A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF GOMUTRA ARKA IN OTOMYCOSIS

Abstract

Otomycosis is a fungal infection of external auditory meatus. It is very common in hot tropical climates. The fungi most frequently found in otomycosis are the Aspergilli although other fungi such as candida, pencillium, mucour and the dermatophytes may also be encountered. The most common species is A.niger. Incidence of otomycosis is observed in both male and female. It is generally unilateral, although bilateral cases are not rare. The most common symptoms are dull pain, itching, tinnitus & sensation of fullness. It is more common in people using ear buds and hearing aids. Use of gomutra was explained in Ayurvedic classics thousands of years ago. Gomutra is considered as antifungal, antibacterial, antibiotic etc. Gomutra arka is the distilled form of gomutra. Through distillation gomutra become rich in active principles and thus enhances the quality. The usage of gomutra arka for the treatment of otomycosis provided good results and is the main motive for studying the antifungal action of gomutra.