How To Know Specific Cause For Vata Imbalance Symptom?

Question: With so many ways and places for Vata (and other doshas) to go out of balance, what determines the place that the imbalance will manifest itself? Something simple like brittle fingernails, to something like chronic constipation. Both may be vata problems, but how can one know the specific cause, so it can be dealt with?
Answer:
If the cause is dietary, then the common place of Vata imbalance occurrence is large intestine. Large intestine is the normal, dominant place of Vata Dosha.

If the cause is external, as in cold weather, excess walking etc, the manifestation is usually local – knee joint pain, brittle nails, tremors etc.
Read related: Vata imbalance symptoms

Another point to consider is –
Even imbalanced Vata at the level of intestine, if left untreated, can circulate allover the body to cause brittle nail, knee pain, body dryness etc Vata imbalance symptoms.
Read related: Ayurveda Vata Diet – What To Take And What To Avoid For Vata

Solution:
Once it is established that vata is involved, all diet and lifestyle changes to counter Vata is advised, to bring Vata down. So, this way, all the external and internal causes of Vata imbalance will be curbed, even without the physician not knowing the precise cause.
Read related: How To Balance Vata Dosha? Line Of Treatment And Reasoning 

Balance and Imbalance of Vata

When this Vata is in perfect balance, the tunes of the body orchestra (physiology, normal functioning of body and mind) are pleasant and in sync. When the same Vata (as a whole or any subtypes) get vitiated or goes out of balance, it tends to go hostile and disturb all the elements of the body leading to many sorts of damage and disease processes. Vata is the remote control of the body. If it doesn’t work, the body almost fails as a system.

Vata imbalance causes

What leads to imbalance of Vata?

General causes:

• Improper food habits, untimely eating, fasting
• Undisciplined lifestyle
• Stress and worries
• Sleep disturbances
• Excessive indulgence in physical exercises and workouts and sexual act
• Not properly following the daily and seasonal regimen advocated in the science
• Forcible suppression or expulsion of natural urges as those of fart, faeces, urine, hunger, thirst, sleep etc

Specific causes:

• Vyayama – Excessive exercises
• Apatarpana – Fasting in excess
• Prapatana – Fall, injury
• Bhanga – Fractures
• Kshaya – Depletion of tissues
• Jaagarat – Excessive vigil (awakening all night)
• Veganam cha vidharanat – Suppression of natural body urges (reflexes)
• Ati shuchi – Excessive administration of cleansing procedures (Panchakarma)
• Shaityadi – Excessive consumption of cold foods and activities
• Traasaat – Fear
• Ruksha – Excessive consumption of dry foods
• Kshobha – Irritation
• Kashaya – Excessive consumption of astringent foods
• Tikta – Excessive consumption of bitter foods
• Katu – Excessive consumption of pungent foods
• Vari-ghanagame – cloudy and rainy season
• Parinate anne – After the digestion of food
• Aparahne – Evening