With today’s skyrocketing health care costs, it is a high time to search for viable alternatives. We all are in efforts to stay healthy and prevent future health ailments. Of course, every medical science got some limits but then, Ayurveda can be placed as the medicinal science that corrects the human body and makes it capable tackling day-to-day infections, lifestyle diseases, dietary corrections and many other measurements that offer optimum health. Nevertheless, it is also a fact that when combined, Ayurveda and other holistic healing science like Yoga can work to bring about best possible benefits and overall balanced health.
If we have a glance at various types of healthcare, we learn about two different kinds of thinking. The contemporary medicine is geared to crisis intervention and majority of the benefits come in the area of acute and sudden health ailments such as infections, heart attack and brain stroke. Acute illnesses and cases of injury that need emergency action, looking at modern medical practice saves the life. The role of Ayurveda in contemporary healthcare system includes taking all precautions and measurements to build body’s immunity that it does not easily contract with present-day health ailments.
Ayurvedic medicine, on the other hand, primarily focuses on prevention and getting the root cause of diseases. To treat signs and symptoms is the forte of contemporary medicine as medical practitioners here prescribes medicine that reduces a fever, alleviates pains and gives immediately relief from the suffering. Many times, the causes of the illnesses are never found and never being taken into consideration since a broad spectrum antibiotic will cure gastric infections as well as respiratory infection! When the causes are not being dealt with, recurrences often happen in the following days.
The role of Ayurveda in contemporary health care system can be judged by its efficacy to treat the diseases on a cellular level and not as a general. The disease being treated using Ayurvedic herbs and therapies are less likely to recur as there is always a try and hope of eliminating from the body, probably on a permanent basis.
Approach to a Health Ailment
While learning the doctrines of both types of health sciences, we notice a huge divide. Modern medicines focus chiefly on the physical body as they consider what has happened to the physical body and often, overlook the patient’s mental status. This can be said as to treat the symptoms and probably not the cause. Looking at gastric burning symptoms and advising gastroscopy may not reveal patient’s stressful condition that ultimately releases loads of gastric juice into the stomach! Of course, giving some Proton Pump Inhibitors may relieve the condition but then, Ayurvedic medicines that reduces the tension and simultaneously cease the over-secretion of gastric juice.
The best role of Ayurveda in contemporary health care system is to see a disease as a whole and just not merely as a set of signs and symptoms. For instance, if children have trouble at school, they get stomachache before class. Here, linking one with the other could be elementary but then getting the clue of the uneasiness in the mind of the child reduces the number of medicines that would be prescribed.
There is no denial that the contemporary medical science is a life saving technique in conditions such as an injury, cardiac block, ischemic attacks, and any sort of health problems that seek surgery. Also, one of the most potential industries in America, the pharmaceutical industry, offers a huge amount funds to the medical schools with the intent to market their medicines. There has always been a great deal of pressure from pharmaceutical industry that keeps alternative medicines such as Ayurveda from being taught! Nevertheless, due to skyrocketing demand, Ayurveda is now offered as electives. It could be a small step –but then every marathon begins with one step!
The mankind has known of a kind of healthcare based on spices and herbs since time immemorial. History is permeated with thorough narration of cultures being benefitted from herbal medicines. It has always played an essential role in the progress of modern civilization. Our ancestor had found that the herbs provided not only a remedy to a disease but also food, shelter and clothing! Many of the common drugs used in modern medicines have been derived from herbs. The survey says that at least one basic ingredient from plant origin make a formula of almost all of the prescription drugs penned down to combat various health diseases in the US.
Ayurvedic Herbs –in action; slowly but steadily!
According to World Health Organization, approximately 80 per cent of the world’s population or nearly 4.5 billion people use herbs in one or the other way at any given time. The commonest element here is using Ayurvedic as daily health supplement in the form of home remedies, herbs, nutritional supplements or simply as lifestyle maintenance program such as yoga and Pranayama.
A few of deadly diseases include high blood pressure, bronchial asthma, heart disease, diabetes that affect the mankind irrespective of their religion and region. As said earlier, a role of Ayurveda in contemporary health care system includes using herbs in various forms. The herbs have been used to prepare effective modern medicines. For instance, to treat symptoms of bronchial asthma and some respiratory problems, Epedrine is promising drug. This is nothing but an active ingredient in ephedra, an herb.
Furthermore, the foxglove plant is another example that points toward the usage of herbal extraction in contemporary health care system. The leaf of this plant is made into powder that shows simulative effects as cardiac digitalis and provides great relief to almost all heart patients.
A different role of Ayurveda in contemporary health care system
The ultimate goal of any health care system is to keep the mankind away from health ailments. The best thing is to use medicines as per the condition of the disease and diseased. However, the concept of Ayurveda is clear; you make your body immune so that it can withstand any infection. To boost the immunity, one has to adopt a healthy lifestyle, balanced diet and some herbs as daily health supplements. In spite of body being so immune, there are chances of contracting day-to-day infections since we live in the colony of microorganisms. Right from the steering of your car to the pen you use is the house of zillions of harmful bacteria, virus and even fungi. The role of Ayurveda in contemporary health care system begins with taking care of your body and also the surroundings.
Another important thing that is totally ignored in today’s world is the lifestyle and dietary pattern. Ayurveda strictly believes in following daily routine (called as dinacharya) and seasonal routine (called as ritucharya). This includes scheduling time to a wake-up, toothbrushing (danta dhavana), bathing (snana) following devotional rituals (pujas), brisk walking (chankramana) and all the routines we follow today. The season has an effect on the body and that is why, Ayurveda suggests to take special precaution when the season changes. In addition, Ayurveda also describes Yoga, Meditation and Pranayama in order to keep the mental state stable as it believes a real health in terms of stable body, mind and soul, altogether.
