Is Ayurveda competent with Allopathy in giving QUICK relief to the patients?

The above question validly runs in the mind of many a people. There is a myth in the mind of people that Ayurveda is a slow acting system of medicine. But, it is not the fact.

In my previous posts I have clarified how we Ayurveda physicians decide in selecting an appropriate medicine for a particular disease. Other than Pancha maha bhoothas, we take into consideration of other factors like the Tridosha (3 vitiators); Trimala (3 excretas); Sapta Dhatu (7 Tissue elements); Avarana avrta (blockage of one particular dosha by another particular dosha in its channel); Rasa (Taste propria), Virya (potency) & Vipaka (end product after digestion) of the medicinal herbs selected etc.,

Say for example, in case of Acute or chronic Bronchitis, wherein the patient presents with difficulty in breathing, productive or non productive cough(i.e. with sputum or with out sputum), malaise(generalized body ache) with or with out sub acute fever etc., - according to Ayurveda, the doshas involved are vata & kapha, the dhatus involved are Rasa (Lymph). More over the channels of Prana vayu (Vital energy in the form of air) are obstructed by the accumulation of kapha in the form of vitiated phlegm. At such a circumstance an Ayurvedic physician will have to select an appropriate medicine which contains the herbs with the guna, Virya and Vipaka opposite to that of the factors involved in causing the bronchitis.

It would be appropriate to explain hence forth. The gunas of Kapha are Sheeta cold in potency), Drava (liquidity) etc., the phlegm with such characteristics gets solidified in the channels of the bronchus or bronchioles thus causing an obstruction to the pathway of air. And since the air is not able to reach the alveoli in sufficient quantity, due to less amount of oxygen reaching the alveoli, the person gasps in want of oxygen. This causes the difficulty in breathing. We will have to understand one fact that it is in the alveoli, the diffusion and exchange of gases in the form of oxygen or carbon-di-oxide takes place. Only hence the alveoli are also called as the functional unit of Lungs.

Now having made one to understand the pathology of Bronchitis as per our science, let me help how the Ayurveda medicines in this case will give a quick relief and what is the proportionate amount of relief being given by allopathy medicines.

Medicinal preparations like lehyams; kashayams; aristams; asavas; churnams; vatis etc., prescribed by an Ayurvedic physician will surely contain one or more than one of the following herbs like Piper longum; Piper nigrum; Pushkaramoola; Kanaka; trikatu etc., All these drugs are Usna (hot) in potency and are capable of penetrating deeper in to the kapha obstructed channels (teekshna). By the above qualities, those herbs start liquefying the kapha immediately and tries to bring out the vitiated phlegm from the affected system of our body, it also cause broncho-dilatation (slight & temporary broadening of the diameter of the bronchus) thereby quickly establishes the patency of the airway. Whence an airway is cleared of the obstruction, the air flows freely in and out, thereby giving immediate relief to the patient from dyspnoea.
Where as allopathy medicine always thinks of counteracting the infection by means of anti-biotics & some broncho-dilators trying to create a patent airway, but nevertheless thinks of eliminating the phlegm, thereby leaving some amount of dampened base in the form of phlegm. This left over base, becomes a source of reproduction for the aerobic (requires oxygen to reproduce) or anaerobic (do not require oxygen to reproduce) organisms responsible for recurrence of the bronchitis, in the near future.

Practically speaking, there have been instances of giving a quicker relief to the patients of Bronchitis in my clinical career who are living healthily with a very less chances of recurrence. And this particular fact made me to think of enlightening and sharing the experience with everybody in the universe. I hope the above post of mine would have eliminated the doubts creeping in the mind of many a people regarding the action potential of Ayurveda medicines.


Hail Ayurveda.

The journey of explaining Ayurveda will continue in the up coming posts


Warm regards to all those who read this. 
"Let humanity live in peace and health".
“Sarve Janaah Sukhinoh Bhavanthuh ”.
"सर्वे जनाः सुखिनो: भवन्तु:"
"ಸರ್ವೇ ಜನಾಃ ಸುಖಿನೋ: ಭವಂತು:"

"வாழ்க நலமுடன்".    

-Prof.Dr.Rangaprasad Bhat.



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