Bhopal residents opt for alternative drugs to avoid H1N1 infection

With the spurt in swine flu deaths in MP, scared people are now turning to alternative drugs to protect themselves from the viral attack. A number of them are turning to Ayurveda and Unani medicine system to improve their immunity.

Updated on: Feb 14, 2015, 17:39:47 IST

Hindustan Times | By Neeraj Santoshi, Bhopal

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With the spurt in swine flu deaths in the state, scared people are now turning to alternative drugs to protect themselves from the viral attack.

A-swine-flu-awareness-and-health-check-up-camp-was-organised-at-My-World-School-Jehangirabad-on-Friday-in-the-backdrop-of-swine-flu-spread-in-Bhopal

A number of scared people are turning to Ayurveda and Unani medicine system to improve their immunity with the hope that it will act as another layer of protection from H1N1 infection.

A number of messages and photos explaining how Ayurveda can help people in increasing protection from H1N1 are being circulated through the social messaging app WhatsApp.

One such message claims, "Swine flu is spreading fast in MP. But in Ayurveda there is easy way for treatment and protection of swine flu. Take equal parts of camphor and green cardamom and put it in a cotton cloth. And keep sniffing this cloth on an hourly basis. It will help in destroying swine flu viruses".

Another message provides tips on how to prevent one from H1N1 virus infection. It says, "Take herbal tea which has green cardamom, tulsi, ginger and black pepper 3 to 4 times a day. Sit under the sun for 30 minutes to an hour daily. Put few drops of mustard oil in your nostrils while going to bed after steam treatment."

HT spoke to practitioners of Ayurveda and Unani medicine in Bhopal to know how it could protect people from the flu.

Ayurvedic doctor Dr Anurag Jain, who runs a clinic in Kolar, said that Ayurveda has different approach towards treating viral diseases.

"Diseases like swine flu are categorized as Vata Kapha Jwar. Spring season is the season when Kapha is in prominence; if Kapha gets out of balance, you can fall prey to such diseases. So in Ayurveda we try to boost the body's natural immunity by heat-inducing herbs and potions that balance the kapha," he said.

Hakim Suleman Khan, who runs the Unani-Al-Shifa clinic at Imami Gate, said that viruses of various kinds were always present in the atmosphere.

"The key to save yourself from viruses is to increase your immunity. We prescribe various herbs and medicines like khameeras that enhance body's ability to fight such infections," Khan said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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