Ayurvedic Name: Urah kshata
Description:
Urah Kshata is a condition resembling pleurisy or lung injuries, where excessive coughing, infections, or trauma lead to chest pain, breathlessness, and inflammation. Vata and Pitta aggravation play a crucial role in the development of this disorder, which leads to weakened lung function. Ayurvedic management includes Rasayanas like Chyawanprash, Sitopaladi Churna, medicated oils, and herbal pastes applied externally to relieve pain and strengthen lung tissue.
Signs & Symptoms:
- Prishtashoola (Pleurisy): Sharp, stabbing chest pain that worsens with breathing or coughing.
- Shwasa (Breathlessness): Difficulty breathing, often due to pain or inflammation in the pleura.
- Kasa (Cough): Persistent dry cough, sometimes accompanied by chest pain.
- Dourbalya (Weakness): Weakness or fatigue due to difficulty in breathing and pain.
- Vishama Agni (Irregular Digestion): Digestive disturbances caused by respiratory distress.
- Rukshata (Dryness): Dryness and tightness in the chest or throat, particularly when breathing deeply.
Diagnosis:
Chest X-ray and Clinical Auscultation
Risk Factors:
- Dietary Factors
Poor Diet Leading to Weak Immunity: A diet deficient in essential vitamins and minerals can compromise the immune system, making one more susceptible to infections leading to pleurisy.
Excessive Alcohol Intake: Alcohol can weaken the immune system, making it harder to fight off infections like pneumonia that may lead to pleurisy. - Lifestyle Factors
Exposure to Infections: Exposure to respiratory infections, particularly pneumonia or tuberculosis, can trigger pleurisy.
Smoking: Smoking damages the lungs and increases the risk of respiratory infections, contributing to conditions like pleurisy. - Medical Conditions
Pneumonia or Tuberculosis: These infections can cause inflammation in the pleura, leading to pleurisy.
Autoimmune Diseases: Conditions like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, which cause systemic inflammation, may contribute to pleurisy.
Complications:
- Chest Pain (Hrudaya Shoola): Inflammation of the pleura leads to sharp, stabbing pain in the chest, especially when breathing deeply or coughing.
- Difficulty Breathing (Shwasa Daurbalya): Pleurisy causes pain during inhalation, leading to shallow breathing and difficulty in full breaths.
- Lung Scarring (Shwasa Kshaya): Persistent pleurisy can cause scarring in the lung tissue, reducing lung function over time.
- Pulmonary Embolism (Shwasa Vyapada): In severe cases, inflammation from pleurisy can lead to blood clots in the lungs, causing pulmonary embolism.
- Respiratory Failure (Shwasa Nirvasan): Untreated pleurisy can lead to respiratory complications, including respiratory failure in severe cases.
Epidemeology:
More common in individuals with respiratory infections, such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, or viral infections.
Occurs in 0.5-1% of the general population, with higher rates in those over 65 or with chronic lung diseases.
More common in men due to higher rates of smoking and lung diseases like COPD.
Incidence increases during flu seasons or in areas with poor air quality.