Concept of Samsargaja Roga in ayurveda

Samsargaja roga

Samsargaja roga are those diseases which spread through contact in the form of frequent physical contact, through exhaled air, by dining, sleeping or sitting together and sharing objects that has been handled by the patient. Skin diseases, fever, TB & conjunctivitis etc are examples of such diseases.

• Frequent physical contact with the affected person (including sexual contact)
• Through the exhaled air of patient (Airborne infection)
• Dining, Sleeping and/or Sitting together
• Sharing dress, ornaments and unguents (lotions, soaps,creams, oils and/or any other cosmetics)

Concept of skin diseases and its Etiology

Skin is given due importance since time immemorial owing to the aesthetic value conferred upon skin, complexion and beauty by the society. Ayurveda has given prime importance to ahara and vihara in the maintenance of health and prevention of diseases. In the recent past the relation between diet and skin ailments is well established in contemporary medicine. Ayurvedic literature has described skin diseases mainly under the spectrum of kushta, the literary meaning of which is that which cause disfiguration.

Ayurvedic system of medicine describes a wide range of etiological factors for dermatological disorders. The etiological factors include physical, physiological, psychological, psychosocial, hereditary and Papakarma (sinful activities), based on the proximity of causes which are reclassified into sannikrishta (proximal cause) and viprakrishta (remote cause) nidana

Sannikrista Nidana (real causative factor) - Three Doshas viz. Vata, Pitta and Kapha and four Dushyas viz. Tvak (Rasa), Rakta, Mansa and Ambu or Lasika involved in the pathogenesis of skin diseases. These seven can be considered as sannikrishta nidana in kushta.

Viprakrista Nidana - These etiological factors are not involved directly in the pathogenesis, but they increase the disease proneness sensitize the body to the actual causative factors (Sannikrishta Nidana), Viprakusta nidana which include kulaja factors and janmottara kalaja (ahara, vihara and manasika factors).

Janmottarakalaja: The etiological factors in present life can be categorizes into three groups, Aharaja (diet & dietetic patterns), Viharaja (lifestyle related) and Manasika (psychological).

Kulaja Nidana: kushta is an adibalapravrtta roga which is said to arise from the day of conception by conjugation of sukra and artava with bijabhaga avayava dushti10. Ill effect is thought to be transmigrated from past lives (Poorva Janmakrata)

According to Sushruta if the person suffered from Kushtha in his previous life and if he takes rebirth then he develops Kushtha in his present life also Papakarma (sinful activities) has also been implicated in the etiology of kushta and is also said as a samsargja vyadhi (communicable disease). The Kushtha is generally described as Tridoshaja Vyadhi but type of the Kushtha ascertained upon the predominance of particular Dosha and is generally classified into mahakushta and ksudra kushta.

Nidana or the etiological factors closely linked with the manifestation, transmission and progression of the disease are broadly classified in the classical Ayurveda texts in the following categories:

1. Aharaja nidana- food related causes
2. Viharaja Nidana- regimen related causes
3. Manasika Nidana- psychological causes.
4. Visesha Nidana- an etiology that is not common in all diseases, but specifically act as hetu in this disease.
5. Sahaja Nidana - those factors which causes disease due to beeja bhaga avayava dushti.

Thus the etiological factors of skin disorders may be related to food, life style and psychological factors.

Source : Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences