Ayurvedic Treatment For Worm Infestation

Worm infestation (intestinal worms) is a common health complaint of the public come across in the routine practice. Irrespective of age, sex, religion and geographical area, every individual suffers from this complaint. So, it becomes mandatory to take certain kind of herbal wormicides periodically.
This write-up is to give a brief insight about the disease features, reasons, severity, important remedies, wholesome and unwholesome diet and habits related to this disease.

Clinical presentation

Pain abdomen during evening, nights, early in the morning or immediately after food intake, nausea, anal itching before or after defecation, head ache etc.

Classical features

Abdominal pain, itching and irritation in the anus, fever, vomiting, head ache, diarrhea, discomfort in the chest, pallor of the skin, nausea etc.

Reasons for manifestation

1. Indigestion (ajirna bhojana)
2. Excess intake of sweet and sour substances (Madhura-amla bhojana)
3. Excess intake of liquids/juice etc (dravapriyatwa)
4. Intake of grain flour (pishtaana)
5. Jaggery and food articles derived out of it (gudopabhoga)
6. Sedentary life (vyayama varjya)
7. Day sleep (diwa swaapa)
8. Incompatible foodstuff (viruddha bhojana)
9.Excess intake of black gram(masha), salts(lavana), green leafy vegetables(shaka), milk(kshira), curd(dadhi),fermented beverages(shukta) etc.

Origin of the disease

Due to the above reasons, the food consumed is not digested properly which ultimately results in indigestion and the worms are manifested. When they are not evacuated on time, further in association with sweet food stuffs, their count is increased due to the favorable environment. Thus results in the aggravation of the complaint of worm infection.

Types of worm infestation

Features of important kinds of worm infestation:
In Ayurveda, importantly three kinds of worm infestations are mentioned.
a)Kaphaja krimi (worms due to kapha)-In this condition, the worms are originated in the stomach; on aggravation, they move to other sites also. Such worms are flat, tiny and round. Some of the worms appear like sprouted grains, thin, long and minute (invisible), white or coppery in color.

They are of seven types namely- antrada, udarada, udaraveshta, hridayada, mahaguda, churu, darbha kusuma and sugandha (detail description of each variety of the worm is beyond the scope of this write-up).

Nausea, regurgitation, indigestion, tastelessness, syncope, vomiting, fever, abdominal distention, emaciation, sneezing and rhinitis are the special characteristic features of this kind of worms.

b) Raktaja krimi (worms due to vitiated blood) – Such worms are minute without legs, round and copper colored. They are further classified into 6 types as keshada, loma vidhwamsa, romada, udumbara, sourasa and matru.

c) Purishaja krimi (worms due to vitiated feces) – These worms are originated at large intestine. They always move downwards. If their count is increased significantly, they move towards stomach also.

In this condition, smell of the feces is complained of during regurgitation and deep breathing, by the patients.The worms are bigger, round, thin, bluish black, yellow, white or black in color.
They are of 5 kinds namely-kakeruka, makeruka, sousurada, saloona and leliha. 

Symptoms of Krumi

Sanjata Krimi Lakshanas – Symptoms Of Presence Of Worms In The Body
By Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa, B.A.M.S

Many people may have intestinal worms for many years without having any symptoms related to it.

The common symptoms of presence of worms in the gut are –

• Abdominal colic
• Diarrhoea
• Nausea / vomiting
• Bloating, gases in tummy
• Fatigue
• Weight loss due to unknown reasons
• Pain and tenderness in the tummy
• Dysentery
• Rash / itch around rectum or vulva
• Passing of worms in stools

Risk factors

• playing in environments with contaminated soil like school playgrounds, sandboxes etc – in children
• weakened immune system – in older adults
  Read – Krimighna Gana: Parasites Relieving Herbs- Benefits, Formulations

Facts and Figures

According to World Health Organization (WHO), – about 10% people in developing world are infected with intestinal worms.

People in developing countries are highest risk of getting infested with worms because of

• drinking water from contaminated sources
• decreased sanitation levels

Sanskrit Verse

Sanjata Krimi Lakshanas – symptoms of presence of worms according to Ayurveda

• fever
• discolouration of a part or whole body
• colic
• heart disease
• vomiting
• giddiness
• aversion towards food
• diarrhoea

These symptoms point towards:

• the existence of worms or parasites in the body
• the invasion of worms to organs beyond the Gut
• long standing or persisting infection
• worms in active form
• depletion of nutrition to the body cells by worms
• risk to heart and circulation

These symptoms individually or collectively are a pointer towards worm / parasitic manifestation and for an early call for action.

Complications of Worm infestation

Long persisting abdominal worms may lead to the following complications –
Chronic diarrhea or constipation, severe abdominal pain, fatigue, dryness of the body, anaemia, indigestion, drowsiness, ulceration in the anus, mal absorption disorders etc

Line of treatment

In all kinds of worms, first of all, the causative factors are to be avoided. Measures are taken for proper purification of the body by purgation. Later,the wormicidal medicaments (krimighna oushadha) are prescribed. On complete remission, care is taken so as to restore the digestive fire.

