How to do post Covid management at home with Ayurveda?

Many people are getting out of the quarantine period after contracting the Covid-19 virus. It's a tough period of time for every individual and his/her family who has been infected with the virus. Dealing with the quarantine period is difficult but equally important is the post-Covid care at home. It is critical not to ignore and take utmost care of your body when you are recovering at home. 

Let us discuss some of the symptoms that a person can experience post-Covid.

Some Common Post COVID-19 Symptoms are:

After testing negative for the Covid-19, many of the patients can suffer from some long term and chronic aftereffects. Some of them are:

1. Constant body fatigue or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
2. Sleep abnormalities
3. Depression and anxiety
4. Diffuse myalgia
5. Some cognitive symptoms such as confusion, less focus, forgetfulness etc.
6. Muscle and joint pain

If proper care is not taken, then patients can develop much severe conditions such as lung damage, heart damage etc. 

People with a history of health conditions such as immune disorders, diabetes, hypertension etc. are at a much higher risk for post COVID-19 health conditions such as cytokine storms.

(Cytokine storm is when a hyper immune reaction occurs and abnormally high quantities of cytokine proteins are released into the blood at a rapid pace. In much simpler words, Immune response is more than normal conditions)

This immune response is responsible for numerous autonomic dysfunction such as temperature abnormalities, sleep abnormalities, cognitive abnormalities and severe fatigue, which can be severe for people with preconditions.

What are the health guidelines for Post COVID-19 management at home?

 According to the national clinical management protocol for Covid-19 based on Ayurveda and Yoga, rolled out by Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and AYUSH minister Shripad Naik, some key specific measures were prescribed for preventing the disease in high-risk categories and people with direct contact.

It also states measures for asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic people and includes people suffering from post-Covid complications. 

These are the guidelines:

• Drink warm water throughout the day (if not contra-indicated)
• Take immunity promoting/boosting AYUSH medicine (as prescribed by a qualified practitioner of AYUSH)
• Professional work to be resumed in graded manner(if health permits).Person can indulge in light house work.
• Can practice yogasana, pranayama and meditation (as your health permits or as prescribed)
• Breathing exercises can be done as prescribed by treating physicians.
• Proper Balanced and nutritious diet (easy to digest freshly cooked)
• Take adequate sleep and rest.
• Avoid smoking and consumption of alcohol.
• Take regular medications as advised for Covid and for managing comorbidities. Consult your doctor about all medicines that the individual is taking (allopathic/AYUSH) to avoid prescription interaction.
• Never forget to do Self-health monitoring at home such as blood pressure, temperature, blood sugar (especially, if diabetic), pulse oximetry etc (if medically advised).
• In case of persistent dry cough/sore throat, do saline gargles and take steam inhalation. The addition of herbs/spices for gargling/steam inhalation. Cough medications should be taken on advice of a medical doctor or qualified practitioner of Ayush.
• Always look out for early warning signs like high grade fever, breathlessness, Sp02 < 95%, unexplained chest pain, new onset of confusion, focal weakness etc.

How can Ayurveda help in post covid management at home?

According to this age-old science called Ayurveda, any abnormalities in the body are caused due to the imbalance of Vata, Pitta and Kapha doshas. Not to forget the accumulation of ama(toxins) in your body. 

So, the focus is to bring the doshas in balance and detoxify the body to make it ready for overall healing.

The impact of any disease depends upon severity of disease, prakriti ,satwa, satmya and age of the individual.

Here are a few Ayurveda formulations that you can take and make a part of your lifestyle.

1. Chyawanprash can be taken to strengthen your immune system as well as respiratory system. 
2. Amrit Kaslah can be taken to boost your immunity and strengthen all the organs of your body. It helps in detoxification and healing the body from inside.
3. Triphala can be taken as it helps to regulate excess pitta in the body as well as eliminating toxins. 
4. Ashwagandha acts as an adaptogen that helps the body adapt to various types of stress (adaptogen), and promotes stamina and general well-being.  It also calms and strengthens the nervous system.
5. Shatavari helps to increase the strength of the musculoskeletal system.
6. Ayurvedic Panchakarmas therapy can be used that allows cleansing the body to reduce toxins. You can go for Abhyanga (whole body massage) with lukewarm sesame oil followed by swedan (whole body steaming). These are recommended as detoxifying procedures.
7. Yoga and Pranayama can be done to remove lactic acid from the body. This will help you in eliminating fatigue.
8. You can practice Ayurveda diet according to your prakriti. Also avoid fried and spicy foods.

To Sum Up

It is very important to follow a strict post covid-19 regimen along with maintaining a positive state of mind to heal completely.  Alternative healing methods have proved to provide long term relief to the patient and boost immunity. Ayurvedic treatment can help heal the body’s organs and are free from any side effects.