Dr. Revathi Sundarmurthy BAMS

Home Remedies for Facial Hair (Hirsutism)

Dec 062017

Unwanted facial hair is a cause of concern of about 60% of the women. It not only affects the physical appearance but in few cases leads to stress. Even though women find their own temporary solutions or try several home remedies for facial hair to have that clean look, it leaves them puzzled on how to remove the facial hair naturally!

Medically termed as Hirsutism (pronounced Hur-soot-ism) is a condition of male pattern hair growth in women. This condition is more common in teenage girls after puberty or mostly in women of reproductive age. The degree of hair growth and texture might vary from person to person. Other than on the face one may notice excessive hair growth on the chest, abdomen and back. It can be a sign of serious underlying medical condition that requires medical attention.

Hirsutism can affect any gender but is a cause of worry for a women particularly due to social concerns.

Causes of Hirsutism

Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome: This is most common causative factor for hirsutism, obesity, irregular periods and acne.
Hormonal imbalance: A tumour that secretes androgen in the ovaries or uterus may cause hirsutism.
Medications. Some medications can cause hirsutism. These include danazol, which is used to treat women with endometriosis; systemic corticosteroids and fluoxetine (Prozac) for depression.
Cushing’s syndrome: This occurs when your body is exposed to high levels of the hormone cortisol. It can develop from your adrenal glands making too much cortisol or from taking medications such as prednisone over a long period.
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia: This inherited condition is characterized by abnormal production of steroid hormones, including cortisol and androgen, by your adrenal glands.
Hereditary factors: In some cases, the problem runs in the family.

Risk factors:

There are certain factors that increases the likelihood of developing hirsutism.

Obesity: Being overweight or obese can increase the androgen levels in blood that may cause hirsutism.

Familial history : Women whose mother or grandparents affected with hirsutism are likely to develop this condition.

Endemic regions: Women of South Asian or Mediterranean regions are more likely to suffer from hirsutism than other women.

How to identify hirsutism?

This problem is self diagnosed from the pattern of hair growth after puberty.
The hair growth follows a male pattern of hair distribution, more on the upper lip, chin, neck, back, stomach and chest.
The hair looks more coarse and dense than the normal peach fuzz light hair that is seen on the whole body.

Although hirsutism doesn’t cause physical complications, the underlying cause of a hormonal imbalance can.

How to remove facial hair permanently in Ayurveda?

Lomasathana Thailam

Lomasathana thailam is an ayurvedic herbal oil for Removing unwanted hair from body. This oil comes from the great Ashta vaidya tradition of Kerala and is very effective in removing unwanted hair due to different aetiology like PCOS, hormone imbalance, etc.

Dosage:

Take 10 – 15ml – external application.

Mode of administration:

· The oil is mixed with equal quantities of kasturi haldi and applied on the face.

· Wash it off with warm water after 20 – 30 minutes.

· Repeated use give better results.

Treatment and home remedies for facial hair:

Treatment of hirsutism includes medications and home remedies for facial hair, cosmetic procedures that gives short term and long term relief.

Medications that are generally prescribed are anti- androgenic medicines, oral contraceptive pills or tropical creams containing eflornithine. These drugs gives relief as long as they are taken and also comes with a wide range of side effects.
Treating the underlying conditions such as PCOS, hormonal imbalance helps.
Other procedures that may be found helpful are electrolysis or laser hair removal depending on the growth and type of the hair. These are effective after 6-8 sittings but are very costly.
Short term therapies include bleaching, waxing, epilator creams, shaving and threading. These are pocket friendly procedures but the results aren’t long lasting And most of these are really painful.
Due to the failing results from medications and cosmetic therapies, one may turn towards home remedies for facial hair which gives considerable results in most of the individuals.

You may try the following home remedies for facial hair consistently for beneficial results:

Peel and grind raw papaya. Add turmeric powder and mix well. Massage your face with this paste for fifteen minutes and wash with cool water. Repeat this once or twice weekly.
Turmeric mixed with milk and made into a paste can be applied as face pack. When it is dry mildly scrub and remove.
Make a paste of chickpea flour, turmeric powder and fresh cream. Apply this paste as a face pack.
Mix few drops of honey and lemon juice in egg white and apply on affected area. When it is about to dry, remove with cotton dipped in warm water.
Mix sugar, lemon juice and water. Apply this to your face in the direction of hair growth and Leave for 15-20 minutes. Wash off with water by rubbing gently. Do this twice or thrice a week. After few weeks, you will see noticeable reduction in hair growth.
How to remove facial hair naturally in one day? Mix sugar and cornflour in egg white. Beat it till you get a smooth paste. Apply this egg mask to your face and let it dry.Once it is dried, pull this egg mask along with the hair.
Applying honey alone on the affected area can lighten the colour of your facial hair and make it blend in with your skin colour. This has to be done on a daily basis. You can also read about natural face packs for hair removal here.
Consume foods rich in Phyto estrogens like flax seeds, fennel, liquorice, alfalfa, asparagus, soy products and aloe vera.
If you are obese, losing excess weight also reduces facial hair growth.
Decoction prepared of Anantmool can be consumed to regularize your hormones.
Spearmint is a drug having anti-androgenic property which is one of the health benefits of spearmint that aids in the removal of unwanted hair.A study conducted by Turkish researchers indicates that spearmint tea can help women with hirsutism. The study subjects were given herbal spearmint tea twice a day for five days in the follicular phase of their menstrual cycles. The follicular phase begins on the first day of your cycle and lasts about 14 days.

Spearmint tea:

Boil a cup of water. Add one teaspoon of dried spearmint to it. If you have fresh spearmint leaves, use four or five of them.
Cover the container and let it steep for about five to 10 minutes.
Strain and drink the tea.
Have it twice daily.

12. DIY “Lemon and honey wax” home remedies for facial hair:

Things Required:

2 tablespoons of sugar
2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon of organic honey
1 to 2 teaspoons of cornstarch or all-purpose flour
Water, if required
A waxing strip or a piece of cloth

Procedure:

Mix the sugar, lemon juice, and honey.
Heat the mixture for about 3 minutes, till it becomes a waxy paste.
To make the paste thinner, you can add water. Ensure that the paste is smooth.
Allow the mixture to cool down.
Apply the cornstarch or the flour on the areas where you have unwanted hair.
Next, spread the paste in the direction of the hair growth.
Using a waxing strip or the piece of cloth, pull the hair out in the opposite direction.

This home wax does not cause any allergic reactions a chemical wax does.

Click for detailed story

Digestion and Its Abnormality: An Ayurvedic Perspective

Ayurvedic

Nov 282017

Digestion is the process by which the food you ingest is broken down into a simpler and absorbable form. According to Ayurveda, Agni is considered as the key factor for digestion and it is responsible for good health of an individual and Ayurvedic medicine for indigestion aims at correcting the agni.

The definition of health in ayurveda goes like this “Samadosha, samagni, samadhatu malakriyah Prasannatma indriya manah swastha ityabhidhiyate”- Sushruta.

A person is said to be healthy when there is balance in his doshas (Vata, pitta and kapha), metabolic factors (agni), tissues(dhatus), excretory products (malas) and harmony in mental factors like senses (indriyas), mind (manas) and the soul (atma). This signifies the role of agni in maintenance of normal health.

What are the different types of digestive fire or Agni?

In Ayurveda, there is description of 13 types of agni in the human body:

Jatharagni – Jatharagni is the biological fire in the body which is responsible for digestion of food which you eat. It is only one and is present in the abdominal region.

Bhutagni – Bhutagni refers to the agni attributed to each panchamahabhutas ( Akasa, Vayu, Agni, Jala and Prithvi). The food we eat is made up of five elements and even our body, this bhutagni transfers the energy from the food to your body into simplest form and support the panchamahabutas in your system. .It is five in number.

Dhatvagni – Dhatvagni refers to tissue metabolism. According to Ayurveda, our body is made up of seven dhatus- Body fluids like lymph (Rasa),Blood and its components (Rakta ), Muscular system (Mamsa), adipose or fat tissue (Meda),Skeletal system ( Asthi), Bone marrow(Majja ) and reproductive system(Shukra Dhatu). The nutrients absorbed from the intestine is processed in each of these system by respective dhatvagnis for their nourishment, proper functioning and development. It is seven in number.

Jatharagni is further divided into 4 types according to the dosha dominance and intensity of agni:

Vishama Agni– Dominance of vata dosha manifests vishamagni in an individual. It is characterised by varying or irregular digesting capacity. Sometimes the digestion will be fast and good, sometimes it will be slow and weak.

Teekshna Agni– Dominance of pitta dosha manifests teekshna agni. It is characterised by intense and quick digestive capacity. Whatever you eat gets digested very soon and it starts burning the body tissues leading to weakness.

Manda Agni- Dominance of kapha dosha results in mandagni. Majority of the diseases are characterized by mandagni. In this digestion is very slow and sluggish.

Ayurveda quotes that “sarve rogaapi mandagnau sudaraamudarani cha” which means all the diseases are due to the mandagni and it starts from the abdominal region. Thus agni plays an inevitable role in the ayurvedic treatment and those herbs that have the property of agni deepana and pachana (appetizing and carminative -metabolic properties) are included as ayurvedic medicine for indigestion.

Sama Agni- Balance in all the doshas manifests sama agni. It is responsible for healthy development and normal functioning of the body. In this the digestion is neither slow nor fast.

How do you identify that you have indigestion?

Sounds silly! But one may neglect any of these symptoms usually:

Acidity, sour belching
Bitter or sour taste in the mouth.
Constipation or diarrhoea
The smell of food while burping.
Bloating or gas in the abdomen.
Stomach pain/pricking sensation
Discomfort or fullness in the upper part of the abdomen.
Fatigue.
Loss of appetite
Nausea / vomiting.

What causes indigestion?

Before anybody takes any Ayurvedic medicine for indigestion one should know the cause.

- Are you Skipping breakfast,eating a late night dinner or taking food at irregular timing?
- Are you over eating or eating before the previously consumed food is digested?
- Are you a drinking large amount of water or juice immediately after food?
- Do you drink a lot?
- Do you take leftovers, refrigerated or frozen foods?
- Do you Eat too fast or slow, eating while driving, standing, just before going to shower?
- Do you consume either dry or oily (deep fried) foods very often or foods prepared after soaking for longer duration in water and very spicy foods?
- Are you emotionally disturbed?
  - “The food you eat can be either the safest medicine and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison”– Ann Wigmore.

What are the different types of indigestion (Ajirna)?

- Vistabdha ajirna – caused due to vitiation of vata dosha. It is characterized by pain abdomen, bloated stomach or gaseous distension, pain all over the body, fatigue, non elimination of stools and flatus.
- Vidagdha ajirna – caused due to vitiation of pitta dosha. It cause burning sensation in the chest and throat region, different kinds of pain, increased feeling of thirst, sour eructation or belching, tiredness, fainting and giddiness.
- Ama ajirna – caused due to vitiation of kapha dosha. The feature of this are puffiness of around the eyes and face, frothy and increased salivation in the mouth, nausea, repeated belching having the smell of the food you ate and feeling of heaviness in the body.
- Vilambika – caused due to vitiation of kapha and vata along with accumulation of ama. Person suffering with this, feels very lazy and discomfort in the chest region.
- Rasa sesha ajirna – This is caused due to heavy and late night dinner. In this, you will feel that the food consumed last night is not digested when you wake up in the morning.

What is ama according to ayurveda?

In Ayurveda there is a concept called Ama, which is considered as the main reason for majority of the diseases. Ama is a toxic substance formed due to any of the above said ajirna. This ama is circulated all over the body through minute channels and gets lodged in different parts of the body causing diseases.Constipation is common for all types of ajirna and it is the sign of weak digestion. Ama pachana (metabolising the toxins) is the first step in Ayurvedic treatment for indigestion.

What are the Characteristics of good digestion (Jeerna ahara lakshana)?

Clear belching without any smell or taste of the food.
Feeling energetic devoid of heaviness and lethargy.
Proper and timely elimination of waste products devoid of constipation and loose stools.
Sense of lightness.
Feels hungry and thirsty after stipulated time.

How to manage indigestion at home?

