Ominous Signs In Diseases Suggesting Bad Prognosis (Roga Gata Arishta)

By Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa, B.A.M.S
Diseases are diagnosed on the basis of signs and symptoms. The quality and quantity of symptoms determine the prognosis of disease. Diseases are easily curable if the signs and symptoms are fewer and of less intensity. On the other hand if the signs and symptoms of a disease are severe in intensity and are many in number, the disease is said to be curable with difficulty or having a bad prognosis.
Read – How To Make Prognosis Of Disease According To Ayurveda?

Immaterial of their quality and quantity, some symptoms when occurring in certain diseases, in some conditions indicate sure death of the patient in short time or suggest that the disease would be incurable. Such symptoms of a disease are called roga gata arishtas i.e. ominous symptoms of a disease suggesting bad prognosis.
Read – Arishta Lakshanas – Ominous Signs And Symptoms Indicating Bad Prognosis

Table of Contents

Ominous patient signs

Patients who need to be rejected for treatment

Patient presenting with one or more of the below mentioned symptoms should be denied treatment because the patient will anyways die in short time. There will be no use of doing treatment.

Patient in whom severe chest pain develops on speaking
Person in whom the consumed food is eliminated through vomiting without being digested
Person in whom the food consumed, in spite of staying in the stomach for long duration doesn’t get digested at all
Patient in whom the strength, endurance and immunity goes on deteriorating day by day though he is on regular nutritious diet
Person who feels excessive and constant thirst
Person who experiences severe and constant chest pain
Read – Bad Prognosis Based On Smell, Touch, Taste, Colour And Voice

Ominous disease signs

The ominous symptoms in diseases which form the parameters / guidelines for denying treatment

Ominous signs related to diarrhea and hiccough
In diarrhea (atisara) and hiccough (hikka) – if the person suffers from gambheeraja hikka and raktaja atisara (bleeding diarrhea) together, it is said to be ominous.
Read – Prevention And Lifestyle Tips For Dysentery and Diarrhoea

Ominous signs and symptoms related to Rajayakshma disease i.e. phthisis / wasting diseases / tuberculosis / consumption

Complexion and luster of the limbs is normally maintained but rest of the body remains malnourished due to deficit nutrition along with diminution of strength, endurance and immunity
Presence of burning sensation or raised heat around the shoulder blades and upper back, hiccough, vomiting of blood, distension of abdomen and pain in flanks together
Read – Rajayakshma – Charaka Chikitsa 8

Ominous signs and symptoms of eight greater diseases
The below mentioned diseases are said to be ashta maha rogas (8 greater diseases) owing to the severity and complexity of these diseases.

Vata disorders
Apasmara – memory disorders, epilepsy
Kushta – skin diseases / leprosy
Shosha – diseases caused due to wasting / destruction of tissues
Udara roga – abdominal disorders
Gulma – abdominal tumours
Madhumeha – diabetes / urinary disorders (read about diabetes)
Rajayakshma – tuberculosis
Read – Classification of Vyadhi (diseases) according to Ayurveda

If the person suffering from the above said diseases also suffers from deterioration of strength and muscle bulk, he will surely face death in quick time.

Signs in flatulence, eye diseases

Ominous signs and symptoms of anaha (flatulence)
If the person, after having treated for anaha (constipation / flatulence) by administering therapeutic purgation, if he suffers from thirst and if he develops anaha yet again after administering purgation, he is sure to die within short span of time.
Read – Fullness Of Abdomen – Ayurvedic Approach And Treatment

Ominous signs and symptoms of eye diseases
In the presence of blackish brown coloration of both eyes, ptosis of eyes and destruction of vision, any existing diseases will not be cured and prognosis becomes bad, eventually leading to death.
Read – Eye Diseases Causes, Pathogenesis, Symptoms, Treatment, Herbs

Headache, fever, cough

Ominous signs and symptoms of Temporal headache:
A type of headache caused by increased pitta and heat in temple region is called shankhaka. In this disease, vitiated pitta along with raised heat of the body gets settled in the temples of the patient and get dried therein producing sever form of headache. This is called as shankhakha headache. This disease, by nature itself is lethal and it kills the patients within a time span of three days.
Read – Migraine – Ayurvedic treatment, Herbs, Home Remedies

Ominous signs in fever

If fever gets manifested before 12 noon, is associated with dreadful dry cough and occurring in a person in whom there is severe diminution of strength and muscle power should be denied for treatment.

Ominous signs and symptoms related to fever and cough
In fever, cough – If the patient is suffering from fever and cough, also has association of depletion of muscle mass in the body, excessive horripilations, thick and viscid urine and swelling in body parts, he should not be treated by a wise physician because these are the symptoms of impending death.
Read – Ayurveda Lifestyle and Diet For Fever – 45 Important Things To Know

Fever, diarrhea, thirst, edema

Ominous signs and symptoms related to fever and diarrhoea
Patient in whom both fever and diarrhoea get manifested together, after the manifestation of body swelling or if swelling of the body appears after the joint manifestation of fever and diarrhoea, and if the patient is excessively debilitated, the patient should not be treated, because he is sure to die in quick time.
Read – 37 Ayurveda Home Remedies For Diarrhea And Dysentery

Ominous signs related to flatulence and thirst
If flatulence / constipation (anaha) and thirst disease (trishna ) or flatulence and diarrhea are present together in a person who is already debilitated from some other disease, it is said to be ominous.
Read – Excessive Thirst – Ayurvedic Understanding And Treatment

Ominous signs and symptoms related to swelling and edema
In swelling / inflammation / edema (shotha) – If swelling starts from the abdomen and spreads in both directions i.e. along upper and lower limbs or if the swelling is present in the foot, is associated with looseness, pain and heaviness in the legs (calf muscles), the patient should not be treated because he will definitely be dying in quick time.
Read – Types Of Swelling – Ayurveda Diagnosis Charak Samhita Sutrasthan-18

Pitta, urine, feces

Ominous signs and symptoms of pitta disease
When the below mentioned signs and symptoms are present in a person who has pitta disease(s), he is surely going to die from the same pitta disease –

Appearance of predominant green coloured veins all through the body
Obstruction of all the sweat gland openings and sweat pores on skin
Excessive liking towards only sour food substances
Read – Pitta Increase Symptoms – Pitta Vriddhi Lakshana

Ominous signs related to urine and feces
If the urine of the patient is very dense and viscous, the faeces appears in pellets and masses, and when these conditions are associated with diminution of body temperature, presence of abdominal disorders and excessive dyspnea, the person is certain to die in short time.
Read – Urine Test And Diagnosis In Ayurveda – Taila Bindu Pareeksha

Kapha, skin, miscellaneous

Ominous signs and symptoms related to kapha
If the patient expectorates blue and yellow colour phlegm and sometimes mixed with blood, he should not be treated.

Ominous signs and symptoms related to skin diseases (kusta)
In a patient suffering from skin diseases, if all the three doshas are found to be aggravated, if the patient is emaciated and lacks strength, he should be denied for treatment.
Read – General Causes For Skin Diseases As Per Ayurveda

Other criteria for rejection of patient on the basis of ominous signs and symptoms
Person who has developed pallor or is excessively emaciated, suffering from severe thirst having rigidity of eyes and aggravated breathing patterns should be rejected for treatment.

Patient suffering from lock jaw, stiffness in the sides of the neck and severe thirst, in whom there is severe diminution of strength and stagnation of prana vayu in the chest should be rejected.
Read – Vata Disorders (Vatavyadhi): Definition, Causes, Symptoms

Below mentioned are some more conditions in which the treatment shall be denied –

Presence of excessive exhaustion and appearance of darkness before the eyes
Manifestation of tremors which do not respond to any type of treatment
Abnormal diminution in muscle bulk, strength and food consuming capacity
Rapid spread and intensification of diseases like amavisha, raktapitta etc (read about Ama)
Rapid regression of strength, analytical knowledge, health, grasping power and retention power, muscle strength and blood
Continuous progression and worsening of diseases in spite of giving proper treatment and regression of the qualities which are natural to one’s self

quick death signs

Ominous signs and symptoms in other pathological conditions which depict impending quick death