Single herbs in worm infestation

Ajamoda – Trachyspermum roxburghianum (DC.) Sprague
Akhuparni – Merremia gangetica (Linn) Cufodont
Bhallataka – Semecarpus anacardium Linn
Bhringaraja – Eclipta alba (Linn) Hassk.
Chitraka – Leadwort – Plumbago zeylanica Linn.
Danti – Baliospermum montanum (Willd.) Muell. Arg.
Hingu – Asa foetida – Ferula narthex Boiss.
Indravaruni – Citrullus colocynthis Schard.
Karanja – Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre.
Kutaja – Holarrhena antidysenterica (Linn.) Wall. Ex. G. Don.
Lashuna – Garlic – Allium sativa Linn.
Musta – Cyperus rotundus Linn.
Nimba – Neem – Azadirachta indica A. Juss.
Palasha – Butea monosperma (Linn.) Kuntze.
Paribhadra – Erythrina variegate Linn.
Pippali – Long pepper – Piper longum Linn.
Shigru – Drumstick tree – Moringa oleifera Lam.
Trivrit – Operculina turpathum (Linn.) Silva Manso.
Vidanga – False Black Pepper – Embelia ribes Burm. F.

Ayurvedic medicines

Ayurvedic medicines for worm infestation-
Bilvadi gulika
Hingwashtaka choorna
Krimikutara rasa
Krimimudgara rasa
Mustadi kashaya
Nimbashatka kashaya
Nimbamrita kashaya
Palashabeeja choorna
Panchatikta kashaya
Vidangadi choorna
Vidangarishta

Wholesome diet and habits

Ginger, garlic, onion, astringent-pungent and bitter substances, snake gourd, ridge gourd, cucumber, ash gourd, brinjal ,bitter gourd, buttermilk etc.

According to Yogaratnakara:

Unwholesome diet and habits

Excess of milk, flesh, ghee, curd, green leafy vegetables, sour and sweet substances, cold water, sweet substances, alkaline substances, fermented gruel etc.

According to Yogaratnakara:

Milk, meat, ghee, curd, leafy vegetables, sour and sweet substances, cold water, alkaline substances, fermented gruel, etc.

Effective formulations from Sahasrayogam

a. Nirgundyadi Kashayam

Ref – Sahasrayogam, Kashaya Prakaranam, 53a

b. Vidangadi Kashayam

Ref – Sahasrayogam, Kashaya Prakaranam, 53b

2. Vidalin Veradi Kashayam

Ref – Sahasrayogam, Parishishta Prakaranam, 67

3. Vilanga Nirgundyadi Kashayam

Ref – Sahasrayogam, Parishishta Prakaranam, 95

4. Mustakhukarnadi Kashayam

Ref – Sahasrayogam, Parishishta Prakaranam, 96

5. Khadiradi Kashayam

6. Krimihara Kashaya

B. Yavagu – Gruel

1. Krimihara Yavagu

Ref – Sahasrayogam, Kashaya Prakaranam, 71

C. Churna – Powders

1. Pushyanuga Churna

2. Guggulupanchapalam Churna

3. Kalyana Ksharam

D. Other Preparations

1. Dhanwantaram Ghritam

2. Manibhadra Gudam

Anti aging medicines for intestinal parasites

I have intestinal worms (parasites). I underwent Panchakarma just now. Which rasayana medicine is good for me? 
Dr JV Hebbar: 
Usually after a Panchakarma treatment, first the oral medicines are given to treat the remnant symptoms of the disease and then anti aging therapy (Rasayana) is given.
If you ask me for the right rasayana, then probably Vidangavaleha is suited in your case. 
It is mentioned specifically as a Rasayana medicine in the rasayana chapter of Charaka Samhita.

Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana, Rasayana chapter – 1st chapter, 2nd section, Prana kameeya Rasayana pada 
9th Shloka

Vidangavaleha
Ingredients and procedure:
One Adhaka (3.072 kg) of the powder of the

grains of Vidanga – Embelia ribes and
Pippali – Long pepper fruit – Piper longum,
1.5 Adhaka (4.608 Gm) of sugar,
6 Adhakas (18.432kg) of ghee, Sesame oil and honey, taken together, should be mixed well and kept inside a ghee- smeared jar.

विडङ्गतण्डुलचूर्णानामाढकमाढकं पिप्पलीतण्डुलानामध्यर्धाढकं सितोपलायाः सर्पिस्तैलमध्वाढकैः षड्भिरेकीकृतं घृतभाजनस्थं प्रावृषि भस्मराशाविति सर्वं समानं पूर्वेण यावदाशीः||९||
(इति विडङ्गावलेहः)

viḍaṅgataṇḍulacūrṇānāmāḍhakamāḍhakaṃ pippalītaṇḍulānāmadhyardhāḍhakaṃ sitopalāyāḥ sarpistailamadhvāḍhakaiḥ ṣaḍbhirekīkṛtaṃ ghṛtabhājanasthaṃ prāvṛṣi bhasmarāśāviti sarvaṃ samānaṃ pūrveṇa yāvadāśīḥ||9||
(iti viḍaṅgāvalehaḥ)
Read the full chapter of Charaka Rasayana treatment here