Diphtheria - Ayurvedic and Herbal Treatment

Ayurvedic Name: Rohini

What is a Diphtheria ?

Diphtheria is a bacterial infection that spreads easily and occurs quickly, usually affecting the mucous membranes of your nose and throat. It is caused by a bacteria named Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Corynebacteria are Gram-positive, aerobic, nonmotile, rod-shaped bacteria.

Diphtheria causes a thick gray coating at the back of the throat, which makes hard for the person to breathe and can result in suffocation. Toxins produced by the bacteria may affect the tissues and organs throughout the body and can result into a serious problem as inflammation of the heart, heart failure and paralysis.

What are the causes of Diphtheria ?

Diphtheria is caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae bacteria, which infects the throat and skin.

Diphtheria is mainly spread from person to person by direct contact with people who have the disease or carry it. It can also be spread by touching that thing, which infected person has used e.g. tissue or a cup, it can also be transmitted by face-to-face contact. The Corynebacterium diphtheriae bacteria lives in the infected person's nose, throat, skin, or eye discharges, and are passed from one person to other through the tiny droplets in sneezes and coughs.

The person may get diphtheria by touching the open sores of someone with skin diphtheria. Transition of bacteria through this medium is very common in tropical countries and in any area with crowded conditions and inadequate hygiene. Skin diphtheria causes a rash that is hard to distinguish from impetigo.

Diphtheria can also be spread via bloodstream to other organs, where it can cause significant damage. Although the toxin can damage any tissue, the heart - but infection in throat is most common and it produces a characteristic gray coating inside the throat, making it hard to breathe.

A person who has the disease may get infected within two and four weeks, but sometimes when the person does not gets infected then also he may the carrier of the bacteria for a longer. The bacteria of diphtheria may increase and multiply on the moist parts of the mouth and throat, where they cause inflammation.

Diphtheria was once quite common, but has now is a very rare disease and has largely been eradicated in all developed nations. Now in United States there are as less as just 5 persons suffering per year, as the DPT (Diphtheria- Tetanus - Pertussis ) vaccine is started being given to all school children. Adults who have had DPT immunization as children should get a booster of the vaccine as the benefits of the vaccine decrease with age.

What are the symptoms of Diphtheria ?

Diphtheria is a disease which mainly occurs in the autumn and winter season and it affects all age persons, but mostly found in children. Early symptoms of the disease are inflammation of throat and mild fever. It is rare among infants up to the age of six months. According to Ayurveda, diphtheria is the result of the vitiation of the kapha. Symptoms of Diphtheria may vary from person to person.

Some of the common symptoms of diphtheria are listed below:

The disease typically causes a bad sore throat.
Drooling (suggests airway obstruction is about to occur).
Mild fever and chills.
Bloody, watery drainage from nose.
Swollen glands
Feel weakness.
Fatigue.
High pulse rate.
A hallmark sign of this disease is a thick, gray covering which develops at the back of your throat, making it very difficult to breathe.
Diphtheria can also infect your skin. Bluish coloration of the skin may be caused by lack of oxygen.
Skin lesions can be seen in cutaneous diphtheria (usually seen in the tropics).
The infection also causes the lymph glands and tissue on both sides of the neck to swell to an unusually large size.

Children which get infected from diphtheria have symptoms that include

Nausea.
Vomiting.
Chills.
A high fever.

As the infection progresses, the person may:

Complain of double vision.
Have slurred speech.
Even show signs of going into shock.
Sometimes diphtheria may also lead to heart failure or arrhythmia.

Although some people do not show symptoms until the infection has progressed further. They can also spread the infection. The victim has difficulty breathing and cannot talk. Skin diphtheria causes a nasal discharge and excoriated skin around the nose. In 10% of cases, patients experience neck swelling. These cases are associated with a higher risk of death.

Diphtheria Treatment and Prevention Tips

Diphtheria is a medical emergency and the person must be admitted in a hospital immediately. A delay in treatment can result in death or long-term heart disease. The person should be given a medicine (diphtheria antitoxin) to fight the diphtheria poison and antibiotics to fight the diphtheria bacteria.

In case of breathing difficulty, patients may require mechanical assistance for breathing.

DPT (Diphtheria- Tetanus - Pertussis ) vaccine is very essential for diphtheria and must be given to every child and adults also must be given as its benefits are lowered to minimum as the age increases.

Ayurvedic Remedies for Diphtheria

Ayurvedic Medicine I

Ingredients :

a) Shuddha Visha.
b) Kasturi Bhairava.
c) Shringa Bhasma.
d) Kalaka Churna.

Procedure :

Take 20 mg of Shuddha Visha, 30 mg of Kasluri Bhairava, 30 gm of Shringa Bhasma and 240 mg of Kalaka Churna . Now mix all of them properly. This dose to be taken every three hours till relief is noticed.

Ayurvedic Medicine II