Diagnosis Process



Introduction


According to Ayurveda, there are three major reasons, which causes disease - 'overuse', 'disuse' or 'misuse' of faculties; 'errors in judgment'; and pressure of seasonal changes etc. All human diseases can be classified into seven broad categories, namely:

  • Genetic (Adibalapravritta)
    • Caused primarily due to defects in the sperm (sukra) of the father. Skin diseases, diabetes, hemorrhoids, tuberculosis and asthma come in this category.
    • Abnormal behavior, indigestible food, addiction of any type and stressful situations affect the generative elements male and female both, resulting in a defective fetus.
  • Congenital (Janmabalapravritta)
    • It is Caused by unfulfilled desires of the mother during pregnancy (dauhrdya) and due to nutritional disorder (rasakrita) .
    • If diet and conduct of the mother worsens vata, the foetus might suffer with deformities as kyphosis (hunchback), blindness and dwarfism; increased pitta may cause alopecia and yellowish pigmentation of skin; and enhanced kapha might cause albinism.
  • Constitutional (Doshabalapravritta)
    • Caused by dietary or behavioral disturbance, which is a result of imbalance in any one of the three vital energies (Tridoshas) or the three vital mental energies (Trigunas).
    • The constitutional disorders are of two types: somatic (Sharirika) & psychic (Manasika).
  • Traumatic (Sanghatabalapravritta)
    • Any trauma causing experience - external or internal - leads to this disease.
    • External trauma is induced by physical injuries such as inflicted by sharp instruments and bites of animals or venomous insects.
    • Stress and overstrain and / or very hard work leads to internal trauma.
  • Seasonal (Klabalapravritta)
    • Caused by changes in the niceties of season change.
    • It is the failure of body to adjust itself to the sudden and abnormal climatic changes causes Klabalapravritta - while extreme cold might cause frostbite and rheumatic diseases, and extreme heat may cause sunstroke or fever.
  • Infectious and Spiritual (Daivabalapravritta)
    • These diseases can be caused due to natural calamities such as lightning, earthquakes, floods and the invisible, malignant forces of nature.
    • These diseases can also be contacted through sexual & physical closeness and sharing of food, plates, bed, clothes, towels, cosmetics and other items of private usage with affected friends and/or relatives.
    • These diseases can also be a result of green-eyed monster and jealousy and negative vibes and thoughts occupying ones mind.
  • Natural (Swabhavbalapravritta)
    • The people, who look the healthiest, also suffer from natural weaknesses and diseases such as hunger, thirst, sleep, death or senility and elderly weaknesses.
    • A cause of functional, organic and natural changes in the body.

Diagnosis Process

The imbalance of doshas (causing disease) and the path followed by them to cause disease is termed samprapti or pathogenesis.

Since diseases develop in distinct stages, a good knowledge of those helps in early recognition of disease. Thus diagnosis is so important in proper and good treatment.

Ayurveda thus identifies a six-level diagnosis process called Kriya (action) Kal (time). The initial 4 stages are quite unique to Ayurveda Science in that they permit prior recognition and elimination of the disease before starting differentiated clinical symptoms.

One who knows the various stages of pathogenesis (samprapti) accumulation (sanchaya), provocation (prakopa) spread or migration (prasara), deposition or augmentation (sthana samshaya), manifestation (vyakti) and the differentiation (bheda) is entitled to be an Ayurvedic Physician.

  • Level One: Accumulation (Sanchaya)
    • Weak digestive power and excess of dosha is responsible for such a condition.
    • Here toxins (ama) produced by improper digestion accumulates in the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract.
    • Toxins resulting from a kapha imbalance accumulate in the stomach, those associated with a pitta imbalance collects in the small intestine, and that related to vata misfunction accumulates in the colon.
    • Due to the presence of one of these toxins, mild and ill-defined symptoms may show.
    • We should recognise and eliminate the cause instead of ignoring or suppressing it.
    • Causes antipathy to similar things and attraction for contraries.
  • Level Two : Aggravation (Prokapa)
    • The accumulated, stagnant doshas are now aggravated by factors as ahara, vihara & seasons.
    • The toxins amass in such degree to get provoked in the site of production in the GI tract.
  • Level Three : Spread (Prasara)
    • In this stage, the toxins accumulated in the GI tract start overflowing. Generally, up to this stage the damage is entirely reversible and restoration of doshic balance can be achieved with proper measures. Or there may be spontaneous prashama (remission) influenced by seasonal changes. Thus there is sanchaya of pitta in rainy season, prakopa in fall and prasara in early winter.
  • Level Four : Augmentation (Sthana Samshraya)
    • Overflowing toxins migrate, entering and taking asylum in localized, weak or defective dhatus thereby leading to malfunction and structural damage.
    • It is from here that specific deteriorating disease and susceptibilities to serious infections begin.
  • Level Five : Symptom Manifestation (Vyakti)
    • Differentiated symptoms first begin to appear from the location.
    • Manifested symptoms being used by modem medicine for classification & diagnosis of disease.
  • Level Six: Complications/Differentiation (Bheda)
    • The prolonged disease, which has taken years to reach this final stage, becomes chronic.
    • Offers detailed understanding of the group of symptoms thereby identifying the clear nature of disease.




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