Blog
Adjunct therapy of Ayurveda with antipyretics in the management of infectious fever Pyrexia:
To regulate fever associated with contagion are increasing public health problem. Resistance to antibiotics is making it difficult to treat even milder illness like fever. Infections caused by resistant micro-organism often fail to respond to conventional treatment, resulting prolonged illness. Inappropriate and irrational use of anti-microbial medicines provides favourable conditions for resistant micro-organisms to emerge, spread and persist. As a resistance towards antibiotics becoming a global concern, a greater need for alternative treatment arises or a treatment which can be used together with the primary treatment.

Antimicrobial resistance– a threat to human mankind:  Antibiotic resistance is a worldwide problem and is becoming one of the most serious health threat. World health leaders have described antibiotic resistant micro-organisms as “nightmare bacteria” that “pose a catastrophic threat” to people in every country in the world. As a result, standard treatments become ineffective, infections persist and may spread to others. Infections from resistant bacteria are now too common, and some pathogens have even become resistant to multiple types or classes of antibiotics. When first-line and second-line antibiotic treatment options are limited by resistance or are unavailable, healthcare providers are forced to use antibiotics that may be more harmful to the patient and frequently more expensive & less effective.

The Global Concern of Antimicrobial Resistance: Antibiotic resistance is present in every country. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has published a list of the 12 bacteria which pose the greatest threat to human health because they are resistant to available antibiotics. They include Klebsiella; E.coli; Staphlylococcus; AcinetobacterPseudomonas along with Tuberculosis (TB); Malaria; HIV; Influenza etc.

Now what?
A cordial action is required from global policy maker to local concerns to minimize the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance.

Where lies the role of Ayurveda?
By the 6th -2nd century two famous scholar of Ayurveda Charak and Sushrut contributes to the field of aetiology of jwar (pyrexia). According to Charak define the fever in five different categories as continuous fever, remittent fever, quotidian fever, tertian fever and quarter fever developed as an imbalance in bodily elements, or “doshas,” and has thereby weakened their immune system, may be subject to a microbial infection as symptom of that imbalance of tri doshas.
The herbs and classical formulation listed below are traditionally used to manage cold, flu, and infection. The chemical composition of each of the following plant tends to justify their traditional use. Interestingly, each herb appears to possess properties that work on multiple biochemical pathways capable of influencing several organ systems simultaneously.

  • Zingiber officinale (Ginger rhizome dried) used traditionally for colds, other microbial infections, and the removal of mucous and toxins associated with microbial infections.
  • Emblica officinalis (Amla fruit) used traditionally for fevers and for balancing. The fruit extract exhibits antibacterial and antiviral properties.
  • Adhathoda vasica (Vasaka)used in irritable cough, as an expectorant and as a broncho-dilator.
  • Piper nigrum (Pepper fruit), used in treating recurrent fever, weakness following fevers and cough
  • Tinospora cordifolia (Giloe), used traditionally for immunomodulation and as a febrifuge. Also used for urinary diseases, syphilis, skin diseases, and bronchitis.
    • Piper longum (Long pepper fruit), used traditionally for colds, other microbial infections, and the removal of mucous and toxins associated with microbial infections.
    • Elettaria cardamomum (Cardamom, Ela), used traditionally in cough, bronchitis and also as an expectorant.
    • Swerita chirayita (chirayita), used traditionally to help in lowering fever associated with cold and flu
    • Ocimum sanctum (Krishna tulsi), used traditionally in cough, as an expectorant, as antipyretic, in bronchitis, and also has antimicrobial properties.
    • Cyperus rotundus(Musta), used traditionally for treating fever and digestive system disorders.
    • Sudarshan Ghanvati:Traditionally Sudarshana Churna is widely used in the treatment of fever originating from tridoshas, chronic fever or viral fever.
    • Tribhuvan Kirti Ras: used traditionally for flu, running nose, allergic rhinitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis and bronchitis.
    • Sanjivani Vati: used traditionally in respiratory tract infections, cough, cold, chronic fever and other viral infection.
      Fifatrol A multi-drug combination of 5 poly phyto mineral (Godanti Bhasam, Tribhuvan Kirti Ras, Mrityunjay Ras, Sanjivani Vati and Sudarshan Ghanvati) With 8 Active Herbal Extract (Tinospora cordifolia, Berberis lycium, Achyranthes aspera, Swertia chirata, Pongamia pinnata, Picrorhiza kurroa, Ocimum sanctum and Cyperus rotundus). Making Fifatrol useful remedy with safer approach in averting the emergence of antibiotic resistance.

Information on this website is provided for informational purposes and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. This website is meant for use by Indian residents only.