Here’s the Ayurvedic method for prevention and treatment of Monkeypox

by Ayurveda Admin

With the spread of Monkeypox to non-endemic countries around the world, the Ayush ministry has put out a release detailing the traditional medicine steps including Ayurvedic steps that need to be followed to prevent contracting the disease and also to treat it in the event of a person contracting the dreaded virus.

Monkeypox has been reported as endemic in several central and western African countries such as Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic

of the Congo, and Sierra Leone. This has been also reported in certain non-endemic countries like the USA, UK, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Australia, Canada, Austria, Canary Islands, Israel and Switzerland.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the present series of outbreaks being reported is the first time that chains of transmission have been reported in Europe without known epidemiological links to West or Central Africa.

Monkeypox is usually a self-limited disease with symptoms lasting from 2 to 4 weeks. Severe cases occur more commonly among children and are related to the extent of virus exposure, patient health status and nature of complications. The case fatality ratio of monkeypox in recent times has been around 3-6%.

Common early symptoms (0-5 days) of the disease include fever, swelling, headache, muscle aches, exhaustion, chills and/or sweats, sore throat and cough. This may be accompanied by rashes in the skin that can last for around 2-4 weeks. Lesions can often be painful until the healing phase when they become itchy. It can appear in the face, eyes, mouth, palms, soles and genitalia.

Monkeypox chiefly occurs in communities where there is often a high background prevalence of malnutrition, parasitic infections, and other significant health-compromising conditions, any of which could impact the prognosis of a patient with MPX.

General measures that can be taken to prevent infection with monkeypox virus include:

1) Avoid contact with any materials, such as bedding, that have been in contact with a sick person.

2) Avoid direct physical contact with skin or skin lesions including sexual contact with suspected/infected patients.

3) Refrain from any skin contact with small animals like squirrels and monkeys which are carriers.

4) The patient should be managed in isolation, and precautions should be taken to minimize exposure to surrounding persons.

5) Use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when caring for patients.

6) Adequate sleep (7-8 hours) should be taken and daytime sleep preferably be avoided.

7) Over exertion should be avoided.

8) Take adequate rest.

Ayurveda recommends the following general diet and lifestyle to manage monkeypox:

Drink warm water frequently and stay hydrated.
Lentil soup, particularly green gram soup/ khichdi may be preferred.
Take warm freshly prepared and easily digestible food.
Consumption of excessively hot, spicy and oily foods is strictly prohibited.
Smoking and consumption of liquor and carbonated beverages should be avoided.
Gargling - triphala choornam + crystal salt + turmeric powder mixed with warm water.
Buttermilk water, cucumber, plantain fruit, gruel, and palm sugar candy may be added to the diet.

The following are the medicines that have to be taken to prevent the disease

Shadanga Paniya - To be consumed a minimum of 4-5 times a day
Haridra Khanda - 10 gm with honey before breakfast
Kaishor Guggulu - 500 mg three times a day
Samshamani Vati - 500 mg twice a day
Aparajita Dhoopa - Fumigation for disinfection

For symptoms treatment, the following are advised:

Sudarshan Ghana vati/ Samshamani vati - 2 tablets of 250 mg twice a day
Sariva Hima or coarse powder of Sariva where Sariva (Hemidesmus indicus) is taken and soaked overnight in water and then powdered - To be consumed 4-5 times a day
Amrutottar kashayam/Vasa Guduchyadi - 50 ml twice a day

For skin rash, the medication is as follows:

Haridra Khanda - 10 gm before breakfast
Guluchyadi, kashaya/patolakaturohinyadi - 50 ml twice a day
Kaishor guggul - Upto maximum of 1 gm thrice a day
Laghu sutashekhara rasa - 250 mg twice a day
Locally, use panchavalkala kwatha for dhavana, as per requirement

To manage clinical symptoms use the following (local application as per required quantity):

Itching- Nimba patra kwatha for vrana dhavan
Genital ulcers - Panchavalkala kwatha for vrana dhavana, jatyadi oil for local application
Oral ulcer - Triphala gandusha mouthwash, arimedadi oil, yashtimadhu oil

The patient should be closely monitored for the appearance of any of the following symptoms: