Allopathic medicine vs Ayurvedic medicine

by Ankit Srivastava

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Allopathic

Modern medicine or Allopathic is derived by the Greek compounds allelo and pathy meaning ‘mutual harm’ or ‘suffering’. Allelopathy is based on modern medicinal mechanics which is basically mechanical, materialistic and inert. It treats mind and body as only a physical entity. It lays emphasis on use of inorganic substances (drugs), mechanical testing, evasive techniques like surgery and passive approach by the patient. It faces difficulty in approaching diseases which are not able to be measured by machines and it focuses on suppression of symptoms with a huge amount of side-effects which can also be life threatening. Uses of antibiotics which can permanently harm the immune system of the body hence elevating the disease again and again in different forms.

Though it is the most advanced and sophisticated in terms of equipment, testing and information, it is also the crudest form of treatment – it approaches the body as it is a machine and needs to be repaired. It is the most useful form of medicine in emergencies such as heart-attack and accidents victims. Advances such in antibiotics have also saved many lives, but we need to be aware that the germs or bacteria which attack adapt themselves faster than we can make a new antibiotics everyday. This shows how the energy of Universe is outsmarting human intelligence and there is nothing which modern medicine can do for it.

Analgesic

‘An‘ “without” ‘algos’ “pain” – Greek

These are pain relieving medicines which works on central nervous systems. The pain relief induced by analgesics occurs either by blocking pain signals going to the brain or by interfering with the brain’s interpretation of the signals, without producing anesthesia or loss of consciousness.

Common side effects and adverse reactions:

• nausea
• vomiting
• drowsiness
• dry mouth
• miosis (contraction of the pupil)
• orthostatic hypotension (blood pressure lowers upon sudden standing)
• urinary retention
• constipation and/or fecal impaction

Less common side effects and adverse reactions:

• confusion
• hallucinations
• delirium
• hives
• itch
• hypothermia
• bradycardia (slow heart rate)
• tachycardia (rapid heart rate)
• raised intracranial pressure
• ureteric or biliary spasm
• muscle rigidity
• flushing

Most severe side effects and adverse reactions:

• respiratory depression
• fatal overdose

Antibiotics 

Sometimes the adverse effect of the antibiotic is related to the dose administered and this require precise dose calculation before administering the antibiotic to the patient especially in case of injection because the amount that reach the blood is higher than oral administered antibiotics. Calculating the antibiotic dose per kilogram of patient body weight is the best solution to avoid this problem.

Side Effects of Antibiotics

The most common side effects of antibiotics include:

• nausea
• soft stools or mild diarrhea
• Permanent loss of immune

The following, more serious side effects should be immediately reported to your doctor:

• vomiting
• severe, watery diarrhea accompanied by stomach cramps
• allergic reaction (shortness of breath, hives, swelling of the lips, face or tongue)
• fainting
• vaginal itching or discharge
• white patches on the tongue

When Should I Stop Taking My Antibiotics?

It is extremely important that you take your antibiotics until they are completely gone. Do not stop taking your antibiotics just because you start to feel better. Doing so may lead to antibiotic resistance, which can affect everyone. If you have any questions about your antibiotics, be sure to discuss them with your health care provider.

Antidepressants

It is believed that the brain contains several hundred different types of chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) that act as communication agents between different brain cells. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is important in modulating a variety of body functions and feelings, including our mood. Low serotonin levels have been linked to certain mood disorders and panic disorder. Antidepressants are believed to increase the level of serotonin in the brain. The result is a better mood and less anxiety.

Side Effects of Antidepressants

One attraction of SSRIs is that they are believed to be safer and produce fewer unwanted side effects than other classes of antidepressants. But any antidepressant, including SSRIs, can cause some side effect complications, especially during the beginning of treatment.

Some common side effects of antidepressant use include:

• Nausea
• Sexual dysfunction, including reduced desire or orgasm difficulties
• Headache
• Stomach upset
• Nervousness
• Weight gain
• Drowsiness
• Insomnia

Some of these side effects will be eliminated after your body adjusts to the medication. If they don’t and are bothersome, your doctor may try another antidepressant. Although each class of antidepressants function by a similar mode of action, individually they are different.

Antidepressants and Suicide

The association of increased suicidal thoughts, especially among adolescents, with antidepressant treatment has been a center of attention and controversy in recent years. In response to the concerns suggested in case studies and some research, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a statement in 2007. The FDA proposed that makers of all antidepressant medications indicate a warning on their products about a possible increased risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in young adults, ages 18 to 24, during initial treatment.

So far, researchers have not found a definitive answer about the antidepressant-suicide connection. For the majority of people, antidepressants decrease depression and alleviate the helplessness and hopelessness that consumes their daily existence. But, for a small percentage of people taking antidepressants, this may not be the case. If you are concerned about this issue, be open with your doctor and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Antihistamines

If you have a lot of allergy symptoms, your doctor may use antihistamines to help provide relief, as well as get control of your asthma. Histamine is a normal part of your body’s defense mechanisms, but when histamine is released in response to an allergen, you may develop allergy symptoms. Antihistamines are available as prescriptions and over-the-counter (OTC) medications.

