According to Siddha, the root cause for Asthma does not lie in the respiratory system, it actually lies in the digestive system. It may seem quite strange at first sight, but the following detailed analysis of the disease will give us a clear picture about the disease.
To be more specific, there are two kinds of causative factors for the disease, namely,
1. Viprakrushta (Remote cause)
2. Sannikrushta (Immediate cause)
The Viprakrushta nidana lies chiefly in the digestive system, while the Sannikrushta nidana lies in the respiratory system.
Any food item that we consume needs to digested and metabolized properly by our body.
When the food happens to be improperly digested due to reasons such as heavy or untimely food, their metabolism is also affected resulting in more amount of toxins.
This defect does not produce any serious disease immediately, but when this defect is allowed to progress over a period of time, there will be an accumulation of Ama (toxins) in the body.
From the point of Sannikrushta nidana (Immediate cause) which is now commonly referred as triggering factors of asthma, the following mechanism is responsible.
Swasa roga occurs when the vitiated Kapha dosha obstructs the normal movement of Vata dosha.
This obstructed Vata dosha now attains Vishama gati (erratic movement) and localizes especially in the Prana Vaha Srotas (Respiratory system) due certain favorable predisposing factors.
The Vitiation of Kapha and Vata dosha occurs chiefly due to etiological factors dominant in Sheeta guna (Coldness) such as exposure to cold breeze, consuming cold drinks and cloudy sky.