Ayurvedic treatment for indigestion with home remedies:

The first line of treatment for all types of indigestion is fasting (Langhana) . Skip the meal if you feel your previous food is not digested and eat only when you feel hungry.
If you are feeling nauseous or vomiting, vomit it out. Never suppress the sensation by taking antiemetic drugs. To ease vomiting, you can drink 2 large glasses of lukewarm water with ½ spoon of rock salt.
A pinch of sendha salt with a spoon of lemon juice and ginger juice taken together cures indigestion and increases appetite and taste perception.

Home remedies for Abdominal Pain

If you are having pain and gaseous distension of the abdomen, keep hot water bag on your abdomen for few minutes.
Chew ½ tsp of jeera with pinch of salt and asafoetida, followed by cup of hot water.
Dry roast equal quantity of fennel seeds, coriander seeds and jeera. Grind to a fine powder and take ½ tsp of this powder with warm water thrice a day.
Boil 1 tsp of ajwain in 1 liter of water, fill it in a flask and keep sipping this water often.

An ayurvedic medicine for indigestion is not required will not be required for a person who consumes cumin seeds, asafoetida and ajwain on a daily basis.

5 Important must Do’s for a good digestion:

Chew food properly while eating.
Always prefer light food and in moderate quantity. It is advisable to eat only 3/4th of your stomach capacity, never eat full stomach.
Regularly use jeera, pepper, asafoetida, garlic and ginger in your cooking.
Drink water sip by sip along with the meal. Always luke warm water is preferred if you have weak digestion.
Chew a small piece of fresh ginger with pinch of salt just before meals.

How to Naturally Improve Your Appetite and Digestion? Read here

6 Important Things you should NOT DO for Improving Digestion:

Do not take the food stuffs that are incompatible to one another (viruddhahar). See the infographic below on viruddhahar to know about the incompatible food combinations. None of the ayurvedic medicine for indigestion works if a person is continuously taking viruddhahar.
Do not indulge in raw salads. Uncooked foods are difficult to digest. Take soups instead.
Do not eat food if you are not hungry.
Do not consume cold food or reheated food.
Do not take curd if your digestion is weak. Opt for buttermilk instead.
Do not eat with an anxious, fearful and depressive mind.

Ayurvedic medicine for indigestion (Ajirna)

Churnas – Hingvastak churna, trikatu churna, vaishvanara churna.
Vatis – Chitrakadi vati, agnitundi vati
Kashayas – Usually in weak digestion kashayas are not preferred. one may be given Gandharvahasthadi kashayam, Indukantham kashayam according to the nature of indigestion.
Arista – Dasamoolajeerakarishta,, pippalyasavam and ajamoda arka. In children, Aravindasavam is ideal choice as an ayurvedic medicine for indigestion.

Click for detailed story

Frequent Urination: Causes and Ayurvedic Treatment

Ayurvedic

Nov 242017

Normal frequency of urination varies from 4-7 times to 6- 10 times a day for each individual. Frequent urination is the condition where you tend to pass urine more frequently than what’s normal for you. It may occur either only during night time for some individuals or may be both morning and night time. Ayurvedic treatment for frequent urination employs, medicines, diet and lifestyle.

Causes of Frequent Urination

Urinary tract infection.
Certain medications which increase urine production.
Excessive consumption of certain beverages and fluids.
Diabetes mellitus and insipidus.
Benign prostatic hypertrophy in males.
Pregnancy in females.
Overactive bladder.
Stones or calculus.
Abnormal kidney functioning.
Mental disturbance like anxiety, unusual fear, etc.
Urinary incontinence due to muscular or neural weakness.

When to see your doctor?

These are alarming call for a person with frequent urination to consult a doctor.

Is there blood in your urine?
Is your urine dark yellow or brown?
Do you have pain while urinating?
Don’t you have control over your bladder?
Do you have fever?
Do you wake up more than twice on the night to urinate?

Ayurvedic view of frequent urination

Atimutrata is the term used for increased frequency of urination. It may be referred to as the excessive secretion of urine (polyurea) or the excessive elimination. The pathogenesis according to ayurveda varies in these two condition which changes the treatment pattern completely. It is considered as vitiation of apana vayu (apana vayu vaigunya) in the channels that carry urine (mutra vaha srotas). The mutravaha srotas has its root at the kidneys and the path extends upto the urethra via the ureter and urinary bladder.

