Atisar (Diarrhoea)

Introduction
Hetu (causes)
Rupa (clinical features)
Treatment
Commonly used drugs

Introduction
The excessive elimination of watery stools from guda (anus) is known as atisar. It is Aashukari, which means that it is not treated well in time it results in severe dehydration that may prove fatal. Hetu (causes)

Drinking large quantity of water
Eating emaciated & dry meat
Unaccustomed foods
Puddings of tila (sesame seeds)
Sprouted grains
Excess of wine
Foods which are dry (non-fatty) & in large quantity
From arshas (piles)
Improper oleation therapy
Worms
Suppression of urges

Poorvarupa (premonitory symptoms)

Pricking pain in the region of heart
Rectum & alimentary tract
Weakness of the body
Constipation
Flatulence & indigestion.

Classification
With respect to each Dosha separately:

Vataja
Pittaja
Kaphaja From all of the doshas together
Tridoshaja, one each from Bhayaja (fear) & Shokaj(grief).

Rupa (clinical features)

Vataja Atisara
Feces are watery, very less in quantity, expelled out with noise, severe pain & difficulty.
Pittaja Atisara
Feces are yellow, black turmeric like (deep yellow) or algae like (green) mixed with blood & foul smelling. Patient suffers from excessive thirst, fainting, perspiration, burning sensation, elimination of feces is accompanied with pain, burning sensation & ulceration of the rectum.
Kaphaja Atisara
Feces are solid, slimy, white, fatty, uncooked, mixed with Kapha (mucus), frequent, heavy, foul smelling, accompanied with difficulty of elimination & followed by pain. Patient feels sleepy, lazy, dislikes food, has mild straining at stools (or tenesmus), horripilation, nausea, feeling of heaviness of urinary bladder, rectum & abdomen & feeling of non-elimination of feces though actually eliminated.
Tridoshaja Atisara
Has all the features simultaneously i.e. it is manifested with symptoms of all doshas.
Bhayaja & Shokaja Atisara
Vayu gets vitiated quickly by fear & anxiety. This diarrhea caused by fear and anxiety are psychic & exogenous. The mind disordered by fear causes increase of pitta & vayu which cause the feces to become liquid & produce diarrhea, elimination is quick, feces is warm, fluid like, floating (on water).

Treatment

Langhana (fasting) is ideal at the commencement (of the disease) even in that kind arising from vata (as well as in others).
The patient of diarrhea, who is suffering from pain in the abdomen, flatulence and excess of salivation should be made to vomit (by using drugs).
Purgation's and vomiting.
When the doshas have given rise to flatulence, heaviness, pain and loss of movement of the abdomen, then (the use of) pranada (haritaki) restores life, by clearing out the obstructed doshas, effectively.
When the doshas are slightly increased, fasting is indicated. Water well cooked with either vacha and prativisha, musta and parpata or hrida and nagara should be given (in plenty) to drink.
When weak hunger is felt patient should be given light foods, in little quantity, at the proper time; that undergoes digestion quickly and bestows taste, strength of digestive fire (digestive juices & enzymes) and of the body.

Commonly used drugs

Decoction