In Ayurveda (Ayur: life, Veda: science) the type of the disease is not important but the type of person who has the disease is important. This is a remarkable departure from western medicine where the primary focus is on the disease. Western medicine looks at treating diseases while Ayurveda looks at how to enhance, maximise and sharpen the senses of the body and the body in general through purifications or detoxifications (panchakarma) to expand the experience of the soul in the physical body.

Although two people may suffer from infertility, their energetic constitutions (doshas) can be different and therefore each will call for different remedies.

In Ayurveda, diseases are approached by studying:

1. The doshas (vata, pitta and kapha)
2. The location of the dosha or imbalance of the humour
3. The dhatus (rasa, rakta, mamsa, medu, asthi, majja, shukra – male or artava – female reproductive system)
4. Age, height and weight of the individual
5. Family history
6. The regional location of the individual
7. The time of the year (season)
8. Eating habits and sleeping patterns
9. Emotional well being of the individual
10. Profession

The Ayurvedic practitioner then decides either to treat the person with panchakarma (if the doshas are in excess) or with medicines (if the doshas are deficient) based on his diagnosis. Again, one or more purification therapies will be advised depending on the type of the patient and not just the type of infertility.

Doshas in Ayurveda

Doshas are subtle intelligences in the body. Each dosha has specific subtypes, functions, and qualities (gunas). From the five elements, the doshas, the seasons, the regions of the earth and everything in the world is formed.Therefore, the correspondences between these factors become important; even the herbal medicine will be prescribed based on the dosha it is primarily made up of.

The advantage with Ayurveda is that in treating infertility (or any other disease), the overall well being of the body is enhanced; emotional and psychological conditions will improve together with the body, therefore eliminating the possibility of a re-occurrence of the disease.

Since the ingredients used in Ayurveda are primarily derived from herbs, plants, flowers, fruits etc., the final outcome of a thorough treatment is an alignment of the spirit with the body and nature, which is the goal of the Science of Life. Let’s remember that in Ayurveda, the science was inspired by Lord Brahma, Creator of the world, thus having a divine origin that doesn’t come from the thinking man. One thing is most certain: it is inspired by nature- and being in harmony with her.

Advantages of Ayurveda in Infertility Treatment.

In Ayurveda, male or female infertility; low sperm count or underdeveloped uterus; all these are caused by weaknesses or blockages in the metabolic process. Sperm and ovum are the final outcome of the long chain of metabolic process. Therefore, healthy sperm and ovum is resultant of a healthy metabolic process in the body.

In other words, infertility is caused when nutrition fails to reach the reproductive tissue whether because of poor digestion or obstructions by toxins etc. Ayurvedic medicines for infertility restore and further enhance the transformation of food into nutrient fluid to the dhatus: blood, fat, muscle, bone, bone marrow and finally to the reproductive tissue (shukra dhatu – male or artava dhatu – female). This restoration is achieved after identifying areas in the metabolic process that are weakened or blocked.

Fertility and sexual intercourse is looked upon by western medicine as a purely bio-chemical, physiological phenomenon. It has only begun understanding the emotional and mental states that affect it. The ancient science of Ayurveda views them as a union on the physical, mental and spiritual levels.

Is it then surprising that its remedies surpass western medicine in healing infertility even to this day?

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Dr Itoozhi Unnikrishnan Namboothiri was honored by the AHMA for being selected by the Kerala state Forest and Wildlife Department for its Vanamitra Award 2012. The Award has been instituted by the State government’s Social Forestry Department  to honor individuals and institutions who have made creditable contributions in the areas of afforestation, wildlife protection, tree conservation and clean environments for the State.

This award comes in recognition of Dr Itoozhi Unnikrishnan Namboothiri’s untiring efforts through the Itoozhi Ayurveda foundation in spreading the cause of good health involving the traditional practises of Ayurveda, including nurturing and nourishing the nature and the nature of the human body.

Dr PM Varier (National President of the Ayurveda Drug Manufacturers Association – ADMA) accorded the honors of the association. As we never get tired of repeating, we feel extremely proud, honored and humbled of this recognition that has come to the house of Itoozhi Ayurveda, as an affirmation of our concerted efforts in spreading the goodness of Ayurveda for better health, and inspires us to do more.

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As of 2010, there are about 48.5 million couples suffering from primary and secondary infertility, worldwide. This data paints a stark picture about the declining reproductive capacity. Although there are a number of reasons for infertility in men, below we will touch on the most common biological reasons of it.

Reproductive Tract Infections:

This is known to affect both men and women. The infection whose main cause is sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) has the tendency to scar and block the ejaculatory ducts in men as well as other reproductive organs and leads to infertility issues.

Varicocele:

This is a condition of dilated scrotal veins where one or both testicles in men get affected. However, dilated varicose veins are a common occurrence in both fertile and infertile men. Due to this condition, the temperature in the testicles rise and leads to low sperm count. This altered sperm production causes issues with the flow of sperms and blocks the tube that transports the sperm. In case of a genital infection along with this condition, it can cause problems in ejaculation and thereby cause infertility in men.