When it is due to excessive secretion, it is a pathology in the kapha dosha and the water element (drava dhatu) of the body.
When there is no excessive secretion, it is the vitiation of vata dosha along with the water element (drava dhatu) of the body. It may or may not be associated with kapha.
In the symptoms of prameha(a group of urinary disorders that includes madhumeha/diabetes), excessive urination (prabhuta mutrata) is mentioned as a cardinal symptom.

Ayurvedic Treatment for frequent urination -Protocol

Ayurvedic treatment for frequent urination (atimutrata) includes the following:

Snehana-swedana (oleation and fomentation) followed by snigdha virechana (purgation) in case of retention of urine (mutraghata).
Enema procedures such as Asthapana basti, anuvasana basti and uttara basti are helpful.
Medicines causing movement of vata in a normal direction (Vatanulomana and udavarta hara) and those which help in voiding of urine (mutrala) are helpful.
Tub bath (avagaha) with herbal decoctions of varuna, gokshura, Brihati, shatavari punarnava are helpful.

Ayurvedic treatment for frequent urination

Sukumaram kashayam is a herbal decoction that is helpful in this condition.
Chandraprabhavati tablets relieves symptoms of urinary retention, Urinary tract infection and BPH.
Ayurstate tablets are exclusively used in the treatment of BPH, urinary retention and Prostate cancer.

Treatments for frequent urination

Kegel exercises: These are floor exercises that can be performed by both men and women that will improve the muscle tone of the pelvis. Results are observed as early as two weeks when performed properly. It is known to reduce incontinence and over active bladder.Learn how to perform kegel excercises here.
Bladder training: This involves holding the urge for a certain amount of time, setting time intervals for passing urine. This technique is known to change the bladder habits.
Changing diet: avoiding foods that irritate the bladder or act as a diuretic, for instance caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, spicy foods, artificial sweeteners. Eating high-fiber foods can help reduce the constipation that worsens an overactive bladder.

Home remedies in ayurvedic treatment for frequent urination

The fruit rind of pomegranate is ground and 1 tsp of this paste is taken with water in the morning and evening before food daily. This is known the cure the urinary frequency.
Fenugreek seed powder consumed with a pinch of dry ginger in the early morning and at night relieves this condition.
Intake of jamun seed powder with raw honey on an empty stomach is known to cure frequent urination. It is also an effective remedy to reduce blood sugar levels.
Intake of sesame seeds with jaggery thrice a day controlls frequent urination.
Intake of coconut water relieves the UTI symptoms and cures frequent urination.
Intake of Curd helps in reducing frequent urination. Curd is known to have the property of withholding the liquids (grahi) and thus cures the problem.
Intake of juice of one amla with honey and a banana along with it will take you out of this problem. It can be taken three times in a day and is beneficial for all age groups and in pregnant women.
Reetha powder (soapnut) – 1/2 tsp with a glass of water will relieve the symptom in a week.
Powder of pumpkin seeds with water cures the problem.

Diet to control frequent micturition

The following food habits is known to help along with the medicines is employed in the ayurvedic treatment for frequent urination:

Juice of pomegranate, aloe vera juice, tender coconut water, cranberry juice and gooseberry juice is helpful.
Intake of apples, bananas,apples, sweet potatoes, grapes, raspberries, beans, bananas, brown rice, and cherries.
Add cumin, fennel seeds, jaggery, cinnamon and fenugreek seeds in your diet.
Include curd and buttermilk in your diet.
Take a lot of spinach,pumpkin and plantain stems.

3 foods to avoid:

Artificial sugar
Alcohol
Fried food, junk food and pastries.

3 Yoga poses for controlling frequent urination

There are a few yoga poses just like kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor.

1.Triangle Pose(Trikonasana):

Stand with your feet very wide apart so your legs make a triangle to the floor. Turn your right foot 90 degrees. Align the center of the right heel with the center of your arch of your left foot. Inhale deeply. As you exhale, bend your body down from the hips to the right. As you bend down keep your back straight, place your right hand down by your right foot (you may place it on your shin, foot or on the ground beside your foot for balance) and point your left arm up to the sky. Breathe deeply while you are in this pose. After you’ve done some deep breathing, inhale and come up. Bring your arms down to your sides and straighten your feet.

