Understanding Blood Clotting Issues Through an Ayurvedic Lens

From the Ayurvedic perspective, blood that fails to clot in a timely manner is due to a pitta imbalance. Excess pitta in the blood makes the blood hot, sharp, and penetrating and doesn’t allow natural coagulation and clotting to occur. The basic prescription, then, is to follow a pitta-soothing diet, use pitta-soothing herbs, and take specifically hemostatic herbs, herbs that directly help to stop bleeding. To stop external bleeding, start by applying cold.

Use some ice (plain or wrapped APPLY COLD in a cloth), which helps to constrict the blood vessels and stop bleeding. A bag of frozen vegetables from the freezer will do the job in an emergency. Other simple ways to stop bleeding, well known to most people, are APPLY PRESSURE 1. tying a tourniquet 2.

applying pressure directly over the bleeding area 3. if the bleeding is in an extremity, raising the arm or leg higher than the rest of the body. Another effective approach is to apply some aloe. A pinch of aloe powder mixed into a ALOE paste with a pinch of turmeric powder will immediately stop most bleeding.

Aloe vera gel will also be effective. Other astringent herbs are also effective. The Ayurvedic herbs lodhra, kushtha, ASTRINGENT HERBS and bilva are effective to stop bleeding, either alone or mixed in equal proportions into a paste that can be applied directly. They are also effective taken internally for continuing problems with bleeding, use ½ teaspoon 2 or 3 times a day.

For external bleeding, you will find this ancient, simple remedy effective. Take a COTTON ASH small ball of sterilized cotton, and burn it. (Be sure it is real cotton, not the synthetic material often found these days, which will be totally ineffective.) When the cotton turns to black ash, wait for it to cool down, and then apply it to the bleeding wound and press. The ash will stick to the bleeding point and stop the bleeding instantaneously.