NASYA
This is a procedure wherein medicaments are instilled into nasal cavity in doshas especially pertaining to uttamanga, to achieve desired multidimensional effects.
Materials required: (for navana)
1. Nasya oil– Q.S.
2. Oil for abyanga – Q .S.
3. Nasyapeeta/nasyasayya, caliberrated dropper/gauze to instill the nasya drug.
4. Pillow, chair for dhoomanasya, table, Cotton pad, gauze, lotus petals to protect eyes while swedana.
5. For swedana – boiling water, towels or arrangement for nadi swedana (pressure cooker without weight, long heat resistant flexible pipe), appropriate swedana materials for tapasweda {cloth/towel/hotwaterbag}.
6. Gokarna
7. Warm water for kavala
8. Karpooradi or haridradi dhooma varthi / Other suitable drugs can also be used according to the type of Nasya with paper cone.
9. Disposable sterile plastic container for spitting(preferably transparent)
10. Clean cotton towels, cotton, tissue paper etc for cleansing
Time of administration
• According to dosha predominance
Kapha - morning
Pitta - afternoon
Vata - evening
• In swasthas
Sheeta kala - afternoon
Sharat and vasantha – morning
Greeshma – evening
Varsha – cloudless day with sunshine
• Age group eligible for nasya
7-80 years
Dose determination of nasya
• When index finger is dipped upto two parwas (joints) in drava dravya and taken out the amount of dravya falling from it is considered as one bindu. Approximately one bindu is 0.5 ml.( for oil)
• Sneha nasya 10/8/6 bindu respectively for uttama, madhyama and avara matra
Poorva karma
• Patient is advised to wash face and mouth with luke warm water.
• Abyanga is done over shiras, lalata, kapala, greeva & skanda.
• Shiroabhyanga is enough. Nadisweda or tapasweda can be done.Abhyanga over palm and sole can be done.Dhoomapana can be done for srotosodha (in case of nasal congestion).
• Eyes are bandaged with a clean gauze piece after placing lotus petals and cotton pad over closed eyelids
• Then Nadi sweda is done (urdhwajathru).
• Dhoomapana can be done for srotoshodana, if necessary.
• Patient is made to lie in supine position with slightly elevated legs and head extended backwards.
Pradhana karma
• The medicine mildly warmed over a water bath.
• The prescribed dose of medicine is taken in the gokarna and poured into either nostril closing the other in a continuous single stream.
• Immediately after instillation of medicine mild massage is done over pani, pada, greeva, skanda.
• Mridu swedana can be done in the above mentioned areas with suitable method (Hasthasweda or vasanasweda).
• Patient is asked to inhale the medicine with moderate force and to spit it through mouth turning head to either side alternatively without rising from the cot.
• Patient is made to lie in the same position for 100 matra kala (3-5 minutes)
Paschat karma
• Dhoomapana is done with appropriate drugs according to the type of Nasya.
• Kavala with warm water is done to attain kantha shudhi.
• The talam should be wiped off and dry powder (used for preparing talam) is gently rubbed over the anterior frontanale.
• It is advisible not to take any type of food 2 hrs prior to and 1 hour after nasya.
• Na atidrava annapana is indicated in nasya.
Precautions
• While positioning the patient for nasya, if the head is not sufficiently bent the nasya dravya will not enter shiras and if the head is more bent dravya may enter mastulunga and cause complications like headache, dizziness etc.
• If the spitting is not done properly, or medicine is swallowed, it will cause kaphotklesha, agnimandya and the disease aggravates.
• If patient spits on one side only, then proper spreading of medicine won’t take place.
• If the patient talk, sneezes, laughs or gets angry or excessively moves his head while doing nasya, the nasya dravya won’t reach expected site and instead causes complications like cough, sinusitis rhinorrhoea, and head ache.
• Patient must avoid exposure to dust, sun breeze, drinking excessive water, alcohol, sneha dravya, bathing, excessive walking etc. Head bathing should be avoided during nasya period (since nasya arhas are almost snana anarhas), if bath is not contraindicated it can be given after 3hours.
Avapeeda nasya
It is usually administered for 2 purposes- sthambhana and sodhana. It is named so because the medicine has to be squeezed for obtaining the nasya dravya.
Materials required
1 Drug in wet form Eg: tulasi pathra, ardraka kanda
2 Mortar & pestle
3 Clean white cotton cloth (Coloured cloth should not be used)
4 Honey, swarasa etc should be added.
Preparation of medicine
Paste of the required medicine is prepared and squeezed in a clean cloth to get juice. If the medicine is theekshna to the patient, then it can be diluted with milk.
Dose
4-8 bindu
Preparation of the patient
Abhyanga and sweda depends on doshaavastha and purpose of nasya. In pravruttha/ drava dosha – without or with minimum sweda. In apravrutta / Sandra dosha , abhyanga and ooshma sweda can be done. If done for sthambhana purpose swedana should not be done.
Procedure is similar to marsha nasya
Pradhamana nasya
It produces profuse dosha sodhana. Drug is used in the form of fine powder.
Materials required
1 Six inches long straw (Preferably tetrapack piercing straw)
2 Fine powders obtained from micropulveriser or filtered with 200 number mesh or similar cotton cloth.
Dose
1-2 pinches
Procedure
The powder is filled in the straw and blown into the nostril.
Complication
Severe burning sensation : Nasya with sugar dissolved cold water,
plain gritha nasya
Sirodhoomayana : Ksheerabala nasya
Nasal bleeding : Doorva swrasa + honey nasya, vasa swarasa.
Kshavadhu- repeated sneezing: Sneha nasya with ksheerabala 101
Precautions
Do a very minute test dose before using theekshna nasya. (Both the doctor and patient-in dose of milligrams).The blowing should not be done by a person with infections, that could be spread by touch/droplets/breath air.
