Last time I shared with you the disease path of the Vata dosha, this
week we will cover Pitta. What the disease expressions look like in your pitta animal and the ultimate disease progression if not treated.
In Ayurveda, the six types of Rasa (taste), Guna (property), Karma (action), Virya( potency), Vipaka (post digestive effect) play a critical role in identifying the stage of disease as well as targeting the area of dysfunction. In short, how the body reacts to tastes starts to paint the picture of dosha aggravation or pacification. The properties of the substance indicate what organ and cell will be targeted, and the post digestive effect will determine the nourishment of the individual cell body. The qualities of each dosha are critically important as it would be counter intuitive to give a substance that is heating to a pitta. Like increases like, opposites create balance. Knowing these taste, action and properties of foods and herbs we can ensure the lifestyle and disease management protocol is in alignment with your animals’ physical predispositions.
The fire and water properties of Pitta dosha make these characteristics hot, spicy, and passionate. If pitta comes out on top as the primary dosha in your animal’s unique combination of doshas, these physical and biological processes will be involved.
√ Brain and heart
√ Eyes (rod and cone cells)
√ Skin
√ Plasma and blood
√ Liver and spleen
√ Alimentary Canal (hind gut)
When systemic imbalance occurs, the tastes and actions of food and herbs can either balance or aggravate.
Firstly, the sour taste irritates the gut causing umbilical area pain, intense hunger and discoloured urine.
The Hot and pungent qualities mix with liquid and sour causing acid indigestion, hyperacidity, heart burn, nausea and gastric pain. At this stage doshas are vitiated and effecting organs.
The small intestine becomes overburdened and if disease is not dealt with at this stage it will leave the site of GI and migrate to other tissues in the body.
This starts with the blood and plasma channels where the oily quality aggravates pitta. These Gunas (qualities) aid in the imminent spread of disease systemically if treatment is not implemented. Entry into the plasma channel should not be taken lightly as a human/animal could be subject to skin cancer/malignant melanoma, a highly metastasizing cancer. The plasma made of serum, white blood cells and the lymph system, will express as perpetual hives, dermatitis, rashes, and irritated melanin cells hot spots etc.
***If you suspect cancerous itchy moles or growths on your dog or horse CALL YOUR VET IMMEDIATELY and allow for removal****
If the disease progression continues to go untreated or treated incorrectly it will enter Rakta dhatu, Blood channel (red blood cells), the hot and sharp qualities of pitta create bleeding disorders and the platelet count diminishes. Clotting factors are affected, and blood is thinner easily rupturing blood vessels. Inflammatory arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis) is another disease of the blood channel, high uric acid levels form crystals which enter the joint and irritate the synovial membrane. Additionally skin sores like eczema, dermatitis start wheeping pus.
Assuming untreated the next tissue effected is mamsa dhatu (muscle tissue) you see inflammatory conditions like fibromyalgia, bursitis and perpetual abscesses.
Weakness in the meda dhatu (fat tissue) creates disorders like excessive sweating, cystitis, excessive thirst. High excess pitta in the meda dhatu effects fat metabolism in the liver creating fatty changes in live. Additionally , due to connection between fat tissue and adrenal glands and thyroid, manifestation of autoimmune diseases are highly likely.
Ashti dhatu (bone tissue) is the next disease path of pitta if dis-ease is untreated. Issues with bone and cartilage will become prevalent. They will show as inflammatory changes in periosteum and within cellular matrix of bone tissue. Dental issues with teeth(abscesses, gum inflammation), hairloss and hooves are affected and can even enter the joint surface causing heat and swelling. According to Ayurveda, there is a direct link between ulcerative colitis and osteoarthritis.
When pitta travels to Majja dhatu (nerve tissue) it effects the marrow, nerve and connective tissues. This will feel like burning sensations, depression, demyelinating disorders, encephalitis, aggression. A sub dosha of pitta is eyes, so you see lacrimal secretions, disorders of the eye (uveitis). It also effects the sex organs and can manifest in severe estrous cycles causing extreme behaviour in mares and things like semen motility in stallions.
It would be a good idea to learn your horses dosha which will allow you understand their mental, physical and biological constitutions. You will start to identify the signs if something is out of balance and most times you can counter the progression on your own by some short term diet changes etc. Remember like increases like, dry will increase Vata, hot will increase Pitta and oily and heavy will increase Kapha.