general debility for BAMS final year brief information about general debility, causes, symptoms and management ayurveda correlation of general debility, causes , management including ahara, shamana oushadha, rasayana and chikitsa upakrama

1. GENERAL DEBILITY
Dr Yadu Gopan
MD Kayachikitsa
vp.yadugopan@gmail.com

2. General debility
General debility is a state of general weakness or feebleness that may be a
result or an outcome of one or more medical conditions that produce symptoms
such as pain, fatigue, cachexia and physical disability, or deficits in attention,
concentration, memory, development and/or learning.
General debility is more usually associated with multiple medical
conditions or extreme old age. Medications used to treat various medical
conditions may also produce effects that contribute to general debility.
Broadly, debility is also known by other names : weakness, infirmity, frailty,
feebleness and frailness.

3. Common causes of weakness include:
• flu
• thyroid disease
• anemia
• depression or anxiety
• lack of sleep
• poorly managed or undiagnosed diabetes
• congestive heart failure
• vitamin B12 deficiency
• medication side effects, which often occur when taking mild tranquilizers to
treat anxiety
• certain muscle diseases
• chemotherapy

4. Other causes of weakness include:
• cancer
• stroke
• heart attack
• nerve or muscle injuries
• diseases affecting the nerves or muscles
• medication overdose
• vitamin overdose
• poison
Although weakness caused by cancer may appear slowly over an extended
amount of time, weakness caused by a heart attack or stroke often occurs
immediately.
In addition to experiencing weakness, other symptoms such as difficulty
breathing, pain, and irregular heartbeat may occur.

5. Symptoms of Debility
Weakness is a very common symptom. The feeling of weakness may be subjective
(the person feels weak but has no measurable loss of strength) or concrete
measurable loss of strength.
Weakness may be generalized (total body weakness) or localized to a specific area,
side the body, limb and so on.
Weakness is particularly important when it occurs in only one area of the body.
• Pain
• Fatigue
• Muscle atrophy
• Weight loss
• Attention loss
• Memory deficiency
• Learning problems

6. Isolated weakness
• delayed or slow movement
• uncontrollable shaking, or tremors
• muscle twitching
• muscle cramps
Full-body weakness
• fever
• flu-like symptoms
• pain in the affected area
Emergency symptoms
• dizziness
• lightheadedness
• confusion
• difficulty speaking
• changes in vision
• chest pain
• difficulty breathing

7. Complications of weakness
Because weakness can be due to serious diseases, failure to seek treatment can
result in serious complications and permanent damage. Once the underlying cause
is diagnosed, it is important for you to follow the treatment plan to reduce the risk of
potential complications including:
• Difficulty performing daily tasks
• Difficulty sleeping
• Inability to work or go to school
• Loss of mobility
• Progression of symptoms
• Spread of cancer
• Spread of infection
• Withdrawal or depression

8. Investigations
• Complete Blood Count
• Blood Glucose
• Thyroid Function Test
• ECG
• Imagings – CT, MRI

9. Treatment of general debility
• Good nutrition: Improving your diet can effectively boost your health and general
energy levels. Eat foods rich in carbohydrates and other nutrients to increase body
energy reserves, drink plenty of water then avoid smoking and alcohol intake.
• Daily exercise: Engaging in physical exercise daily can help energize the body,
strengthen bones and muscles, and keep you active throughout the day. Performing
yoga regularly is one of the best treatment of general debility.
• Medications: Certain medicines can also be prescribed for the treatment of general
debility, especially when it is caused by an underlying disease. Drugs that are taken to
keep you active might have some undesirable side effects, so be sure to talk to a doctor
before taking such prescriptions.
• Herbal supplements: The natural nutrients found in herbal supplements help to
provide extra energy for the body. These supplements are highly recommended as
opposed to energy drinks that can cause caffeine overdose and insulin insensitivity.
Herbal supplements provide a natural and healthy boost for the body without any harmful
side-effects, which make it good for debility treatment.

10. DOURBALYA
General debility is correlated with dourbalya in Ayurveda, Dourbalya is not a
disease in proper. It is a lakshana which is found in a number of vyadhis of different
srotas.
Causes :
• Vyadhi karshana
• Dhatukshaya
• Dhatu aposhana
• Margavarana
• Vata prakopa
• Absence of Bala vridhikara bhavas
बलवृद्धिकरास्त्ववमे भावा भवस्तति| िद्यथा-
बलववपुरुषे देशे जतम बलववपुरुषे काले च, सुखश्च कालयोगः, बीजक्षेत्रगुगुमसपचपचच, आहार
सपचपचच, शरीरसपचपचच, सावपचयसपचपचच, सत्त्वसपचपचच, ्वभावसंससद्धिश्च, यौवनं च, कमम
च, संहषमश्चेति||

11. Vyadhis causing dourbalya :
• Jwara
• Raktapitta
• Atisara
• Grahani
• Rajayakshma
• Vatavyadhi
• Kshataksheena
• Swasa
• Kasa
• Prameha etc.

12. CHIKITSA
• Vyadhi pratyaneeka chikitsa – treat underlying disease
• Balya-santarpana-ojovridhikara chikitsa
• Srotodushti chikitsa
• Lakshanika chikitsa
Ahara – Snigdha, ushna, laghu, satmya
Ksheera ghrita ashana
Mamsa rasa
Mudga yusha
Purana shali

13. Upakrama :
• Udvartana/utsadana
• Parisheka – Balamoola kashaya, Dashamoola kashaya
• Abhyanga – Ksheerabala, Bala, Dhanwantara, Ashwagandha Bala Lakshadi taila
• Sweda – Shashtika Shali Pinda Sweda
• Pratimarsha nasya – KB 101, anutaila
• Basti – Anuvasana : amritaprasha ghrita, KB taila, MN taila, brihat chagaladya ghrita
Niruha : ksheera basti, yapana basti, balamoola kashaya basti
Shamana :
• Vati – saptamruta loha, dhatri loha, arogya vardhini
• Arishta – balarishta, ashwagandharishta, saraswatarishta
• Asava – chandanasava, ushirasava
• Kashaya – ashtavarga, drakshadi
• Rasayana / leha – chyavanaprasha, narasimha, drakshamalakadi, aja ashwagandha

14. THANK YOU