How Do Antihistamines Work?

As you might expect from its name, antihistamines act against histamine. In asthma and allergies, histamine is released as an overreaction by yourimmune system to an allergen. Histamine is released by mast cells and basophils. It can cause symptoms all over your body, depending on where the histamine gets released:

• Nose: runny, watery nose
• Eyes: itchy, tearful (but your not sad!)
• Throat: irritated, sore, scratchy
• Lung: wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and cough

An antihistamine works by preventing mast cells and basophils from attaching to the parts of your body where histamine can be released and cause symptoms.

What Are Common Antihistamine Side Effects?

While most people do not experience side effects when taking an antihistamine, you need to be aware of the potential. First generation antihistamines like brompheniramine (Dimetapp) and diphenhydramine (Benadryl) can make you sleepy. This is because these particular drugs also go to the part of the brain responsible for nausea and vomiting (they can also be used to treat or prevent motion sickness). Second generation antihistamines are less likely to cause this side effect, but are no more effective in controlling symptoms and cost more money. The higher the dose of medication you take, the more likely you will experience side effects. Finally, if you are older than 60 you are at greater risk of becoming drowsy with an antihistamine, and may also have an increased risk for falling.

Additional common side effects include:

• Dizzy
• Dry mouth
• Hoarseness
• Nausea

Most of these side effects will resolve over time. However, if you experience any of the following side effect consider talking with your doctor:

• Changes in vision
• Extreme nervousness
• Racing heartbeat
• Stomach pain
• Stop or have difficulty urinating
• Yellowing of skin
• Weakness

Additionally, you need to be careful and watch out for side effects if you combine antihistamines with:

• Muscle relaxants
• Pain medications
• Sedatives like alcohol
• Sleeping pills

Because antihistamines can also react with some antibiotic and antifungal drugs, it is extremely important for every doctor that treats you knows your medications. Make sure you bring the pill bottles with you or at least an up to date list. If you get a new prescription make sure to ask your pharmacist to check to make sure there will be no dangerous interactions.

Finally, talk with your doctor before taking antihistamines if you have any of the following conditions, as they can make some conditions worse:

• Benign prostatic hypertrophy or an enlarged prostate
• Breathing conditions such as asthma
• Heart problems
• Hypertension or high blood pressure
• Thyroid problems

Ayurvedic Medicine

Ayurveda is the traditional medicine of India, which originated there over 5,000 years ago. Ayurveda emphasizes re-establishing balance in the body through diet, lifestyle, exercise, and body cleansing, and on the health of the mind, body, and spirit.

What does a typical Ayurvedic assessment involve?

An initial assessment with an Ayurvedic practitioner may last an hour or longer. The practitioner will ask detailed questions about your health, diet and lifestyle. He or she will listen to your pulse. Unlike mainstream medicine, 12 different pulse points are assessed in Ayurveda.

The Ayurvedic practitioner also examines the tongue; its appearance is believed to provide clues about areas of the body that may be out of balance. The appearance of the skin, lips, nails, and eyes is also observed.

After the assessment, the practitioner will determine an individual’s unique balance of doshas, or metabolic types. One dosha is usually predominant and may be imbalanced, usually due to poor diet and unhealthy habits.

The practitioner also determines your prakuti, also called your constitution or essential nature. From there, the practitioner can create an individualized treatment plan, which often includes diet, exercise, herbs, yoga, meditation, and massage. The treatment plan generally focuses on restoring balance to one particular dosha.

What are the doshas?

According to Ayurveda, everything is composed of five elements: air, water, fire, earth, and space. These elements combine to form the three doshas, vata, kapha, and pitta, or metabolic types. In Ayurveda, doshas account for some of our individual differences.

The vata dosha is a combination of space and air. It controls movement and is responsible for basic body processes such as breathing, cell division and circulation. Vata body areas are the large intestine, pelvis, bones, skin, ears, and thighs. People with vata as their main dosha are believed to be quick-thinking, thin, and fast, and are susceptible to anxiety, dry skin, and constipation.

The kapha dosha represents the elements of water and earth. Kapha is believed to be responsible for strength, immunity, and growth. Kapha body areas are the chest, lungs, and spinal fluid. People with kapha as their main dosha are thought to be calm, have a solid body frame, and are susceptible to diabetes, obesity, sinus congestion, and gallbladder problems.

The pitta dosha combines fire and water. It is thought to control hormones and the digestive system. Pitta body areas are the small intestines, stomach, sweat glands, skin, blood, and eyes. People with pitta as their primary dosha are thought to have a fiery personality, oily skin, and are susceptible to heart disease, stomach ulcers, inflammation, heartburn, and arthritis.

An imbalanced dosha is believed to interrupt the natural flow of prana, or vital energy. The disrupted energy flow is then thought to impair digestion and allow the build up of body waste, or ama, which further impairs energy and digestion.

What might an Ayurvedic treatment plan involve?

