? Ingestion of water or food containated with lead, mercurry & arsenic
? Eating large amounts of citrus fruits or tomatoes may also induce gastro enteritis.
Symptoms
? Sudden loss of appetite, vomiting and nausea
? Diarrhoea is the most common symptom and may be accompanied by visible blood and mucus
? Audible rumbling of stomach and abdominal cramps
? Pain in the intestine swollen with gas
? The intensity of gastro – enteritis varies from person to person depending on the type of micro – organism or toxin ingested, resistance power of the body and age.
? These could be fever, aching of muscles and exhaution.

Action
Cause serious diarrhoea, vomiting and fever especially the roto virus causes most damage among infants. Hospitalisation may become necessary

Spiral, motile gram negative bactoria The vaiety C. intestinalis /Jejuni is a common cause of infective diarrhoea, often bloody, and watery, lasting upto 1 day to a week or more. Abdominal pain, muscle & joint pain, may also occur.

Gram negative, motile, rod like bacteria causes, food poisoning, gastro – enteritis and septicaemia. High fever, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea are the symptoms that last for 3 – 7 days

Genus of non – motile rod like gram – negative bacteria, normally present in the intestines of men and animals. They ferment carbo – hydrates without the formation of gas. The species S. dysenteriae causes bacillary dysentry.

Gram – negative, motile, rod like bacteria causes sudden watery diarrhoea that becomes bloody, abdominal gamb

Causes diarrhoea

Acute infection of Intestine – causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea. Can lead to serious dehydration.

Causes giardiasis (Lambliasis) Inabation period 12 -19 days. Sudden onset of foul – smelling diarrhoea, abdominal pains, weight loss, nausea etc. A long term illness and the symptoms may resolve in 3 months

A genus of widely distributed amoebae of which some species are parasites of human digestive tract. It invades and destroys the tissues of Intestinal wall causing dysentry. The parasite may spread to the liver and causes an abscess. Symptoms are bloody diarrhoea, weight loss, abdominal pain and fever.

Watery diarrhoea with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting. Symptoms may resolve in 1 – 3 weeks.

Ayurvedic perception of Gastro – enteritis
In Ayurveda parlance, “Grahani” is the word that denotes digestive disorders. According to Ayurveda, digestive disorders occur when the “Agni” – the digestive ‘fire’ – is disturbed by wrong foods, misapplication of evacuative measures, suppression of natural urges and not eating the foods prescribed for each season. Ayurveda considers indigestion as the common basis for Grahani
The undigested food retained in the stomach may become toxic, join the Tri – doshas and give rise to a variety of disorders. Vomiting, diarrhoea may expel the undigested food stagnant in the stomach. Elimination of undigested food by diarrhoea is the significant feature of “Grahani” – disorders. A test of undigested food is that the stools would sink in water.
The treatment of Grahani consists of lightening the disgestive system. Besides treatment, Ayurveda strongly advocates a strict diet regimen. The “pathya” for gastro – enteritis is:-
1. Grains – Rice (60 days old), Khichadi, ‘Conjee’ made of roasted rice flour, barley, green gram
2. Meat of partridge, Quail
3. Curd (Preferably top layer), Butter milk ghee and fresh butter. Butter milk is an excellent drink for gastro – enteritis
4. Oil – sesame Avoid milk.
5. Vegetables – Bottle gourd, plantain flower, coriander leaves, curryleaves, carrot
6. Fruits – Apple, Wood apple, Pomegranate, Jamun
7. Other – Nut meg, Cumin Seeds, Coriander seeds etc.
Avoid – Wheat, Corn, all types of leafy vegetables, mutton, beef, pork, crabs, lobster, Grapes, Figs, Mango, Pineapple, water melon, Papaya, Coconut, Sugar cane, Pumpkin, Cucumber, all tubers (except carrot), Spices like Clove, Cinnamon etc. Pickles, Fried, Oily Food, Cashew Nuts jaggery etc.
Home remedies
A. Diarrhoea
1. Drink plenty of buttermilk.
2. Carrot soup halts dehydration. Boil 1/2 kg of carrot in 150 ml of water, till the carrots become soft. Strain the pulp. The resultant juice, added with salt, may be given in small quantities.
3. Pomegranate juice (50 ml) can be given.
4. Turmeric powder mixed with water or buttermilk can be given.
5. Liquids like Arrow root water, rice gruel, barley water and coconut water are beneficial.
6. Mint juice and lime juice, in the quantity of 1 teaspoon each and mixed with honey can be taken.

B. Dysentry
1. Lemons, peeled and sliced are boiled in water and then strained. This infusion, given thrice a day, is helpful.
2. Bael fruit is a good medicine for dysentry. Take one tablespoon of the pulp of the Bael fruit mix it with equal quantity of jaggery and give thrice daily to the patient. The pulp of Bael fruit, mixed with an equal quantity of dried ginger should be given with butter milk.
3. Take about 60 grams of pomegranate rind and boil it in 250 ml of milk. Remove from fire when one third of the milk has evaporated. Give this to this patient thrice daily in equal doses.

Ayurvedic medicines for diarrhoea and dysentry
Ajamotharkkam, Karpurathyarkkam, Pappularishtam, Jeerakathyarishtam, Kudajarishtam, Thadimastakha Churanam, Gangadhara Churanam, Jadhi balathi Churanam, Astachari Kudika, Karpoorathi Rasa, Lasunnadhi, Vati, Panchamirtha Parppati vilvathi lehiyam.