A CLINICAL EVALUATION OF THE EFFECT OF CHATURJATAK CHURNA PRADHAMANA NASYA AND SHATHYADI CHURNA ABHYANTARPANA IN PRATISHYAYA

Pratishyaya is a commonly encountered nasal disorder described in Ayurvedic literature under the group of Nasagata Vikaras. It is characterized by symptoms such as nasal discharge, nasal obstruction, sneezing, headache, heaviness of the head, and inflammation of the nasal mucosa. Since the classical period of Ayurveda, Pratishyaya has been recognized as a disease with multifactorial etiology and complex pathophysiology. From a modern perspective, it closely resembles allergic rhinitis, which is an IgE-mediated hypersensitivity disorder affecting the nasal airway mucosa.[1,5] Ayurvedic texts emphasize Nasya Karma as the principal line of treatment for disorders of the nose and head region, as the nose is considered the gateway to Shiras.[2,3] Among various forms of Nasya, Pradhamana Nasya is regarded as the most effective Shodhana procedure for eliminating accumulated Doshas in Pratishyaya.[4] Yogaratnakara specifically mentions Chaturjatak Churna Pradhamana Nasya along with Shathyadi Churna Abhyantarpana administered with Guda and Ghrita for the management of all types of Pratishyaya.[7-9] The present study aims to evaluate the combined and individual effects of Chaturjatak Churna Nasya and Shathyadi Churna Abhyantarpana in the management of Pratishyaya. The study also attempts to understand the Ayurvedic rationale and probable mode of action of these formulations in alleviating the symptoms and breaking the pathogenesis of the disease.