Channels of Elimination
The three channels are:
- Feces
- Urine
- Sweat
Importance of the channels of elimination for health
The regular and routine discharge of the body’s byproducts is elementary for maintaining balance and health. Quantity, quality and timing of the three are to be considered, as well as signs of excess or deficiency and their respective treatments. The byproducts also serve as an excellent diagnostic tool; examination of the secretions will reveal much of what is the condition inside the body.
Feces Elimination Channel
The root is the cecum, rectum, and sigmoid colon. The passage is the large intestine; the opening is the anal orifice.
Signs of unbalanced feces by aggravation of the three Dosha:
- Excess Vata will manifest as constipation, difficulty and pain during defecation, dry feces, and light feces.
- Excess Pitta will manifest as diarrhea, watery feces, fast and uncontrollable defecation, high frequency, medium quantity, burning sensation, yellowish color.
- Excess Kapha will manifest as solid and heavy feces, large amount, low frequency, may contain mucus, itching sensation.
Urine Elimination Channel
The root is the kidneys, the passage is the ureters, urethra, and bladder, the opening is the opening of the urethra.
Signs of unbalanced urine by aggravation of the three Dosha:
- Excess Vata will manifest as a difficulty to release urine, little urine, high frequency or no urge at all, colorless urine.
- Excess Pitta will manifest as abundant urine, high frequency, burning sensation, dark color
- Excess Kapha will manifest as abundant urine, low frequency, pale color
Sweat Elimination Channel
The root is sweat glands, the passage is the sweat ducts, the opening is the pores of the skin and the opening of the sweat glands under the skin. On the skin there are small hairs. Near the root of the hair there is a small hole that is connected to a small sweat gland. Sweat is a byproduct of Fat tissue (Meda Dhatu) and it helps to remove impurities from the plasma.
The skin maintains the proper temperature of the body by producing sweat (under the management of Pitta Dosha). If the body is too hot, the person sweats and that cools the body down. If it is too cold, the sweat glands constrict and the body temperature is maintained. Sweat is a liquid, oily substance that keeps the skin soft and moist.
There is a connection between sweat and urine. If a person urinates in excess, then he or she sweat less. If someone sweats excessively, there is less urination. The same thing happens in regard to the seasons. People sweat a lot in summer and therefor do not pass much urine. In the winter season, people sweat less and urinate more. Sweat indirectly regulates water electrolyte balance and blood pressure. No sweating increases blood pressure. If a person with low blood pressure sweats excessively, he or she may pass out, because of a drop in blood pressure. Anger creates hot sweat and fear creates cold sweat.
Signs of unbalanced sweat by aggravation of the three Dosha:
- Excess Vata will manifest as very little sweat, irregular sweating.
- Excess Pitta will manifest as abundant sweat, hot and smelly.
- Excess Kapha will manifest as medium but constant sweating