Prostatitis:

This is an infection in the prostate gland in men and is also known to be one of the reasons causing infertility. The symptoms for this condition include pain during or after ejaculation as well as painful urination.

Hormonal Imbalance:

This occurs when the levels of testosterone and estrogen are disturbed due to lifestyle choices or thyroid issues. The imbalance can render men either impotent or create erectile dysfunction, thereby causing infertility.

Abnormal Sperm Functioning:

This occurs, when three conditions to be fulfilled by the sperm – Hypo-Osmotic Swelling, Acrosomal Status and Nuclear Chromatin Decondensation – are not functioning properly. With this disorder, even if the sperm fertilizes the egg, it leads to an unsustainable embryo development and results in early pregnancy loss.

Cystic Fibrosis and Klinefelter’s Syndrome:

This is a genetic disorder which is most likely inherited by men from within the family genes. Cystic fibrosis is when the pancreas gets scarred and eventually forms a cyst resulting in infertility. Klinefelter’s syndrome relates to an extra X chromosome in men. Normally, men are born with a pair of XY chromosomes and women with a pair of XX chromosomes. In this syndrome, instead of a normal XY chromosome, men are born with XXY chromosome. This leads to stunted production of the male hormone – testosterone – and thereby leads to infertility in men.

General Illnesses:

Sometimes, general illnesses like kidney diseases, abnormal testicular growth, infections, traumatic damage and cirrhosis are also know to effect the sperm production in men. These conditions too can have an effect on the infertility issues in men.

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Dr Itoozhi Unnikrishnan Namboothiri

Dr Itoozhi Unnikrishnan Namboothiri of Itoozhi Ayurveda has been selected by the Kerala state Forest and Wildlife Department for its Vanamitra Award 2012. The Award has been instituted by the State government’s Social Forestry Department  to honor individuals and institutions who have made creditable contributions in the areas of afforestation, wildlife protection, tree conservation and clean environments for the State.

This award comes in recognition of Dr Itoozhi Unnikrishnan Namboothiri’s untiring efforts through the Itoozhi Ayurveda foundation in spreading the cause of good health involving the traditional practises of Ayurveda, including nurturing and nourishing the nature and the nature of the human body.

It may be recalled that Itoozhi Ayurveda was the first to introduce the Monsoon diet for school children ( the Oushadhakanji program ), the first to adopt, establish and nurture a herbal park in Kerala at the Science Park, Kannur , in its continuing efforts in conservation, propagation and popularising the Ayurvedic tenets that ensure better health.

The Vanamitra Award carries a citation and an award amount of Rs 25,000/- which will be given away at next month in a felicitation ceremony at Kannur.

We feel extremely proud of this recognition that has come to the house of Itoozhi Ayurveda, as an affirmation of our concerted efforts in spreading the goodness of Ayurveda for better health, and inspires us to do more.

Thank you everyone of you, for being with us with your unstinted support in all our community endeavors. It means a lot to us.

The News Article in Deshabhimani.

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Endometriosis.

The tissue fragments that from the innermost lining of the uterus constitutes the pelvic cavity in a woman. When these tissues grow and start accumulating outside the uterus instead of shedding vaginally with normal menstrual blood, this becomes a cause of infertility. These tissues can overtime scar the ovaries and the fallopian tube ends, thereby preventing the sperm from meeting the egg.

Reproductive Tract Infections.

This is known to affect both women and men. The infection has the tendency to spread to the fallopian tubes. This in turn can damage the tube and prevent the egg from traveling into the uterus, thereby leading to infertility in women.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID).

This affects a woman’s upper reproductive system in all its entirety, causing inflammation in the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes. Although the most common reason for this inflammation is sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), this condition can also develop due to complications in childbirth, abortion, curettage surgery and dilatation. PID can cause infertility with a risk of 15%-50%.

Ovulation/Menstruation Problems.

Irregular menstruation cycles and hormonal imbalances can lead to infrequent ovulation and is known to be the cause of about 20% of infertility issues in women. The most common symptoms of erratic menstruation cycles are low body weight, rapid weight loss and obesity. The hormonal irregularities can also lead to problems like thyroid, pituitary-gland issues and adrenal-gland issues. All of these are known to interfere with fertility in women.

Abnormalities in Uterus.

This condition too accounts for almost 20% of infertility issues in women. The abnormalities in the shape and lining of the uterus walls can cause fibroid tumors and uterine polyps. These conditions aggravate the menstrual bleeding and pain in the pelvic area along with enlarging the uterus. The irregularities in turn develop complications in the pelvic cavity and growth of scar tissues which lead to miscarriages and inability to conceive healthily.

Polycystic Ovaries.

This is the most common female endocrine disorder affecting almost 1 out of every 15 women. This condition causes cysts to form on the ovary walls thereby causing immense pain in the pelvic area and irregularities in the ovulation process. However, it should be noted that not all women who suffer from polycystic ovaries are unable to conceive. The infertility due to this condition occurs when the sex hormones in the body become unbalanced and start producing small amounts of male sex hormones. This interrupts the ovulation process and leads to infertility in women.

