Skin Disease

In Ayurveda, it (Eczema / Psoriasis / Sclap psoriasis / Urticaria / Skin Infection) can be categorised under Twak vikara Lakshanas

Foods that cause skin diseases (Eczema / Psoriasis / Sclap psoriasis / Urticaria / Skin Infection):

• Viruddha Ahara – incompatible food combinations
• Intake of food mostly containing Hayanaka, Yavaka (low variant of barley)
• Uddalaka (a variant of black gram)
• Koradusa(Various kinds of classical grains) along with milk, curd, buttermilk
• horsegram, black gram and oil
• Intake of radish and garlic with milk
• Continuous intake of aquatic and marshy flesh with milk
• Use of Pippali, Kakmachi, Lakucha with curd and ghee
• Use of Meat of deer with milk

• Use of radish with jiggery
• Excessive use of alcohol with milk
• Intake of articles having sour taste with milk
• Excessive use of green vegetables with milk
• Intake of honey and meat after taking hot diet and vice-versa
• Use of fish,lemon and milk together
• Excessive use of newer grains, curd, fish, sour and salty eatables
• Excess use of sesame seeds, milk and jaggery
• Read more about such wrong food combinations

Habits that cause skin diseases:

Mental activities which leads to Skin Disease

• Insulting wise men, teachers and other respectable persons
• Use of money or material acquired by unfair means
• Censuring or killing Virtuous persons

Premonitory symptoms of Skin Disease

• Aswedanam(decreased sweating) or Atiswedanam (excess sweating)
• Parushyam(roughness of the skin)
• Vaivarnyam (discoloration of the skin)
• Kandu (itching)
• Suptata(numbness)
• Paridaha (mild burning)
• Klama(fatigue)
• Signs and symptoms of eczema

• Kandu (itching)
• Pidika (blisters)
• Shyava (bluish black discoloration)
• Srava (oozing)
• Ruja (pain)
• Ruksha (dryness)
• Rakta (redness/bleeding)
• Vrana (ulceration)

Scientifically treatments have been classified as:

(a) Shodhana Chikitsa

When doshas are vitated in large guantity & disease is chronic then shodhan chikitsa should apply first. Acharyas have classified shodhana as:-

• Basti Karma
• Vaman Karma
• Virechana Karma
• Nasya Karma
• Raktamokshana (Blood letting)

(b) Shaman Chikitsa

When doshas are minimally imbalanced & the body is weak. Shaman Treatment is more important. Shaman treatment can be classified as external & internal. Administration of proper food, medicines by mouth is internal treatment & the application of medicated oil, lepa (ointment), etc is external treatment.

External application Skin Disease

• Among topical preparations
• Lepa – cream application
• Parisheka – sprinkling of liquids over the lesions
• Avachurana – dusting with powder
• Avagahana – dipping the affected part in medicated liquid
• Dhuma – fumigation of the affected skin part

These have been mentioned in the management of all types of Kushtha.

Wholesome diet and habits Skin Disease

• Laghu Anna (Light food)
• Tikta Shaka(Bitter vegetables)
• Purana Dhanya(Older grains)
• Jangala Mamsa (Flesh of desert animals)
• Mudga(Greengram)
• Patola(snake gourd)
• Shali-Shastika – rice harvested in 60 days
• Yava – barley
• Godhuma – wheat etc
• In cold countries, for those people who are allergic to gluten, wheat might not be ideal

Unwholesome diet and habits inSkin Disease

• Guru anna (heavy food intake) – causes indigestion and imbalance of Kapha, leading to worsening of itching
• Dugdha (excess of milk and dairy products) – causes Kapha increase, leading to itching and excessive secretion
• Amla Rasa (Sour food) – causes pitta imbalance
• Dadhi (curd) – causes pitta increase
• Anupa Mansa(Marshy flesh)
• Matsya(Fish)
• Guda (Jaggery)
• Tila(Seasame)
• Kulattha (Horse gram)
• Masha(Black gram)
• Vidahi Anna(Spicy food)
• Ikshu Vikara (Sugarcane derivatives)
• Lavana (Salty food)