Ayurvedic review of urticaria vis-à-vis sheetapitta

Urticaria is a disease characterized by erythematous and pruritic rashes in the dermis or large hypodermal swellings. It is lumpy and itchy rashes which look like the effect of a nettle sting and occurs for more than six weeks. It affects 20% of people at some time in their life time.Though the disease is not life threatening, it makes patient worried, due to its appearance and severe pruritus. Management primarily aimed at patient’s education, avoidance of known triggers and pharmacotherapy i.e. antihistamines, glucocorticoids. The modern medicine provides temporary symptomatic relief and patient have to take medicines for long time, which may be having some unwanted side effects. In Ayurvedic texts, Sheetapitta share similar symptomatology and causative factors as Urticaria. Sheetapitta is having a common symptom of itchy red rashes on skin on almost all over the body. In Ayurveda, the sequential administration of Shodhana therapy and certain Shaman Yoga are quite beneficial.Virechana (therapeutic purgation) is best treatment for Pittaja vyadhis and also it is important treatment for Vataja, Kaphaja and Raktaja vyadhis (as these all are vitiated in Sheetapitta), thus Virechana eradicates the aggravated Doshas from the body thereby giving a marked relief in patients of Urticaria.