2. Squat Pose(Malasana):

Stand with your feet a little wider than hip distance apart. Pivot your toes so they are facing outward and are wider than your heels. Bend your knees deeply until your hips are lower than your knees. Bring your hands palm-to-palm and place your elbows at the inner parts of your knee. Push your elbows into your knees to open up your hips. Attempt to raise your heart up to the sky to stretch your back and spine. Hold for 30 seconds. To release, sit back on your buttocks or push up to stand.

3.Chair Pose (Utkatasana):

Stand with your feet facing forward hip-width apart. Inhale as you face your palms forward moving them above your head. Exhale and bend your knees, while squatting down. Move your hips into the floor, almost like you are sitting in a chair. Bring your weight to the heels of your feet and do not lower your bottom to lower than your knees. Keep your knees pointing straightforward. Press your shoulders down and try to arch your spine. Breathe for roughly three to six minutes. To release this pose, inhale and slowly straighten your legs. Reach your arms up and stretch as you exhale and place your hands by your side.

Click for detailed story

Tachycardia treatment at home. How to Naturally Lower Rapid Heart Rate?

Ayurvedic

Nov 202017

How to Naturally Lower Rapid Heart Rate

Tachycardia also called tachyarrhythmia, is a heart rate that exceeds the normal resting rate. (source:wikipedia) is a condition where your heartbeat is more than 100 beats per minute. The average rate is usually between 60 and 100 beats per minute for adults. This puts a pressure on the heart muscles that the upper and lower chambers of the heart. However tachycardia treatment at home also might help to manage this condition.

What happens when your heart beats faster?

Before learning about how to naturally lower rapid heart rate(tachycardia) one should know the physiology. When the rate of heart beat increases, the ability to pump the blood becomes low and this creates an insufficiency in the blood reaching to the organs or heart itself. This blood insufficiency causes lack of Oxygen supply to the organs and leads to cell death. This is a serious condition when it comes to the cells of the heart and the brain because brain cells cannot be regenerated after its death and Oxygen deprivation in the heart cells leads to heart attack (myocardial infarction).

However in most of the individuals there won’t be any significant symptoms or complications but it increases the risk of sudden cardiac arrest and stroke.

What causes tachycardia?

Anaemia.
Anxiety, fear, stress.
Exercise.
Increased blood pressure.
Fever and electrolyte imbalance.
Hormonal variations like hyperthyroidism.
Any abnormalities related to the heart.
Excess intake of alcohol and caffeinated drinks.
Smoking
High or low blood pressure
Abuse of recreational drugs, such as cocaine
Certain medications.
Abnormal electrical pathways in the heart present at birth (congenital heart conditions, including long QT syndrome)
Imbalance of electrolytes, mineral-related substances necessary for conducting electrical impulses

What does Ayurveda say about tachycardia?

The reference of tachycardia can be co related to “Hrit-drava” mentioned by Acharya Charaka in Ayurveda. It is considered as a vata imbalance. Movement or pulsation (“chalatva”) is a function of vata. And so is the increase in movement. Ayurveda manages tachycardia by vata reducing medicines and lifestyle (vatahara oushadhas and vihara).

When to approach a doctor?

The following signs and symptoms of tachycardia are possible:

Accelerated heart rate (fast pulse)
Confusion
Dizziness
Hypotension (low blood pressure)
Lightheadedness
Palpitations – an uncomfortable racing feeling in the chest, sensation of irregular and/or forceful beating of the heart
Panting (shortness of breath)
Sudden weakness
Syncope (fainting)
Chest pain (angina) – chest pain or discomfort that occurs when the heart muscle does not get enough blood

It is not unusual for some patients with tachycardia to experience no symptoms at all. In such cases, the condition is typically discovered when the individual has a physical examination. Tachycardia treatment at home can help during the initial stage of the disease.

