Ayurvedic treatment of Major Skin diseases with Pictures

According to Charaka (School of Ayurvedic Medicine), there are two major classifications of all types of ‘Kushtha’ (skin diseases). These are: Maha Kushtha (Major skin disease) and Kshudra Kushtha (Minor skin disease).
Further, Maha-kushtha(Major skin disease)  is subdivided into seven subtypes, which are:

• Kapala kushtha– Vata dosha dominance
• Audumbara kushtha– Pitta dosha dominance
• Mandala kushtha– Kapha dosha dominance
• Rishya jihwa kushtha– Vata & Pitta doshas dominance
• Pundarika kushtha– Pitta & Kapha doshas dominance
• Sidhma kushtha– Kapha & Vata doshas dominance
• Kakanak kushtha– All the above tri-doshas dominance

Here we are discussed about ‘Maha Kushtha’ (Major skin disease) in details.
1)      Kapala Kushtha:
Picture of Kapala Kushtha:

Kapala Kushtha

Kapala Kushtha

Symptoms of Kapala Kushtha:
1) Looks like piece of mud pot
2) Blackish red discolouration
3) Rough & course on touch
4) Unevenly spread
5) Having course edges
6) Extremely numb
7) Having excessive piercing pain
8) Little itching
9) Fast developed
10) Developed by vitiated Vata Dosha or Vata Dosha dominance
Ayurvedic treatment for Kapala Kushtha:

• Intake of medicated grita like Khadira grita, Patola grita, Guduchi grita, Panchtikta grita, Mahatiktaka grita is advisable.
• The diseased spots which are stable, hard and patchy should be fomented with the bundle of meat of marshy animlas or by plain water vapour only and latter on rubbed with the leaves of ‘Nimba’ (Azadirechta indica) or ‘Karanja’(Pongemia pinnata) and then should be scraped with sharp instrument or by disposable lancet so that the impure blood comes out. If the spots are small, medicated nontoxic leech should be applied. The external medicaments should be applied.

2)      Audumbara Kushtha:
Picture of Audumbara Kushtha:

Audumbara Kushtha

Audumbara Kushtha

Symptoms of Audumbara Kushtha:
1) Having colour of riped ‘Udumbara Phala’ (ficus fruit) or coppery discolouration
2) Covered with coppery hairs
3) Too much thick pus
4) Having oozing & bleeding
5) Pain with burning sensation
6) With fast developed and decay
7) Associated with fever and is infested with other organism/ maggots
8) Developed by vitiated Pitta Dosha or Pitta Dosha dominance
Ayurvedic treatment for Audumbara Kushtha:

• For oleation prior to purification of body, one should use medicated ghee with anti pitta qualities e.g. Mahatiktaka grita, Panchtikta grita, Guduchi grita, Nimba grita or Triphala grita. Later on medicated purgation and bloodletting should be done.
• External application: Shatdhauta grita- Grita (clarified butter) washed in water for hundred times, Jivantyadi Malam (Ointment)
• Internal application: Kwath (Decoction)- Triphala kwath, Laghu manhishthadi kwath,
  Vati (Tablets)- Samsamani  vati, Kirat tiktadi vati,
  Medicated grita- Mahatiktaka grita, Panchtikta grita, Haridra grita, Triphala grita, Nimba grita, Patola grita

3)      Mandala Kushtha: (A variety of Psoriasis)
Picture of Mandala Kushtha:

Mandala Kushtha

Mandala Kushtha

Symptoms of Mandala Kushtha:
1) Usually circular in shape and stable
2) Slowly developed
3) Unctuous
4) Heavy presentation
5) Elevated with smooth, fixed margins
6) Having whitish and red discolouration
7) Pervaded with white hair lines with copious, thick, white and slimy discharge
8) With  copious oozing & organisms/ maggots
9) Developed by vitiated Kapha Dosha or Kapha Dosha dominance
Ayurvedic treatment for Mandala Kushtha: Ayurvedic treatment of Psoriasis:

• Vamana karma (medicated vomiting) should be advised first
• External application: Nimba taila (Nimaba oil), Karanja taila (Karanja oil), Arka taila (Arka oil), Cutisora oil(Vasu Pharma), Deboskin oil (Dhanvantri Pharma), Mahamarichyadi taila (Mahamarichyadi oil)
• Internal Medicine: Vati (Tablets): Kalingadi vati, Pathyadi ghanvati, Panchtikta guggulu, Rasavanti ghanvati
  Kwath (Decoction): Triphala kwath, Pathyadi kwath, Aragwadhadi kwath, Asanadi kwath, Laghu manjishthadi kwath
  Churna (Powders): Triphala churna, Haridra churna (Turmeric powder)

