Coma is a medical condition in which the affected individual displays no responsiveness to external stimuli, different reflexes may be diminished are absent, while involuntary functions like heart rate and respiration may continue, albeit irregularly. Semi coma is a condition in which an individual may respond to painful stimuli by groaning or opening the eyes. The causes for coma usually include brain lesions, trauma, metabolic abnormalities, infections, and toxicity due to drugs or physical agents.
The modern management of coma consists of giving generalised medical care which includes the maintenance of proper respiration and circulation, care of the skin and excretory organs, control of infection, and removal of the known cause. In addition to modern intensive care in the hospital, Ayurvedic herbal treatment can be given as additional and supportive therapy in order to treat the known cause for the condition and help maintain blood perfusion to important organs such as the kidneys, liver, heart, lungs and brain. While severe infections can be best treated by modern antibiotics which are given through the intravenous route, generalised inflammation and inflammatory reactions which lead to circulatory collapse and multiple organ failure can be successfully treated with the help of Ayurvedic herbal medicines.
Ayurvedic herbal medicines can be powdered, mixed with honey, diluted with milk and then pushed through an intragastric tube. Herbal medicines are used in high doses in order to reduce and treat generalised inflammation in the body. These medicines treat the damage to the various organs and systems in the body and initiate a process of healing. The toxins and debris generated from this reaction are removed from the body through the gastrointestinal tract or through the kidneys. Other Ayurvedic medicines maintain vital blood supply to important organs so as to preserve life and prevent multiple organ failure, and bring about recovery in a short span of time. More specific treatment can be added according to the exact cause for coma.
Ayurvedic herbal treatment can thus be judiciously utilised in the management and treatment of coma and semi coma.
The writer, Dr. A. A. Mundewadi, is available as an online Ayurvedic Consultant at www.ayurvedaphysician.com
