Ath Beheth Mangusawa of Hela Weda Athpotha

There are many causes for different types of headaches

This is part of our series on using Sri Lanka’s herbs for everyday use for better health. We will be using diverse books and advice from indigenous doctors for this series. For the first weeks, until we complete much of the book, we will focus on the publication Hela Weda Athputha authored by Ayurveda Shasthri, Ayurveda Doctor Palitha Shri Gagana Arachchige and published by Dilmah Conservation. In the past weeks we focused on Kenda varieties for diverse medicinal use.

http://www.ft.lk/harmony_page/Entering-the-world-of-Sri-Lankan-kenda-broth/10523-706934

http://www.ft.lk/harmony_page/Entering-the-world-of-Sri-Lankan-kenda-broth/10523-707275

http://www.ft.lk/harmony_page/Entering-the-world-of-Sri-Lankan-kenda-broth/10523-705604

http://www.ft.lk/harmony_page/Entering-the-world-of-Sri-Lankan-kenda-broth/10523-705276

We also featured easy to administer home remedies for minor ailments mentioned in the book under the theme Ath Beheth Manjusawa.

http://www.ft.lk/harmony_page/Ath-Beheth-Mangusawa-of-the-Hela-Weda-Athpotha/10523-708584

http://www.ft.lk/harmony_page/Kola-kenda-broth-and-Ath-Beheth-Mangusawa-of-Hela-Weda-Athpotha/10523-707616

Below is the continuing series on the Ath Beheth Manjusawa (cures that could be prepared and administered for minor ailments prior to seeking medical treatment).

We now translate and feature the section of the book that is connected with head-related ailments such as headaches. We feature below the introduction to this section as mentioned in the book:

A current most common ailment is the headache that many are afflicted with. There are many causes for different types of headaches that are generally connected with stress levels we face in daily life and connected with emotions such as sadness, being overworked, psychological issues, and walking in the sun. There are also very serious headaches connected with dizziness, vomiting, delusion including inability to face sunlight, for which one should consult a doctor. 

Here, in the Ayurvedic way, we can separate the headaches we get into 4 sections: 1. Caused by Vatha 2. Caused by Pitha 3. Caused by phlegm (connected with Kapha) and 4. Caused by psychological issues. 

Following are the symptoms of headaches caused by Vatha connected ailments:

• Tightness in the back of the neck. 
• Increase of the headaches during the night.
• Where one cannot give a specific reason for the headaches.
• Having some relief after the head is tightly bound by a cloth and kept. 
• Following is the Athbeheth treatment for headaches caused by Vatha:
• Take five grams of each of the following: Roots of the Babila plant, Beli tree roots, dried ginger (SiddhiInguru), boiled in water of 8 cups (200ml per cup) until it is heated to the point of one cup which has to be drunk half in the morning and half in the evening. 
• The following remedies include:
• Grinding young shoots of the Nika tree, young shoots of the Beli tree with ghee and applying on the forehead as paste and bound by cloth/plaster.
• Drinking water that has been boiled with Heen Araththa, coriander and Thippili roots. 
• Grind the traditional way to a paste with warm water Wadha Kaha and Heen Aratha ala (tuber) and bind the paste on the forehead.
• Take Yaki Narang leaves and boil it for the purpose of vapor inhalation (Dhum Alleema in Sinhalese). 
• How to identify Pitha related headaches:
• Intense heat around the head area.
• Burning sensation of the eyes and nose.
• The habit of drinking alcohol. 
• The headaches decreasing at night time. 
• The following is the Athbeheth treatment for headaches caused by Pitha:
• Grind Spinach leaves, place on forehead and bind with cloth or plaster.
• Take Hathawariya tubors crushed and grinded with cow’s milk and place on forehead, binding with a cloth or a plaster.
• Make a small thawili pottani, (filling a cloth with herbs and placing it repeatedly on forehead) with the following herbs:

1. Siyambala leaves 
2. Kohomba leaves 
3. Amu Kaha
4. Garlic 
5. Small onions thinly sliced 

All this above tie up in a clean cloth and boil/steam and place on forehead repeatedly.

Following is the Athbeheth treatment for headaches caused by Sema (Kapha).

How to identify this headache:

• Feeling of heaviness of the head 
• Pain under the eyes
• Following are the treatments for this kind of headaches:
• Grind small red onions with vinegar, place on forehead and wrap with a piece of cloth.
• Take the following in equal proportions, grind it in the traditional manner and wrap the following in a clean cloth; Siyambala leaves, Heen Undupiyaliya, Nika leaves, onions. After tying these up in the cloth boil it (Wanduwe thambima). Administer it to the forehead (thavima). 
• Take Turmeric pods (Wada Kaha) and grind it with vinegar placing it on the forehead and fastening it by wrapping a cloth around the head.
• Crush a Betel leaf and place it on the forehead.
• Boil Adathoda leaves, lime leaves, Yakinarang leaves and use it for vapor inhalation.
• Consume water that has been boiled in Thippili, Beli roots, Babila roots, dried ginger and garlic. 
•  

Headaches caused by psychological stress

Symptoms:

• Heat around the head area
• Inability to tolerate loud noises 
• Headaches that last both morning and night 
• Inability to sleep 

Athbeheth treatment:

• Uproot the Kalukemberiya along with the roots and boil and drink 
• Boil Kohomba (Neem) leaves in cow’s milk, grind, apply on head and then bathe.
• Mix Iramusu powder and Sandun power with King Coconut water, apply on head and then bathe
• Grind Hathawariya roots with cow’s milk, apply on head and then bathe after an hour.
• Grind Madati seeds and Bulu, in cool water and apply on forehead – plastering the paste. (The grinding should be done using traditional utensils). 
  
   

Treatment for dandruff 

Crush/grind Kumbuk leaves and Nanu Babila and apply on scalp.

Apply Komarika pulp on the head 

Boil Veralu leaves and Ulu haal (Fenugreek) and wash head with this substance 

Use raw Nelli (Amla) ground with lime and apply on head 

Apply the crushed pulp of Divul leaves on head

Use the pulp of the Godapara fruit on the scalp 

(To be cont.)