Dr. Payal Khandelwal
29 March, 2016
Rogaschaharasambhava!
As aptly mentioned in Ayurveda, faulty dietary habits lead to diseases of Gastrointestinal (GI) origin. Today's sedentary lifestyle and stress further aggravates the problem. Statistically speaking Gastrointestinal disorders constitute about 60-65% of clinical cases and show both psychosomatic symptoms (related to both body & mind).
Causative factors for all Gastrointestinal disorders as per Ayurveda:
a) Physical causes
- Irregular meal timings
- Intake of food in indigestion
- Intake of food without feeling hungry
- Intake of contra-indicated food like fruits & milk, fish & milk etc
- Intake of food late night
- Excess consumption of water
- Eating over-hurriedly
- Over fasting
- Regular intake of heavy to digest food
- Intake of stale food / refrigerated food
- Regular intake of spicy, oily, fermented & preserved food
- Excess intake of tea and coffee
- Habit of sleeping immediately post lunch
- Smoking, drinking, excess intake of non-veg food
- Holding up natural urges like urine , bowels or vomit and eating
- Stress physically/ mentally
- Staying awake at night, disturbed sleep
- Irregular & sedentary lifestyle
- Lack of proper hygiene
b) Mental causes
Feelings of stress, fear, sorrow, grief and anxiety
All the above factors over a period of time develop into GI disorders.
Symptoms of Irritable Bowel syndrome
- Abdominal pain or cramping relieved by emptying your bowels
- A change in bowel habits such as diarrhoea, constipation or sometimes both
- Bloating / swelling of abdomen
- Excessive gas
- An urgent need to go to toilet
- A feeling that you need to open your bowels even if you have just been to the toilet
- A feeling that you have not fully emptied your bowel
- Diarrhea or constipation — sometimes alternating bouts of constipation and diarrhea
- Mucus in the stool
