Hyderabad: Even though COVID-19 vaccination is in full swing, the pandemic continues to affect a huge population, severely affecting the country’s economic and social fabric. There are many who recommend tapping Unani, Ayurveda and other Indian systems of medicines which are India’s ancient alternative medical system.
Even as positive cases in India begin to decrease, most people are wondering how they can protect themselves from contracting coronavirus.
Siasat has come across Dr. M.A. Waheed, former director of Central Research Institute of Unani Medicine and member of Board of Governors, Central Council of Indian Medicine who has developed a medicated inhalation therapy to treat initial cases of COVID-19 with simple home ingredients and an easily available Unani drug.
The drug is a combination of decongestants drugs, anti-inflammatory immune modulators. Once these drugs are combined and converted into steam and inhaled it may prevent the virus from making major damage to lungs.
On how did he embark on this therapy? Dr. Waheed said that based on the clinical experience he has come up with a process. He claimed that even COVID-19 patients are getting benefitted by the therapy.
As coronavirus normally goes into the lungs, the inhalation therapy focuses on lower respiratory tract. The therapy included use of steam using natural ingredients and unani medicine called Triyake Azam available in any unani store. .
Initially, simple natural ingredients like Kalonji (nagella sativa seeds), Methi dana (fenugreek seeds) Darchini (Cinnamon), Adrak (Ginger), mint leaves, black peppercorns and Triyake Azam, which is a combination of three ingredients namely satte podina, satte kafoor and satte ajwaeen, were boiled in a pressure cooker and the steam was asked to be inhaled.
Inhalation machine can be installed at religious and public places
After realizing its benefits, Siasat Daily has asked Dr. Waheed to come up with a project that will have multi-level inhalation so that more people can inhale at one go. This inhalation machine can be installed at temples, dargahs, mosques, churches and public places where people can freely take the steam.
Soon, Syeed Kaleem Ahmed a manufacturer came up with a solution using MS pipe which had four points for inhalation. This pipe is connected with a nylon pipe from one end to the pipe and the other end connected to a pressure cooker at whistle point. This MS pipe is placed horizontally and from the point, steams is released and people can easily take the same.
Siasat and Faiz-e-Aam Trust have decided to distribute 100 kits.
Ingredients used in therapy
Doctor Waheed said that the same ingredients i.e. 4 tsp of kalonji, 4 tsp of methi dana, 10-15 cloves, 10-15 black peppercorns, small bunch of mint leaves, 50-100 grams of ginger, small piece of dalchini, adrak around 50 grams and podina leaves are boiled in one litre of water and this can be had as a decoction. However, in steam therapy, the same ingredients are used along with unani medicine Triyak E Azam.
Asked if any trials or study is done to find its efficacy he said that patients’ recovery is the clinical evidence. Most of these patients were not monitored at any hospital and were being treated at home. There was a good feedback from patients and reduction in symptoms besides improvement in oxygen level were good enough to see the progress
He however cautioned people not to take decoctions in excess. In normal cases two to three cups of decoction can be had during a day. While in cases of COVID-19, it can be had 4 to 5 times and steam inhalation can be done thrice. This therapy he claims builds immunity, reduces inflammation.
He says Indian traditional methods play a pivotal role to augment preventive measures provided in the guidelines by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). The current understanding of COVID-19 indicates that good immune status is vital to prevention and to safeguard from disease progression.”
