According to Ayurveda all objects in the universe including human body are composed of live basic elements (Panchamahabhutas) namely, earth, water, fire, air and vacuum (ether). There is a balanced condensation of these elements in different proportions to suit the needs and requirements of differentstructures and functions of the body matric and its parts. The growth and development of the body matrix depends on its nutrition, Le. on food. The food, in tum, is composed of the above five elements which replenish or nourish the like elements of the body after the action of bio fire (Agni). The tissues of the bodyarethestructural whereas humours are physiological entities, derived from different combinations and permutations of Panchamahabhutas
Health and Sickness
Health or sickness depends on the presence or absence of a balanced state of the total body matrix including the balance between its different constituents. Both the intrinsic and extrinsic factors can cause disturbance in the natural equilibrium giving rise to disease. This loss of equilibrium can happen by dietary indiscrimination, undesirable nabits and non-observance of rules of healthy living Seasonal abnormalities, improper exercise or erratic application of sense organs and incompatible actions of the body and mind can also result in creating disturbance of the existing normal balance. The treatment consists of restoring the balance of disturbed body-mind matrix through regulating diet, correcting life-routine and behaviour, administration of drugs and resorting to preventive Panchkarma and Rasayana therapy
Diagnosis
In Ayuveda diagnosis is always done of the patient as a whole. The physician takes a careful note of the patients internal physiological characteristics and mental disposition S/He also studies such other factors as the affected bodily tissues, humours, the site at which the disease is located, patients resistance and vitality, his/her daily routine dietary habits, the gravity of clinical conditions, condition of digestion and details of personal, social economic and environmental situation of the patient. The diagnosis also involves the following examinations:
General physical examination. Pulse examination
Urine examination
Examination of the faces
Examination of tongue and eyes
Examination of skin and ear including tactile and auditory functions.
Treatment
The principal objectives of Ayurveda include maintenance and promotion of health prevention of disease and cure of sickness
Treatment of the disease consists in avoiding causative factors responsible for disequilibrium of the body matrixor of any of its constituent parts through the use of Panchkarma procedures, medicines suitable diet, activity and regimen strengthening the body mechanisms to prevent or minimize future occurrence of the disease
Normally treatment measures involve use of medicines specific diet and prescribed activity routine. Use of these three measures is done in two ways. In one approach of treatment the three measures antagonize the disease by counteracting the etiological factors and various manifestations of the disease. In the second approach the same three measures of medicine, diet and activity are targeted to exert effects similar to the etiological factors and manifestations of the disease process. These two types of therapeutic approaches are respectively known as Vipreeta and Vipreetarthkari treatments
For successful administration of a treatment four things are essential. These are
The physician
The medicaments
The nursing personnel
The patient
The physician comes first in order of importance S/Hemust possess technical skill, scientific knowledge, purity and human understanding. The physician should use his/her knowledge with humility, wisdom and in the service of humanity. Next in importance comes food and drugs. These are supposed to be of high quality, wide application, grown and prepared following approved procedures and should be available adequately. The third component of every successful treatment is the role of nursing personnel who should have good knowledge of nursing must know the skills of their art and be affectionate, sympathetic, intelligent, neat & clean and resourceful. The fourth component is the patient himself who should be cooperative and obedient to follow instructions of the physician, able to describe ailments and ready to provide all that may be needed for treatment
Ayurveda has developed a very vivid analytical description of the stages and events that take place since the causative factors.commence to operate till the final manifestation of disease. This gives this system an additional advantage of knowing that possible onset of disease much before the latent symptoms become apparent. This very much enhances the preventive role of this system of medicine by making it possible to take proper and effective steps in advance, to arrest further progress in pathogenesis or to take suitable