A CRITICAL REVIEW OF AYURVEDIC LITERATURE ON HYPERTENSION

Numerous theoretical frameworks have been suggested within Ayurveda to clarify the occurrence of hypertension, yet a cohesive conceptual model has yet to be formed. To tackle this uncertainty, modern researchers are working to reinterpret the applied physiology and causes of hypertension through foundational Ayurvedic principles. In Ayurveda Acharya Yadunandan Upadhyay has equated the term "Raktagata Vata" for hypertension. When rakta gets vitiated it leads to Shoshana of rakta dhatu. It is also called as "Uchcha Raktachapa". Concepts such as Shadkriyakala (the sequential phases of doshika imbalance) and Avaraṇa (the functional blockage of doshas) were methodically linked with contemporary pathophysiological frameworks of hypertension to produce integrative understandings. It is suggested that the Prasara-Avastha or spread of vitiated Doshas from their respective sites specifically Vyana Vata, Prana Vata, Sadhaka Pitta and Avalambaka Kapha coupled with Rakta in their disturbed states should be interpreted as hypertension. Ayurvedic treatment methods based on Samprapti (pathogenesis) effectively target all three elements simultaneously, which include Ahara (diet), Vihara (lifestyle), and Aushadha (medications). Adjustments in Pathya-Apathya (healthy-unhealthy food and lifestyle practices), along with modifications in Ahara and Vihara, as well as Shamana (pacifying) and Shodhana (cleansing) therapies, can assist in managing hypertension. Ayurvedic texts reference the use of Sarpagandha churna, Ashwagandha churna, and other therapeutic remedies. Shodhana chikitsa employs bio-cleansing strategies such as Basti, Virechana Karma, and Shirodhara, using medicinal solutions to remove impurities from the body.