Ayurveda practitioner (Vaid), Allopathy practitioner and God Dhanvantri. Image created by Microsoft Designer.
Ayurveda and Allopathy both have their place in modern healthcare. Allopathy and Ayurveda both are medical practices focused on health, disease, and treatment in distinct ways. And the patients have the right to choose the kind of treatment/ medication therapy that they use for healing. In general, these practices are considered controversial to each other because of their strengths and weaknesses but the ultimate aim of medical practitioners practicing either of these is the well-being of the patients. In recent years the interest in integrative approach for health is increasing with the ultimate goal of increasing the strength of treatment. Ayurveda and Allopathy both have their place in modern healthcare.
Allopathy
The term is derived from the Greek word ‘allos’ which means ‘other’ or ‘another’ and ‘pathos’ means ‘suffering’. This medical system, which was established in the early 19th century, is wholly founded on experiments. This is a modern method of treatment that is more widely practiced due to its scientific approaches like evidence and diagnosis for disease treatment, prevention, symptoms management by use of pharmaceuticals, surgery and radiation, etc involving the advancement in the field of genetics, vaccine immunization, biotechnology and pharmaceutical sciences.
Medications in modern medicine are in the form of syrups, capsules, pills, and fluid infusions that are injected into veins and muscles. Medication therapy in Allopathy is primarily focused on treating and suppressing the symptoms of disease.
Treatment is a specific procedure for a disease that does not vary from patient to patient. Different people suffering from the same disease will be treated with the same procedure.
Action onset of treatment is rapid means the medicines start showing action within a short period.
Some of the medication therapy along with the relief of symptoms show different side effects that may range from mild to severe complications. Side effects are the result of the interaction of medication and the immune system of the body. Side effects include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, pyrexia, indigestion, or metabolic disorder. Sometimes medicine may affect organs for which they are not being used. If a person is taking medicine for abdominal consequences there are chances that this medicine may affect the liver, kidney, lungs, or blood vessels of the person.
There are chances that the patient may become habitual to some of the drugs.
Ayurveda
The term is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘ayus’ means ‘life’ and ‘Veda’ means ‘knowledge’.
This medical system originated in India. Ayurvedic treatments are according to ancient books (Granth) that are the “Charak Samhita”, “Sushruta Samhita” and “Ashtanga Hrudaya” which describe the human body as five elements of the cosmic system known as Panch Tattva (Water, Fire, Air, Earth, and Space). According to Ayurveda, healthy life means to balance three doshas that are Vata (concerned with body movement)’ Pitta (concerned with temperature and metabolism), and Kapha (concerned with nutrition, growth, protection, and lubrication).
Ayurveda focuses on preventive measures like proper diet consumption, body flexibility improvement, stamina, and strength building as well as reduction of stress.
Treatment is a specific procedure considering specific attributes of individuals(Vatta, Pitta, and Kapha) for a disease that varies from patient to patient. Therapy for different people suffering from the same disease will differ.
Action onset of treatment is slow means the medicines don't start showing action within a short period. It takes more time to show its action but this action is prolonged than that of Allopathy. So ayurvedic treatment is not preferred in an emergency or is rarely preferred.
There is an advantage to choosing Ayurveda which is the minimum chance of side effects. It is because Ayurveda uses natural ingredients to create medicines. The purely natural composition of medicines leads to less negative interaction of the immune system with medicine. However improper dose composition may lead to different side effects such as skin rashes, nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, etc.
Integration of Allopathy and Ayurveda for disease management
Integration of both therapies requires mutual acceptance of doctors from both systems, proper knowledge, and strategic guidelines to ensure health for all citizens across the country.
Many diseases like diabetes, arthritis, cold, liver diseases, and various chronic illnesses are now being treated with medicines formed by a fusion of Ayurvedic and allopathic medical practice.
It is possible because allopathic medicine practice is open to accepting the beneficial outcome of different medical practices. In the management of COVID-19, the integration of both therapies played a crucial role in coping with patients from the infection and maintaining of mental health of patients.
Combined therapy is used in the treatment of chronic disease as the combining of therapy reduces the cost of treatment, allopathic therapy helps patients in recovery and ayurvedic therapy boosts the immunity of the patient which results in quick recovery of the patient at a cheaper cost of treatment and with lesser negative reactions of allopathic drug with the immune system.
In combined therapy allopathic therapy will treat the symptoms and ayurvedic therapy will treat the root cause of the disease and the result will be rapid action of treatment for a prolonged period.
In combined therapy, there is a risk of poisoning in the case of some medicines that consist of metallic elements. Quantification of the dose is necessary for the integration of both therapies as the higher dose of medicine may cause severe consequences.
In combined therapy, there are reduced chances of side effects as the immune system of the body is strengthened by ayurvedic therapy and the excretion of metabolites of medicine increases decreasing retention of that in the body due to this other organs are not affected negatively by the therapy.
Conclusion
Allopathy and Ayurveda are both medical practice that focuses on patient treatment but there is always a catfight between patients having faith in either of these or the practitioners practicing. They count for the cost of treatment, side effects, the individuality of patients, literature, period taken for action/ healing onset, variety of dosage, a constituent of dose, merits, and limitations of each.
Both Allopathy and Ayurveda have their own limitations, merits, and demerits; there is a similarity in both that these both promote overall well-being. This new era is working in a progressive direction and researchers are working to combine both medical practices wherever beneficial for the Health of society.
The catfight of Allopathy vs Ayurveda should be ended and a step by developing innovative treatment techniques should be taken towards integrated management of disease for patients suffering from various diseases by mutual acceptance of doctors from both systems, proper knowledge, and strategic guidelines to ensure health for all citizens from all the country across the globe.
Crafted by: Subham Yadav, BPharm 23