KARNAVEDHA SAMSKARA IN THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF TAMAKA SHWASA (BRONCHIAL ASTHMA): AN AYURVEDIC REVIEW WITH NEURO-IMMUNOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES

Bronchial asthma is an inflammatory airway disorder which is chronic in nature and symptoms are airflow limitation, bronchial hyper-responsiveness, and recurrent episodes of wheezing, cough, chest tightness, and breathlessness. In the current era there are various advances in pharmaceutical management but still asthma continues to impose a substantial global health burden and still there’s a significant rise in morbidity and impaired quality of life. Ayurveda describes Tamaka Shwasa as a chronic respiratory disorder and the symptoms of Tamaka Shwasa are similar to Bronchial Asthma and there is a lot of similarity between pathogenesis, precipitating factors, and recurrent nature of both. Among the Shodasha Samskaras described in Ayurvedic literature, Karnavedha Samskara is traditionally regarded not merely as an ornamental procedure but also as a measure for disease prevention and maintenance of health. Recently emerging advances in auricular medicine, neurophysiology, and neuro -immunology have brought into focus the therapeutic role of the external ear. The auricle contains an intricate network of neurons associated with the auricular vagus branch, trigeminal, facial nerves, and cervical plexus, making it possible to use the auricle as a medium of systemic physiological control. Auricular acupuncture and transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation have been shown to exert anti-inflammatory and autonomic regulation via the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. This mechanism might find application in the treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions such as bronchial asthma. This review explores about the ancient Ayurvedic theories of Karnavedha and Tamaka Shwasa in detail and links them to the current literature on auricular neuro-anatomy, vagal control, and neuro-immune interaction. A novel hypothesis integrating Karnavedha as a means of airway inflammation modulation is presented. Despite the absence of direct scientific evidence regarding the impact of Karnavedha on bronchial asthma, the available scientific information supports biological feasibility and gives grounds for further interdisciplinary research.