MANAGEMENT OF PITTA

Pitta, which mainly consists of the element of fire, is primarily hot in

attribute. Therefore, it is treated with a cooling or heat-dispelling therapy
It is also moist, light and mobile, so it can benefit from therapies which
are drying, nutritive or calming. The cooling therapy, however, should
be given first whenever Pitta is to be treated.
Tastes that treat Pitta are sweet, astringent and bitterall cooling in
nature. Bitter taste, being the coldest and most drying of the tastes, is
strongest in reducing Pitta.
The treatment of Pitta is intimately associated with treatment of the
blood, Rakta, the tissue-element of the body that relates to Pitta. In heat-
dispelling therapies, the blood is usually
cooled along with Pitta. Mostproblems of blood heat, toxicity and
bleeding relate to Pitta.
Most conditions of bodily heat, fever, inflammation, infection or acidity
also relate generally to Pitta. When deranged, Pitta will manifest itself in
the above aberrations. But Pitta or Agni may be obstructed or moved by
Vata and Kapha. This gives heat symptoms like fever, but they must be
treated by alleviating the Dosha causing the problem. We cannot
simplistically treat all heat as Pitta.
Heat may be dispelled from the body in various ways. We must
determine the nature, depth and location of its manifestation to discover
the appropriate treatment for it.
Surface heat, as in fever due to colds or temporary (not necessarily
chronic or deep-seated) inflammatory skin conditions, is usually treated
using diaphoretic herbs. Warming diaphoretics increase heat and cause
sweating, thereby aggravating Pitta. But there is also a class of cooling
diaphoretics that dispel heat and eliminate Pitta through sweating. For
surface heat due to Pitta, Pitta-colds etc., these are appropriate.
Heat in the blood, which is found in many inflammatory and infectious
conditions, sores, ulcers, boils, infections, etc., can be treated with
alterative herbs. These are usually bitter or astringent anti-Pitta herbs,
often possessing antibacterial properties and promoting healing. Where
blood heat leads to bleeding, as is its tendency, astringent or hemostatic
herbs can be used, those whose taste and energy alleviate Pitta.
For the highest heat, fever and Pitta-conditions, bitter fire-purging and
heat-dispelling herbs are used. In western herbalism these are called
bitter tonics. They are the strongest herbs for cooling Pitta, for sedating
and detoxifying the liver, and for reducing deep-seated heat/fever in the
interior of the body. Ayurveda calls them febrifuges or antipyretic herbs,
and advises the use of bitter taste for bringing down fevers. Their action
is similar to alteratives but they are stronger, reaching deeper tissues
than blood and lymph.
Purgatives, herbs which promote excretion, those whose energy is
cooling, are another strong anti-Pitta therapy. When the heat attribute of
Pitta is high, or where there is high fever, this heat accumulates in the
gastrointestinal tract and dries up the stool causing constipation. Then
purgation can directly alleviate Pitta, and it is in this condition that the
strongest purgatives tend to be used.
When, however, the liquid attribute of Pitta is high, which is generally
more common, there is diarrhea or loose motion of a heat nature. In this
instance, such cooling purgatives may still be used, as the cause again is
heat.
Ayurveda considers the purgative method (virechana karma) to be the
strongest for eliminating excess Pitta from the body, as it clears Pitta
from its site of accumulation in the small intestine. It is the natural
course for the elimination of Pitta, but again may require supervision, as
it is a strong therapy.`
Usually heat is dispelled downwards from the body. Heat rises and
expands and so it is dispelled by a sinking and contracting action. For
this reason, not only purgative action but also diuretic action, is also
helpful for relieving Pitta.
Urination not only clears water, but heat and acidity from the body, and
it also has a strong anti-Pitta action.
Pitta often manifests in excessive sweating, diarrhea, bleeding, inflamed
ulcerated skin or membranes. For checking these excessive discharges
and for promoting healing of ulcerative sores, astringent action herbs can
be applied in treating Pitta conditions.
When Pitta, owing to an excess of liquid attribute, suppresses the
digestive fire and leads to indigestion and the build-up of toxins, even
some pungent herbs, like ginger, can be used for their stimulating
digestive action. But they should be used with care, moderation, or in
balance with other herbs. Bitter tonics also help increase Agni by their
drying action; in addition they do not aggravate Pitta.