Drafted by Avanish Sharma
The dispute that which treatment methodology is better than others is not new. Recently, Yog guru Ramdev commented on allopathic medicines and allopathic practitioners commented on Ayurved vice versa so the controversy resurfaced again. Practitioners of different methodologies started demeaning one another. So we should have a look at all the scenarios and try to find out the way ahead.
Allopathy
It is the system of medical practice that aims to treat the disease by use of remedies having effects opposite to symptoms e.g. to treat acidity, drugs that moderate acid production is used.
Allopathy is considered a modern medicine system as it is based on more research and development. Life expectancy in the 19th century was around 30 years and now it has reached nearly 70 years. In this improvement, allopathic and modern techniques have contributed a lot. The combination of allopathic medicines and surgery have made it possible to do wonders in the field of medical science which was not possible earlier. It has to find the treatment of various diseases which were earlier responsible for mass death. It has contributed a lot by making effective vaccines for many diseases like rabies, polio, chickenpox, etc. . In COVID 19 pandemic era it has saved the lives of millions of people.
But allopathy has its limitation as patients undergoing treatment for one disease/disease may face side effects of that particular drug. It treats the disease partially means drugs are effective as long as the patient takes them. These medicines treat a part of the disease rather than eliminating the root cause of that disease. Sometimes it only suppresses the symptoms of disease rather than curing it which may be fatal in the long run. These drugs are costly and cause heavy out-of-pocket expenditure on patients (Though the use of generic medicines may be a good option). In COVID 19 pandemic, despite having no genuine treatment of the COVID 19 virus, Hospitals have managed to generate bills of lakhs of rupees in the name of COVID 19 treatment. A lot of drugs were administered to patients under emergency use authorization without giving required weightage on its side effects like HYDORXYCHLOROQUINE, PLASMA THERAPY, REMDESIVIR, STEROIDS, etc. Now the new problem of BLACK FUNGUS is being observed in patients who were undergoing treatment of COVID 19. Is it not the side effect of random and uncontrolled use of these types of medicines? The matter is still under investigation so it would not be appropriate to draw any conclusion.
Homeopathy
This medical practice work on the doctrine of “like cures like” which means that a substance that causes symptoms of a disease in healthy people can cure similar symptoms in sick people.
Homeopathy treats the individual as a whole by considering all symptoms as one and try to eliminate the root cause of that disease instead of the symptoms of a disease. Unlike other traditional and conventional medicines, it does not suppress the immune system. These medicines are not addictive and can be taken for a long time. These medicines are affordable and easy to take. These medicines have no known side effects. In COVID 19 pandemic these medicine has helped the people by boosting their immunity. The AYUSH ministry also suggested the use of ARSENIC ALBUM 30 as a common prescription in case of respiratory infections in day-to-day practice.
Treatment by this method usually takes a longer time than allopathy treatment. In emergency situations, it has limited scope. The effectiveness of homeopathy is not the same for all patients. It is required to follow dietary prescriptions also while taking these medicines.
Ayurved
The literal meaning of Ayurved is “science of life”. A human body is made up of PANCH BHOOT (five elements of nature) i.e. Agni (fire), Jal (water), Vayu (air), Prithvi (Earth). Ayurved groups these five elements into three principles and those are VAT, PITT, and KAPH. Ayurved represents a holistic approach to healing the body by balancing the VAT, PITT, and KAPH. It does not focus on symptoms only, but also on the causes of imbalance, which are responsible for the disease at first stance. It cures the disease by applying a combination of AAHAR (healthy diet )- VYAVHAR (healthy lifestyle)& Jadi Booti ( herbs).
Ayurved has been followed in the Indian subcontinent since ancient times. It uses natural remedies so these medicines do not have any chemicals in them. Anyone can afford its treatment as its major ingredients are available in the kitchen of households. Ayurved focuses on the holistic well-being of a person. It does not suppress the symptoms of a disease but eradicates the root cause. This treatment methodology is preventive and curative both in nature so following it keeps the person healthy and away from any type of ailments. AYUSH Ministry has suggested various preventive measures against COVID 19 like drinking lukewarm water frequently, use of spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, dry ginger, and gargle with warm water adding a pinch of salt, etc. Many other measures were also suggested to boost immunity by consuming haldi doodh (turmeric milk), Guduchi, herbal tea, chavanprash, etc.
Ayurvedic treatment takes a long time with a slow effect. There is a lack of qualified ayurvedic practitioners in the country. There is a lack of any defined dosage of medicine under this treatment means a lack of proper standardization of medicines. Though it is curing patients since ancient times, it requires proper research for wider acceptability.
All therapies have pros and cons of their own. It would not be appropriate to say which is better among all. Demeaning one another is not the symbol of a civilized and progressive society. The need of the time is to learn from best practices available of different treatment methodologies and find a way for cooperation and mutual growth. One simple rule can be followed while opting for a suitable treatment methodology-
“In an emergency, go for Allopathy,
If treatment is long, go for Homeopathy
If following Ayurved, ailments will stay away automatically”.