4)      Rhishyajihwa Kushtha:
Picture of Rhishyajihwa Kushtha:

Rhishyajihwa Kushtha

Rhishyajihwa Kushtha

Symptoms of Rhishyajihwa Kushtha:
1) Looks like ‘tongue of antelope’ or ‘tongue of beer’ (Rhishyajihwa)
2) Rough and course on touch
3) Blackish discolouration with red margin
4) Fast developing and decaying
5) Developed by vitiated Vata & Pitta Dosha or Vata & Pitta Dosha Dosha dominance
Ayurvedic treatment for Rhishyajihwa Kushtha:

• Intake of medicated grita should be advisable
• External application: Jivantyadi malam (ointment), Cutisora oil, Gandhak malam, Panchtikta grita
• Internal Medicine: Vati (Tablets): Arand bhrishta Haritaki vati, Gandhak rasayan vati, Panchtikta grita guggulu vati, Samsamani vati, GT Capsule (Kerala Ayurveda Pharma)
  Grita (Medicated clarified butter): Mahatiktaka grita, Triphala grita, Khadira grita, Patola grita, Guduchi grita

5)       Pundarika Kushtha:
Picture of Pundarika Kushtha:

Pundarika Kushtha

Pundarika Kushtha

Symptoms of Pundarika Kushtha:
1)  Looks like lotus petals having white colour  and red margins
2)  It is pervaded with red line and veins
3)  Having burning sensation
4)  Protuberant with copious thick blood and pus discharge sometimes with oozing
5)  Infested with organisms
6)  Developed by vitiated Pitta & Kapha Dosha or Pitta & Kapha Dosha dominance
Ayurvedic treatment for Pundarika Kushtha:

• Panchkarma treatment (Medicated vomiting followed by medicated purgation) should be advised prior to the palliative treatment
• External application: ‘Argwadhadi lepa’ (Paste) mixed with buttermilk should be applied twice/ thrice in a day,
  Cutis ointment (Vasu Pharma) or Cutisora oil (Vasu Pharma) should be applied after removing the ‘Argwadhadi lepa’.
• Internal Medicine: Vati (Tablets): Rasavanti ghanvati, Saptaparna ghanvati, Pathyadi ghanvati, Kalingadi ghanvati, Kirat tiktadi vati
  Kwath (Decoction): Triphala kwath, Pathyadi kwath, Guduchyadi kwath, Laghu manjishthadi kwath, Asanadi kwath
  Medicated wines: Khadirarishtha, Vidangarishtha

6)      Sidhma Kushtha:
Picture of Sidhma Kushtha:

Sidhma Kushtha

Sidhma Kushtha

Symptoms of Sidhma Kushtha:
1) Whitish coppery discolouration looks like flowers of bottle gourd
2) Itching with little pain
3) Little decay and rarely infestation of organisms
4) Developed by vitiated Vata & Kapha Dosha or Vata & Kapha Dosha dominance
Ayurvedic treatment for Sidhma Kushtha:

• Medicated vomiting  (Vamana karma- a type of Panchkarma procedure) should be advised first
• External application: Psoria oil (Nagarjuna kerala pharma), 777 oil (JRK Sidhdha pharma)
• Internal Medicine: Vati (Tablets): Rasavanti ghanvati, Pathyadi ghanvati, Kalingadi ghanvati, Navak guggulu, Panchtikta grita guggulu, Gandhak Rasayana
  Kwath (Decoction): Triphala kwath, Pathyadi kwath, Laghu manjishthadi kwath, Asanadi kwath
  Medicated wines: Khadirarishtha, Pippalyasava

7)      Kakanaka Kushtha:
Picture of Kakanaka Kushtha:

Seeds of ‘Gunja’

Kakanaka Kushtha

Symptoms of Kakanaka Kushtha:
1) Resembles like the seeds of ‘Gunja’ (Abrus precatorius)
2) Does not suppurate
3) Extremely painful
4) Developed by vitiated Vata, Pitta & Kapha Dosha or Vata, Pitta & Kapha Dosha dominance
Ayurvedic treatment for Kakanaka Kushtha:
Kakanaka Kushtha is incurable by Ayurvedic treatments.