• Diet: Recommendations are individualized to a person’s dosha and the season. Foods can either balance or cause imbalance to each dosha. See a list of foods thought to balance each dosha.
• Cleansing and detoxification: This may be done through fasting, enemas, diets, and body treatments.
• Herbal medicine: Examples of Ayurvedic herbs are triphala, ashwaghanda, gotu kola, guggul, and boswellia.
• Yoga
• Meditation
• Exercise: Individualized to a person’s constitution
• Massage: Medicated herbal oils are often used.

Though Ayurvedic is most effective due to its understanding of the body not only as physical but as spirit and astral body as well. It has been found that Ayurvedic medicines before reaching US or other western countries are mixed with Mercury and Lead, as to make the usage of ayurvedic medicine unpopular.

Ayurveda`s focus is more on creating energetic balance at the higher energetic or inner level. It sees all life and Nature constantly evolving toward a higher level of consciousness. All substances have an impact at this higher level of consciousness as well as the more gross body level. Ayurveda seeks to connect us with this intelligence inherent in Nature and uses substances and processes which work positively as this higher level – such as yoga asana, pranayama, mantra and meditation – to facilitate this it categories substances and activities according to their capacity to achieve this higher level of consciousness.

It recommends we avoid substances, which stimulate us or dull us. Stimulants and dulling substances act on the body level distort consciousness and lead to a lack of sensitivity and self awareness. For example, the cup of coffee we have to get us going in the morning may take us to work and get us to do the job but then who is it that is going to work and running our lives – us or the coffee ??.

Ayurveda recognises that imbalance of the mind and emotion frequently precedes, and is often the cause of, physical imbalances. Because of this, simple prescriptions such as pranayama (breathing exercises), repeating mantras or meditation, may be given rather than complex medicines because these prescriptions address the core of the problem by stilling an overactive mind. These prescriptions may seem naive or even undesirable – especially to those who live under the rule of their external ego and who therefore value performance in the outside world: material conquest, power and domination: as the important values in life.

Ayurvedic or Yogic medicine is about facilitating the process of raising our level of consciousness. This state of consciousness is defined as peace, union with the Divine or realization of our true Self. A distinguishing feature which sets Ayurveda apart from other alternative systems of medicine is the fact that Ayurvedic treatment treats patient as a “whole” i.e. a combination of the body, the mind and the soul.

This Vedic system of medicine repeatedly emphasizes the common origin of mankind and the universe. Our relationship with our environment is intrinsic. The elements which compose the universe also constitute the human body and therefore the laws which govern the universal elements also govern the human realm.

These profound concepts based upon an astute understanding of the universal laws and practical observations about the world around give us the indication about the holistic approach of Ayurveda and its potential in alleviating many health related problems afflicting the whole of humanity.

Health is essential for enjoyment of all the worldly pleasures in a righteous manner. Ayurveda goes much beyond the realms of ordinary medicine and gives practical measures on how to maintain and protect one`s health and well -being and promote longevity of life. Ayurveda is thus not just a system of medicine; rather it’s a way of life! Illness, according to Ayurveda is a condition of imbalance, which originates from some fundamental deficiency and something more than symptomatic relief is needed for its cure.

Ayurvedic medicines predominantly being plant based are in close harmony with nature and hence easily assimilable by the human body. Ayurveda thus helps maintain the integrity of the unique elemental balance in each individual and treats the ailment at its root cause.

Ayurveda advocates that the primary and essential factors of the human body that govern our entire physical structure and function, is a combination of any two of the five bhutas with the predominance of one. This is the most fundamental and characteristic principle of Ayurveda and is called “Tridosha” or the Three Humours. They are categorized into Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Vata governs movement, Pitta is concerned with functions of heat, metabolism, and energy production and Kapha, governs physical structure and fluidbalance. Thus in Ayurveda, disease is viewed as a state of imbalance in one or more of these doshas, and the treatments aims to establish the balance in these three fundamental qualities.

	Vata	Pitta	Kapha
Basic Function	Governs bodily functions concerned with movement.	Governs bodily functions concerned with heat, metabolism, and energy production	Governs bodily functions concerned with physical structure , and fluidbalance.
Qualities	Moving quick, light , cold, minutes, rough dry, leads the order doshas.	Hot, sharp, light, acidic, slightly, oily.	Heavy, oily, slow, cold, steady, solid, dull.
Results ofBalance	Mental alertness Proper formation of body tissues Normal alimentation Strong immunity Sound sleep Sense of exhilaration	Normal heat and thirst mechanism Strong digestion Sharp intellect Lustrous complexion contentment	Muscular strength Strong immunity Affection, generosity, courage, dignity Healthy, Normal, Joints Vitality and stamina Stability of mind
Results of Imbalance	Dry or Rough Skin Constipation Common fatigue ( non-specific cause ) Tension headaches Underweight Insomnia Intolerance of cold Anxiety, worry	Rashes, skin inflammations Heartburn Premature graying, baldness Hostility, irritability Visual problems Excessive body heat	Oily skin Sinus congestion Obesity Slow digestion Nasal allergies Lethargy, dullness

Ayurveda has eight specialized branches :

• Internal medicine
• Surgery
• Management of diseases of Eye & ENT
• Pediatrics
• Psycho-therapy including Seizures by evil spirits
• Toxicology
• Geriatrics
• Science of aphrodisiacs