AYURVEDA IN PRESENT SCENARIO.
Ayurveda, the greatest medical science on the earth, owing to its deep
routes in the society and its proximity to the nature, is witnessing the
greatest turmoil in the centuries. the great science is being explored
world wide for the possibilities of turning improbable into probables.
The rise of many newer varieties of microorganisms, the radical changes
taking place in nature, the urbaisaton leading to the diminishing contact
with nature and overall insurgence of newer chronic and degenerative
varieties of diseases due to increased life span prompt scientists to re-evaluate
their medical knowledge. The shortcoming of the present contemporary
medical science, the ineffective antibiotics and the debilitating side
effects alongwith
the rising cost of the health care is forcing the scientists and wise
men around the world to look for possible other options which are lesser
known just because they are not originated form western world.
In spite of phenomenal progress in modern medical
science and other life sciences in the fields of investigations such as
biochemistry, radiology; in the fields of therapeutics such as
antibiotics, chemotherapies; techniques such as endoscopies; there is a
growing demand for the wisdom of Ayurveda, and the services of ayurvedic
doctors all over the world. The reason lies in the unique features of
Ayurveda.
Treatment of the patient and not of the disease alone
In addition to the clinical features of disease,
there are a lot more to be seen by an Ayurveda physician. It starts with
the constitution of the patient (prakruti). It is nothing but the
tendency of the physical and mental reactions by the person to external
stimulus. It changes from person to person. For example, in the October
heart only few and not all of us are prone to mouth ulcers. In the rainy
season not everybody complains of body ache. This body ache is without
any major illness and just presents in a milder but perceivable form. .
Next comes the mental attitude. The severity of the symptoms as
described by the patient are often the result of his perception about
self and the disease. Similarly to choose the treatment modality we need
to assess the satwa of patient. For example, in some cases of skin
diseases, the patient has to take medicines for quite a long time and a
heena satwa person (weak mental attitude) will need a lot of
encouragement by doctor to keep him on track. Otherwise, in despair, he
may divert from his course.
Next comes inline the patient’s habits. Whether these
habits are wholesome and according to the place where the patient stays
or the season or the age of the patient. For example the curds may be
wholesome to one where as the other might suffer from its ingestion.
Sleeping in afternoon may be without any problem for one and may cause
sinusitis in other.
We also need to examine the quality of tissues in the
body. It is called as saara pariksha. The medicine for a person of weak
muscle tissues as evident by less bulk of mass will differ from the
person with bulky muscles, even if he is suffering from some digestive
problem.
Along with these are the measurements of the body and
tissue elements (pramaana pariksha), age (vayas), and diet of the
patient (aahaara), the digestive capacity (anala). All these
examinations are required for the correct diagnosis of the patient and
the disease. So the examination consists of two phases. Examination of
disease and diseased. Thus, two patients having same disease may receive
two different treatments. The treatment is individualized and that’s
why many a times very difficult to standardize.
Field is more important than the seed.
Ayurveda considers micro-organisms as one of the
causes of the disease. Ayurveda describes them as krimi. They are
classified into 20 types. Some of them are invisible. Some of them are
beneficial to body. Ayurveda also describes some of them as rakshasa.and
massive eradication of these rakshasas is recommended. Fumigation of
operation theatre by burning some herbs is one of the examples of these
eradicative procedures.
But Ayurveda doesn’t give them prime importance. The
importance is to the underlying environment beneficial for microbes to
grow. Our oral cavity (mouth) contains millions of bacteria. We ingest a
lot of bacteria). They come in contact with our body every second via
skin, via air, food drink etc. but still we are not always ill. Nor
every one of us falls ill even in epidemics. So there is something
beyond bacteria. And this is body’s resistance. Our body is made up of
three main factors called as Dosha, dhatus and mala. Now out of this
Dosha are the basic vitiating factors and if they are stable the person
is healthy. When these doshas which are 3 in number (vaata, pitta,
kapha) get disturbed they vitiate other two factors. Whenever these
vitiated factors are formed in the body them the micro-organism can
invade the body and produce disease. Ayurveda considers deha or body as
the fields and the bacteria as the seeds and gives importance to field
then the seeds. If the field is fertile for the seeds then only the
seeds can grow. Similarly if the body is weak then the diseases ca crop
up. Same is with the mind. Ayurveda, therefore while treating a disease,
the importance is given to the promotion of health of doshas and
dhatus, and not upon destroying the microbes.
Promotion of immunity.
When microbes are more powerful than the body cells,
they attack and cause disease. Antibiotics are powerful than the
microbes and can cause death of the microbes. But unfortunately, they
destroy body cells also. They cause further disharmony in the cells of
the body and some other disease comes up.ayurveda believes in
strengthening of the immunity. This immunity is described of two types.
First one is the strength to fight against the disease.
(Vyadhi-bala-virodhitwa) And the other one is the strength to prevent
the starting or fabrication of the disease.
(Vyadhi-utpada-pratibandhatwa). Both of these are called as vyadhi
kshamatwa. When this immunity is built not only the present disease is
eradicated, but recurrence also is prevented. Thus ayurvedic medicine s
do have certain side benefits and not the toxic side effects.