Inability to drink any fluids like water, milk etc due to extreme dryness of throat and oral cavity
Sudden variations in speech, color and strength of the patient along with sudden and abnormal progression of the disease
Patient suffering from certain diseases get troublesome upward breathing patterns, his body becomes devoid of temperature and he suffers from severe pain in his groins.
Restlessness which cannot be pacified by any sort of medication
Patient declares and strongly opines that he is going to die very soon, in front of his family members, friends, beloved ones and physicians.
Patient suffering from any disease and consequentially weakened in an extreme way will not be able to recover in spite of administering meat soup, one of the best diets for rehabilitating patients and other types of beneficial soups / meat soups for one month and still shows no signs of improvement, shall not survive.
Read – Daal – Soup Of Pulses – Preparation Method, Health Benefits
When the semen, sputum and feces get scattered at the bottom, when put into water, the sputum will consist of various colors like red, green, yellow, black, bluish black color etc and is immiscible in water, is sure to die in quick time.
The patient in whom there is severe and rapid destruction of strength and muscle strength, rapid progression of disease and also suffers from tastelessness of food will die within a span of 1 and half month.

Anatomy, physiology signs

Ominous Signs Related To Anatomy And Physiology Of Body – Shareera Rachana Evam Kriyatmaka Arishta

Some changes occurring in the structural components of the body and their functions define and depict ominous signs which are indicators of impending death or bad prognosis. These symptoms are called as arishta lakshanas related to anatomy and physiology of the body (shareera rachana Evam Kriyatmaka Arishta)
Read – Arishta Lakshanas – Ominous Signs And Symptoms Indicating Bad Prognosis

Eye, heart signs

Ominous signs and symptoms related to eyes

Sudden blindness
Inter-locked eye-lashes
Debility
Swelling of eye lids
Burning sensation in eyes
More space between the eye lids
Read – Eye Diseases Causes, Pathogenesis, Symptoms, Treatment, Herbs

Ominous signs related to heart

Person in whom a huge sized rounded and hard mass develops in the region of the heart also suffers from excessive thirst, he will die very soon.
Read – Arjuna Heart Tonic – Ayurvedic Home Remedy For Heart Care

Ominous signs and symptoms related to the eyebrows and scalp sutures

Appearance of many suture like lines and whirls in the head and region of eyebrows, which were previously absent in that person indicate that the patient will die within a span of three days. If the same signs are seen in a healthy person, he shall die within six days.
Read – Bad Prognosis Based On Smell, Touch, Taste, Colour And Voice

Hair, face, ears

Ominous signs and symptoms related to the hairs

If hairs of a patient or healthy person is pulled by self or others come off easily without causing any pain, he will surely die within a span of 6 days.

When the hairs of the person look oily even when he has not applied oil or any unctuous substance to his hairs, he should be denied for treatment.
Read – Ayurvedic Hair Care – Principles, Herbs, Oils And Medicines

Ominous signs and symptoms related to the nose, face, ears, and lips

Weakening or thickening of nasal septum without any reason, when they seem to be swollen even in the absence of inflammation, feeling of excessive constriction or dilatation of nasal passages, obliquity of nose and excessive dryness of the nose are the ominous symptoms related to the nose. In presence of these symptoms, the patient should be denied for treatment.
Read – Tested Remedies For Eye, Ear, Nose, Throat Problems: Ramdas Pai

If white, dark brown or bright red colors are manifested in the face, ears and lips, the person will not survive for long. Similarly, a patient in whom both the lips have bluish discoloration should be rejected.
Read – Involvement of Multiple Doshas In The Disease process

Teeth, tongue, genitals

Ominous signs and symptoms related to the teeth

If due to any deformity, the teeth acquire whiteness / brittleness, if smell of flowers is eliminated from the teeth, if teeth become muddy, the person will never become free from the disease. He will die in short span of time.

Ominous signs and symptoms related to the tongue

Tongue becomes hard and rigid
It becomes insensitive to touch or any other type of tastes
Heaviness in tongue,
Tongue is covered by small eruptions
Bluish black in colour
Dry or inflamed
Patient keeps licking his lips with his tongue
Read – Ayurvedic Tongue Examinations Explained In Vaidya Sara Sangraha

Ominous signs and symptoms related to the penis and testicles

Excessively retracted penis and severe protrusion of testicles (scrotum), the scrotum with testicles hanging freely
Excessively projected penis and retraction of scrotum with testicles

These ominous signs are indicative of approaching death and bad prognosis.

