Contemporary understanding of Galaganda with thyroid disorders

Abstract

Galaganda has been mentioned in Ayurvedic texts for decades, but current understanding integrates old classifications with cutting edge molecular insights into thyroid disorders. This review attempts to address this void by examining the etiological mechanisms, Vata exacerbating factors, and clinical indicators of Galaganda, resulting in an extensive overview of this complicated disease.

Methodology: This review employs a comprehensive examination of traditional Ayurvedic texts and modern scientific literature to uncover the shared pathophysiology and particular aspects of Galaganda in connection to modern thyroid issues.

It emphasises on the convergence of Ayurvedic principles, such as Agnimandya and dysfunctional Vata, Kapha, and Medo dhatu, with contemporary understandings of thyroid disease, such as subclinical hypothyroidism and environmental goitrogenic consequences.

Results: Current study confirms that Galaganda, which resembles a scrotal sac (muska) and is associated with abnormal Vata, Kapha, and Medo dhatu, is closely related to the clinical presentation of hypothyroidism.  This alignment includes particular symptoms shared by both diseases, such as fatigue, weight gain, and cold sensitivity.

Conclusion: This review provides a unique integration of traditional Ayurvedic diagnostics with modern endocrinological paradigms, particularly emphasising the role of Agnimandya  (impaired digestive fire) as a foundational etiological factor in subclinical hypothyroidism, evidenced by elevated serum TSH levels and diminished T3/T4 concentrations.