Types of Tachycardia:

Sinus tachycardia: Often sinus tachycardia is a normal response to certain situations such as exercise, anxiety, distress, or fever. Certain disorders such as thyroid disease, anemia, and low blood pressure are also associated with sinus tachycardia.
Atrial fibrillation (AF): AF is characterized by chaotic electrical signals, triggering the atria to quiver rapidly and irregularly. Atrial fibrillation is often associated with heart disease, an overactive thyroid, or alcoholism. Frequently, AF causes blood clot formation inside the heart, which increases a person’s risk for stroke.
Atrial flutter: This arrhythmia is similar to atrial fibrillation, except the rhythm is less chaotic.
Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) or paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT): This arrhythmia starts with electrical signals above the ventricles that travel down an abnormal electrical pathway or extra pathway. An extra pathway is the hallmark of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome – the leading cause of SVT in children and adolescents.
Ventricular tachycardia (VT): VT is triggered by an electrical abnormality within the ventricles. During VT, the ventricles may fill poorly and inadequately pump blood. Sometimes a person becomes pulseless during VT – a fatal event unless immediately corrected.
Ventricular fibrillation (VF): VF is a rapid, chaotic rhythm, in which the ventricles fail to pump blood at all. VF is a fatal arrhythmia, unless immediately converted to a normal rhythm. VF is usually related to underlying heart disease. Rarely, a blunt blow to the chest wall of a healthy person precipitates VF.

Complications of Tachycardia:

Unstable low blood pressure
Heart failure
Blood clots
Stroke
Sudden death (cardiac arrest)

Confirmatory diagnosis:

When a patient’s symptoms and physical examination suggest an arrhythmia, a physician performs tests to diagnose the disorder and assess for the presence of underlying diseases.

Electrocardiogram (ECG).
Holter monitor: A wearable device continuously records the ECG for a period of 24 to 48 hours.
Cardiac event recorder: A recording device, used for a month or more, is manually activated when a person experiences symptoms.
Echocardiogram.
Stress test/ Treadmill ECG: The heart is monitored while a person walks or runs on a treadmill in an attempt to provoke an episode of the arrhythmia.
Tilt table test.

Treatment In Modern medicine:

Medications includes beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, other anti-arrhythmic medicines or digoxin. In people who have frequent episodes, treatment with medicines can decrease recurrences. But these medicines may have side effects.
Vagal maneuvers -the Valsalva maneuver – bearing down as if having a bowel movement – can slow some types of tachycardia.
Catheter ablation.
Cardioversion. A properly timed electrical shock (in synchrony with the heart) is delivered to the chest to restore a normal heart rhythm.
Emergency asynchronous defibrillation.
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD).
Maze procedure. This surgery disrupts abnormal electrical pathways in the heart. Such surgery is performed when other treatment options have failed.

Tachycardia treatment in ayurveda

Vata reducing diet and lifestyle activities are recommended in this condition. Tachycardia treatment at home requires strict (pathya) of diet of lifestyle habits.

Diet:

Foods that are naturally sweet, sour, and salty in taste.
Food seasoned with spices like ginger, black pepper, cinnamon and cumin can be taken.
Warm milk seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg
A generous amount of high-quality oils or ghee in your daily diet.
Eating your meal in a peaceful environment.

Avoid:

Foods that are bitter, astringent, and pungent.
Foods that are cooling in nature or that has become cold and stale after cooking.
Dry and light foods
Too much raw food like salads, raw fruit, fresh fruit and vegetable juices, etc.)
Legumes
Highly processed foods.
Cold or carbonated drinks and Caffeine.
Overeating or eating very heavy meals.
Foods or drinks that contain refined sugar or corn syrup.
Deep fried foods.
Hard alcohol.

Life style changes to reduce vata:

Sleep and wake up at proper scheduled timings.
Avoid being awake in the night.
Take an oil massage before bath. Apply oil on the vertex of the scalp, on the soles and palms.
Practice meditation, pranayama and yoga
Avoid over thinking and stress.
Do not suppress your natural urges.

Read tips on how to reduce vata here.

Tachycardia treatment at home:

Here are some natural ways for tachycardia treatment at home:

Potassium rich foods like banana, raisins have been found beneficial to cure tachycardia naturally.
Magnesium rich foods like spinach, Brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds are also beneficial.
Tuna, salmon, sardines are rich source of omega 3 fatty acids, proved to be effective in lowering the heart rate.
Garlic is also good for your heart. Consume 2-3 cloves of garlic daily.
Drink ash gourd juice regularly.

Tachycardia treatment at home with Ayurvedic medicines:

Ayurvedic medicines, which are beneficial in lowering heart rate include:

Click for detailed story