Feces, urine, sputum

Ominous signs related to intake of food and excretion of feces and urine

If person emaciated due to any chronic disease, consumes less food due to cessation of digestive fire i.e. metabolic activities, but eliminates excessive quantity of urine and feces should be denied treatment. (read – How To Know That Your Digestion System Is Working Fine?)
Patient who consumes excessive food in comparison with the quantity of consumption of food when he was healthy, but still excrete less quantity of urine and faeces should also be rejected for treatment because he is sure to die in short time.
Person in whom both strength and colour are continuously being destroyed in spite of consuming the food which consists of all the tastes and enriched with nutrition and beneficial qualities will never survive.
Read – Importance Of Diet (Pathya) For Specific Diseases

Ominous signs and symptoms related to semen and sputum
Semen, sputum and feces gets settled at the bottom in water, the sputum consisting various colors like red, green, yellow, black, bluish black etc and is immiscible in water.

Breathing etc

Ominous signs and symptoms related to breathing patterns
The person goes to a state of unconsciousness after having episodes of lengthy inspirations and short expiration.
Read – Physiology of Breathing Process As Per Ayurveda

Other ominous signs related to breathing –

Patient will have unclear sounds or words.
Hurried respiration
Excessive diarrhea
Diminished strength, excessive thirst, flaccidity of face and uneasiness.
Shortness of breath
Throat will be blocked or obstructed by phlegm.
Color of the patient will get deteriorated and also capacity of intake of food.
Read – Dyspnoea – Difficulty in breathing: Causes, Pathophysiology, Diagnosis

Other ominous signs
When the lifespan has totally deteriorated and when the death is inevitable, the hands, feet, sides of neck and palate get excessively cold. They also become either too hard or too smooth on touch.

Patient, who keeps smashing both his knees against each other, keeps hitting the ground by lifting his legs and keep opening his mouth without any reason as if gasping for air will not survive for more number of days.

Patient, who keeps biting nails with teeth, pulls away hairs with nails and digs the ground with a stick will not be rid of the diseases he is suffering from and will eventually progress towards death.

Patient, in a state of consciousness itself, grinds his teeth, keeps crying and laughing without peace of mind and is always disturbed and cannot sense any trouble given to him though he is fully conscious will never get rid of his diseases and will face death in short time.
Read – 16 Factors To Watch For A Healthy Mind And Body

Person who sometimes keeps laughing and sometimes keeps crying, always touches the external openings of his body and keeps striking the cot with his legs will not be alive.

When in the patient, if certain aspects of life which used to give him happiness and pleasure when he was happy, will not give him happiness anymore, instead, those aspects give him grief due to aversion, will definitely die in short time.
Read – Incorporating Atma Jnana (Self Awareness) In Treatment – Case Study

Patient will eventually face death if the below mentioned features are seen –

Neck of his body will not tolerate the weight of his own head. He keeps his head always flexed, bent forward.
His spine cannot bear the weight of his body.
He cannot even sit at a place.
Bolus of the food kept in the oral cavity cannot be swallowed.
Skull and jaw of the patient will be incompatible with each other.
Patient will suffer from severe intensity of fever, excessive thirst, and unconsciousness, diminution of strength and looseness of joints.
Due to elimination of excessive sweat, the patient feels as if the body is pasted with some material and person also suffers from severe fever.
He also suffers from severe perspiration early in the morning.
The patient feels inability to swallow food, shortness of tongue and continuous loss of strength.
Patient will be able to make the movements of his head only with the support of his hands.
He will have excessive perspiration of forehead and looseness of all the joints of his body.
Read – Excessive Sweating: Ayurvedic Medicines, Home Remedies, Tips

When upper parts of the cheeks of the patient will have abundant muscles, he will have severe fever; severe bouts of cough, painful abdomen and aversion of food, the patient should not be treated by a wise physician.

When eyes of the patient will have an awkward look, both the sides of his neck will be pulsating; he will have loss of strength, severe thirst, and flaccidity of face then the patient will face death in short time.
Read – Excessive Thirst – Ayurvedic Understanding And Treatment

If there is severe deterioration of muscles and if only skin and bones are left over due to destruction of muscles, the patient will survive for only one month.
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