Conventional Vs Ayurvedic Concept Of Prevention

The majority of westerners at one time or another depend on prescription drugs to treat their health problems, and these medications generally succeed in reducing or even eliminating symptoms, but at a price. A glance at the list of possible side effects included in every package makes it clear that in the course of dealing with one problem we might easily create a much worse situation.

Many of the side-effects are obvious and very common, such as nausea, vomiting, allergic reactions, drowsiness, insomnia, heart problems and dependence, but other less immediate effects can be far more serious. For example, a drug which is prescribed for menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes has been linked with cancer, stroke, heart attacks, blood clots and dementia. To make matters worse it can often take many years before all the dangers of a drug become clear, and side-effects can vary greatly from person to person.

Frequently, pharmaceutical drugs are prescribed with a view to prevention, for example a large percentage of the population take statins to lower their cholesterol, as this is considered to reduce the risk of heart disease. However, cholesterol is a vital component of every cell in the body. How far can it be lowered without serious consequences? Similarly, warfarin is prescribed to prevent blood clots. How far is it safe to thin the blood without the risk of bleeding to death after an injury?

The Ayurvedic concept of prevention is a very different one. Ayurvedic medicines all have multiple effects, but only in the beneficial sense. For example, a medicine might be given to clean the arteries which at the same time will be effective in relaxing the heart muscles. But Ayurvedic treatment goes much further, taking the opportunity to cleanse the gut and the liver and to strengthen the immune system. It will even address such details as the health of the teeth and gums, to prevent premature aging.

Herein lies the essential difference between the Ayurvedic concept of prevention and the more conventional approach. Rather than dealing with one problem and in the process creating another, in the course of repairing one area it will improve others at the same time. The result is enhanced immunity –  and a complete absence of side-effects.

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