through ayurveda

Understanding infectivity and its prevention

It is a general idea that Ayurveda can’t be used in pandemics, and there is no description of epidemics in Ayurveda. This belief is baseless; the ancient scholar Charaka described that the mass extinction of can occur due to pandemic (common disease occurring in a person with a different constitution - genetic makeup in the same period), use of weapons of mass destructions, biological weapons, and abhishap (curse). The microbial disease occurs due to infections and contact. The spread of infection may occur due to direct contact or through air, water and vector. The disease is the result of successful parasitism, i.e. mere presence of microbe is not the infection or infectious disease, but the disease is the result of certain events that take place within the body, and that leads to disease. The chain of events includes invasion of microbe into body, body inflammation response, the release of toxins, and this change leads to characteristic presentation of illness. An Ayurved physician would also consider these changes for understanding and managing microbial illness as Ayurveda believes in individualised medical care.

Sushruta (father of surgery) opined that skin diseases, pyrexia & infections, tuberculosis, conjunctivitis, etc., can spread through direct contact. The spread of infection happens due to direct physical contact like skin to skin contact, droplet spread in close proximity, eating together, sleeping together, sexual contact, sharing bed, ornaments and cosmetics. Acharya Charaka narrates that the pandemic occurs due to four factors viz. Vayu (airborne), Udak (water), Desha (area - vectorborne) and Kala (virulence). The details of these factors are as follows:

1 Vayu -

vitiated Vayu, i.e. air, is the first factor that brings about Janapadodwansa, i.e. epidemics. Vayu not good in quality is responsible for pandemics and major health problems. Acharya Charaka narrates that when air gets polluted, changed movements of air (increased wind blow, circulating winds, and no wind movements), excessive dryness in the air, increased temperature, increased coldness, and other changes in qualities lead to Janapadodhwansha. Vitiation in air quality is the cause of disease that may be infectious, pollution problems, etc. It includes an airborne spread of infection, including droplets. The dust, pollutants, and microbe lead to changes in the quality of air; these changes lead to diseases.

2 Udak -

udak means water, i.e. the diseases that occur due to the use of contaminated water. Charaka Samhita narrates that water is considered as contamination if water has bad order, different types of colours, bad tastes, excessive viscus, pollution by biological impurities, chemical impurities, physical changes that may bring diseases. This also includes the transmission of disease by the faecal-oral route and food-water contamination.

3 Desha -

Desha is the third factor for pandemic and mass extinctions. This factor involves soil pollution and vector-borne disease. When the animals and insect growth is excess in any area, they lead to the spread of disease. The disease that spreads through biological agents is known as vector communicable diseases, viz. malaria, dengue, etc. Charaka Samhita narrates that Desha (area) with the following characteristics may lead to mass extinction and pandemics viz. area with unpleasant and foul smell, texture, colour, excessive humidity, excessive growth of reptiles, dogs, insects, flies, mosquito, etc.

4 Kala -

Kala refer to time or season. This factor is not given importance in the conventional modern medical system. Time is considered the most important factor that favours parasitism. This is considered as the effect of the season on the human body, i.e. circadian rhythm and virulence rhythm in the case of microbes. It has been observed certain disease runs with the season; virulence of the organism changes as per season, and hence the pandemic is observed during specific seasons. Viral disease has been observed in certain months only; for instance, an influenza pandemic is observed in the winter season (Dec to Feb) in the northern hemisphere and the rainy season in the southern hemisphere. In India, the pandemic periods of influenza is observed in two seasons, i.e. autumn and spring. This knowledge of pandemics was known for ages, and certain preventive measures were incorporated as religious or routine practices.