Siddha Medicine for Anaemia – Iron Deficiency
What Is Anaemia?
Anaemia means the body does not have enough healthy blood cells or haemoglobin to carry oxygen from the lungs to the body tissues.
Causes for Anaemia
The less amount of healthy red blood cells or haemoglobin can occur,
- When the body does not make haemoglobin.
- Excessive bleeding.
- The body destroys haemoglobin within them.
There are different types of Anaemia. In this, due to various reasons, the body does not produce enough red blood cells.
They are,
- Iron deficiency anaemia.
- Vitamin deficiency anaemia.
- Anaemia of inflammation.
- Aplastic Anaemia.
- Anaemias linked to bone marrow disease.
- Hemolytic Anaemia.
- Sickle cell anaemia.
Signs and Symptoms of Anaemia
The symptoms may depend on the causes and severity of Anaemia. Initially, it does not show any symptoms. The symptoms usually occur when the disease progresses.
Common symptoms of Anaemia are the following,
- Tiredness
- Shortness of breath
- Weakness
- Fatigue
- Pale or yellowish skin
- Palpitation
- Irregular heartbeat
- Chest pain
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Coldness on hands and feet
How to Overcome Anaemia with Siddha Treatment?
According to Siddha, Anaemia is termed as Paandu or Valippu noi. In Siddha, the treatment of Anaemia can be done in 3 phases.
- In this derangement, three humors occur. Hence, normalizing or balancing the three humors should be done. Mainly, vatha is affected. Purgation is usually given to normalize vatha humor. It helps to detoxify the whole body.
- After that, internal medicines can be given. Medicines of herbs, herbo minerals, and metallic compounds are generally prescribed to treat Anaemia.
- Diet and lifestyle treatment – a healthy, balanced diet rich in iron and vitamins B12, folic acid, and vitamin C helps to prevent Anaemia. Avoid intake of iron-rich foods with beverages that resist iron absorption. Breathing exercise/pranayama and yoga or some regular walking helps to carry the body in a healthy lifestyle.
Herbs Used in Siddha Medicines for Anaemia (Iron Deficiency)
- Nellikkai (Gooseberry / Phyllanthus emblica) – it helps improve iron levels and prevents iron deficiency; it improves iron absorption.
- Mookirattai (Punarnava / Boerhavia diffusa) is rich in iron and helps in iron absorption, helping to prevent Anaemia.
- Karisalai (Bhringaraj / Eclipta alba) – it helps to increase the production of red blood cells in the body and prevents Anaemia
- Sitramutti (Bala / Sida Cordifolia) has hematinic action and helps prevent Anaemia.
- Thetran Kottai (Clearing Nut / Strychnos Potatorum) treats Anaemia and its symptoms (e.g., swelling in Anaemia).
Benefits of using Siddha Medicines for Anaemia
Siddha treatment analyzes and treats the root cause of Anaemia. The Siddha system follows the holistic way of treating a disease. The imbalance in 3 humors, especially vatham and pitham, causes Anaemia. So, the chief goal of Siddha medicine is to restore the right balance to root out illnesses.