Next : Infertility in men – the biological reasons.

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Dr.I.Unnikrishnan Namboothiri of Itoozhi Ayurveda presented a paper on the topic “Ayurvedic clinical research in Honey” on 26th March 2013, the second day of the programme. During the two day programme, technical sessions on BeeKeeping- Problems and prospects, Pest and disease management in bee colonies, diversified products from bee colonies, value addition of honey products, importance of honey in Ayurvedic treatment  were included.

Dr Devanesan ( Principal Scientist, Kerala Agricultural University)  and Dr. K.M.Sree Kumar presented subject papers along with Dr.I.Unnikrishnan Namboothiri of Itoozhi Ayurveda. Dr.Thirumaleswar Bhat ( Deputy Directer, CPCRI) chaired the function on 26th March 2013.

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Late Planning

With increasing dedication towards careers and jobs, more couples are delaying starting a family.  According to the medical community, a woman’s fertility or biological clock peaks in the twenties and then starts to decline with age.  The ability to conceive reduces steadily with age due to hormonal changes and changed ovulation patterns in women.  Late planning for a child is not necessarily always a failure but is definitely a reason for infertility.

Medications and Drugs

Certain types of medications and drugs are known to have a negative effect on the bodily hormones.  Medicines used for psychiatric treatments, anabolic steroids used for body building and diethylstilbestrol (DES) used to prevent miscarriages are causes for infertility.  Woman using these medicines may have abnormalities in the reproductive system, specifically uterus, vagina and fallopian tubes.  These can hinder the ovulation process and increase the risk of miscarriages or premature delivery.  In men, these affect in the form of low sperm counts and anomalies in the testicles and urethra.

Intercourse Pattern

The ever increasing busy lifestyle of couples are resulting in an irregular intercourse pattern, say a lot of medical experts.  The frequency of intercourse is on a decline between most couples and leads them to miss the peak of fertility time.  According to Billings Ovulation Method™, the peak time of fertility in a woman is the fourth day after the peak until the next period.  This is known as the best time to be able to conceive.  Irregular intercourse patterns lead to missing these critical time periods and contribute towards infertility.

Caffeine

Women who consume five cups of coffee or more in a day may take a longer time to get pregnant.  This is also relevant for men, where caffeine affects the sperm count.  According to a study, people who consume more caffeine related products are at a risk of waiting for more than nine months to conceive by 45%.

Heat

Prolonged exposure to heat from saunas, hot tubs and steam rooms can produce high scrotal temperatures.  This in turn leads to a decline in the healthy function and count of sperms in men, thus causing infertility problems.

Alcohol, Smoking and Social Drugs

Alcohol is known to be a major contributor towards infertility in both men and women.  In women, it decreases the rate of conception and increases the chances of miscarriage.  Chemicals that are inhaled with cigarettes also affect in the conception abilities as it directly damages the sperm functions in men.  Exposure to social drugs like marijuana, cocaine, etc., also reduces the sperm count and alarmingly increases the defective sperm percentage.

Next : Infertility in women – the biological reasons

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The Itoozhi Ayurveda Foundation had organised the camp in keeping with the World Health Organisation’s theme for 2013 – High Blood Pressure, also known as raised blood pressure or hypertension. The World Health Day 2013 was a great way to focus on the effects of hyper-tension – it increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure and if left uncontrolled, high blood pressure can also cause blindness, irregular heartbeat and heart failure.

High blood pressure is preventable, and can be countered by reducing salt intake, eating a balanced diet, avoiding the harmful use of alcohol, taking regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy body weight and avoiding tobacco use.

Thank you all, once again.

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The Indian Naval Academy Ezhimala (INA) –  (Asia’s largest Naval academy), also called as NAVAC is a state-of-the-art naval training facility of Indian Navy, located in the Kannur (Cannanore) District of Kerala State in southern India. Situated between the imposing Mount Dilli, serene Kavvayi backwaters and majestic Arabian Sea, NAVAC (short form for Naval Academy) provides an idyllic setting for training with its picturesque and tranquil environment. This NAVAC is the premier training establishment of the Indian Navy and conducts the basic training for all officers being inducted into the Indian Navy under various schemes. INS Zamorin is the base depot ship for administrative and logistic support for NAVAC. The programme was organised by the NWWA ( Naval Women Welfare Association ).

Itoozhi Ayurveda is proud to be associated in an endeavor that ensures the Sentinels of our Seas keep themselves fighting fit and robust to discharge their honorable services towards our Nation.

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The World Health Day is celebrated worldwide on 7 April, which marks the anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948. Each year a theme is selected for World Health Day that highlights a priority area of public health concern in the world. The theme for 2013 is high blood pressure.

High blood pressure is preventable, and can be countered by reducing salt intake, eating a balanced diet, avoiding the harmful use of alcohol, taking regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy body weight and avoiding tobacco use.

Do join in if you are in the neighborhood.

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