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Rheumatoid Arthritis: Aamvata
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis can also cause inflammation of the tissue around the joints, as well as other organs in the body. Autoimmune diseases are illnesses those occur when the body tissues are mistakenly attacked by its own immune system. The immune system is a complex organization of cells and antibodies designed normally to "seek and destroy" invaders of the body, particularly infections. Patients with autoimmune diseases have antibodies in their blood that target their own body tissues, where they can be associated with inflammation. Because it can affect multiple other organs of the body, rheumatoid arthritis is referred to as a systemic illness and is sometimes called rheumatoid disease.
 
Rheumatoid Arthritis in Ayurveda
 
Rheumatoid arthritis in Ayurveda is described as Aamvata. It is a condition caused by the Aam; "improperly digested foods and raw metabolites" what Ayurveda call "Aam". Aam, etymologically means an item which is not ripened, cooked and digested or metabolized properly. In relation to Aamvata, it becomes the food which is not digested properly or the digested food which is not metabolized properly. This Aam, when travels in the body with Vata (which decides all kind of movements of the body). Wherever Vata finds closed channels, this Vata leaves the "Aam" there, which cause different kind of diseases in that particular organ. This description of Aamvata in a 5000 year old science shows, how much scientific and enriched that science was, right from its beginning.
 
Causes of Rheumatoid Arthritis:
 
Modern science is not sure, why this disease appears in the body all of a sudden. There are many hypotheses to describe the etiology of this disease, but none of these is affirmative. It is believed now a days that this is an autoimmune disorder, and now with the growing interest in the genetics, modern researchers have found genes responsible for the rheumatoid arthritis, but not the cause which triggers those genes to make a foe a friend?
 
Ayurveda believes that the reasons which cause loss in the potency of digestive and metabolic fires inside the body to digest and assimilate the available foods are responsible for this disease. These are-
  1. Excessive drinking of water.
  2. Over eating.
  3. Eating next meal or something before the digestion of the prior taken meal.
  4. Affluence: both of food and money.
  5. To not to exert at all, living a life full of comforts.
  6. Accumulation of toxins inside body, due to improper and irregular detoxification.

This disease also has a relation with mind. It is commonly seen that RA attacks women mostly; it shows that this has some "emotional" reasons also, whether these are responsible for causing it or for aggravation of this condition. In many cases it has been noted that women who were mentally-upset from long times, suddenly caught by this disease, which again relates it with psychology. When ever mood is upset, this disease aggravates is the next thing showing how much impact of the psychology it has.

Sign and Symptoms:
 
For modern science and Ayurveda as well, believe that this disease shows different sign and symptoms, according to the involvement of the organ or the system. In context of joints following symptoms appear-
  • Fever, malaise and headache.
  • Pain in joints. Generally small joints are affected in this disease.
  • Morning Stiffness.
  • Weakness in muscles surrounding the joints.
  • Structural deformities in effected joints, mostly the fingers.
Beside these signs and symptoms, Ayurveda has told two unique things, first Rheumatoid arthritis always follows Anemia and the second one is before attacking on joints it starts showing some signs related with the digestive system also. These signs are-
  • Loss of appetite.
  • Foul smell in stools and fart.
  • Sticky stool, hard to flush properly.
  • Excessive urination.
  • Flatulence, bloating and many other GIT related upsets.

These sign and symptoms are to alarm one about the next coming dangerous disease of Rheumatoid arthritis so that an individual can stop this disease to appear in full.
 
 Diet For Rheumatoid Arthritis:
  • Take fresh food, cooked with Spices.
  • Avoid taking packed and preserved food items.
  • Don't drink chilled drinks or water, along with, after or before taking food.
  • Take hot water with your food.
  • Fix timings of your food.
  • Add some Trikatu (A mixture of Pippali, Shunthi and Marich) in your salads and drinks. Use only a small amount.
  • Drink Shunthi (Dried and processed ginger) with hot water in morning.
  • It is better to take Appetizer Tea, in morning and evening times.
  • Avoid Non vegetarian foods.
Lifestyle for Rheumatoid Arthritis:
  • Be punctual
  • Don't apply oils on the effected regions, doesn't matter what they claim to do.
  • If pain is unbearable go for the dry fomentation.
  • Avoid exposure to cold climate.
  • Don't roam here and there in rains and dewy weather.
  • Avoid stress, join Yoga course, read healthy literature.
Herbs For Rheumatoid Arthritis:
  • Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) : Best known herb for RA.
  • Guggulu (Commiphora mukul) : Removes Aam from the body and pacifies Vata.
  • Shallaki (Boswellia Serrata): Protects your cartilages and joints against RA and OA.
  • Trikatu (A mixture of Pippali, Marich and Shunthi) : Enhances digestive and metabolic capacities of the body.
  • Appetizer Tea : A blend of all the herbs required for better working of your digestive fire by Atharvas!