Bodhaka Kapha Flashcards
What is the primary site of bodhaka kapha?
Oral cavity
What is the governing element of bodhaka kapha?
Water
What are the four primary functions of bodhaka kapha?
Salivary secretions
Taste
Swallowing
Speech
The word bodhaka comes from what word?
What is the meaning of this root word?
Bodhana, means to make known
What are the qualities of saliva?
Liquid
Sticky
Sweet
Slightly unctuous
The saliva prevents ___ between the soft tissues of the tongue and palate. Therefore, the saliva is responsible for ___ and ___.
Friction
Moisture and lubrication
How many salivary glands are there in the cheeks?
How many sublingual salivary glands are there?
How many submandibular salivary glands are there?
How many parotid salivary glands are there?
6 in the cheeks
2 sublingual
2 submandibular
2 parotid
How does bodhaka kapha help speech?
By moistening the vocal cords so that sound coming through is effortless
Moistening the tongue
Which dhātu does bodhaka kapha nourish?
Rasa dhātu
What is bodhaka agni responsible for?
Maintaining oral temperature
What causes secretions of bodhaka kapha in the mouth?
Any substance that goes onto the mouth causes secretions of bodhaka
What structures does bodhaka kapha provide lubrication and moisture for?
Mouth Tongue Soft and hard palate Vocal cords Tonsils Pharynx Epiglottis Posterior wall of pharynx
What is the function of the epiglottis?
Prevents foodstuff from entering the trachea during swallowing
The pharynx leads to the ___
The larynx leads to the ___
Pharynx=esophagus
Larynx=lungs
How is bodhaka kapha related to knowledge?
It helps to receive the knowledge of the taste of food
What are taste buds?
What is the function of taste buds?
Each taste bud is made up of many cells each individually covered in bodhaka kapha.
Taste buds send the message about taste to the brain
The tip of the tongue contains taste buds that perceive what taste?
Sweet
The anterior sides of the tongue contain taste buds that perceive what taste?
Sour
The central part of the tongue contains taste buds that perceive what taste?
Bitter
Directly behind the sweet taste, and in front of the bitter taste in the central part of the tongue are taste buds that perceive what taste?
Pungent
On either side in the central part of the tongue are taste buds that perceive what taste?
Salty
The last portion in the back of the tongue contains taste buds that perceive what taste?
Astringent
What gland and organ does a moderate amount of sweet taste stimulate?
What does an excess of sweet do to these structures?
Thyroid
Pancreas
Weakens both
Sour food increases what?
Therefore, a patient with what conditions should avoid sour food?
Pulmonary congestion
Bronchitis or pneumonia
What organs does the pungent taste stimulate?
Stomach
Small intestine
What organ does the salty taste affect?
Why is excessive amount of salt bad for someone with high blood pressure?
Kidneys
Excessive amounts of salt creates edema and kidney stress
What organs are affected by the bitter taste?
Liver
Spleen
Pancreas
The astringent taste is related to what organ?
Colon
Many disorders can be diagnosed just by looking at the tongue, because the tongue is a mirror of what?
All the organs in the body
What fluid medium is the tongue directly connected to?
Plasma
What are papillae?
Raised protrusions of the tongue surface that often contain taste buds
How are the papillae on the back of the tongue special?
What purpose do they serve?
Special buds that secrete a special quality of bodhaka kapha to maintain the flora of the pharynx
Where in the body, besides the papillae on the back of the tongue, is a specialized bodhaka kapha secreted?
Tonsils
The tonsil is a ___ gland (in terms of function)
Protective
What is deranged when the tonsil becomes septic (infected)?
What conditions might be created by septic tonsillitis?
Bodhaka kapha is deranged
Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart)
Arthritis
A disorder of bodhaka kapha can affect the entire kapha system. Name the other subtypes of kapha including the primary organ/s of association
Kledaka kapha- stomach
Avalambaka kapha- lungs and heart
Tarpaka kapha- brain
Shleshaka kapha- joints
Why is the mouth a breeding ground for bacteria?
Bodhaka kapha is sweet
How does triphala tea maintain the normal attributes of bodhaka kapha?
It helps viscous, thick bodhaka kapha become thin and liquid
Healthy saliva is thin, unhealthy saliva is thick.
Thick saliva is indicative of what conditions?
Dental caculi (tartar)
Diabetes
Worms
Parkinson’s disease
If a child drools while sleeping it is a sign that the child may have ___. Explain why.
Worms
Because the presence of worms in the colon stimulates bodhaka kapha secretion
A sticky mouth may indicate what conditions?
Stickiness of the mouth is due to what?
Dehydration
Pre-diabetes
Sweet saliva
In a 24 hour period we swallow about how much saliva?
In this way, bodhaka kapha nourishes what other type of kapha?
One pint
Kledaka kapha
Through saliva bodhaka kapha helps to maintain what balance in the body?
Water electrolyte balance
Why do cats and dogs heal their wounds by licking them?
Because saliva has antiseptic properties which kill bacteria and speed healing
What is granulation tissue?
How does saliva help to heal an ulcer?
Granulation tissue is new connective tissue and tiny blood vessels that form on the surfaces of a wound during the healing process.
Saliva helps create granulation tissue, which is necessary to heal an ulcer
Bodhaka kapha works in conjunction with what other type of kapha in the digestion of protein, starch, and carbohydrates
Kledaka kapha
