6 Stages of Disease
- Sanchaya - accumulation
- Prakopa - aggravation
- Prasara - overflow
- Sthana Samsraya - relocation
- Vyakti - manifestation
- Bheda - diversification
- Hetu
- Linga
- Aushada
- Cause
- Signs & symptoms
- Remedies
Accumulation
First stage: Sanchaya
- doshas begin to increase in their respective locales
- causes include wrong diet, seasonal maladjustments, wrong lifestyle, psychological disturbance
Aggravation
Second stage: Prakopa
- Doshas continue to increase in respective sites bringing an increase in the symptoms there. The pressure of this accumulation brings about symptoms elsewhere.
Overflow
Third stage: prasara
- doshas enter plasma & blood, spreading out of G.I. tract. & invading organs & tissues
Relocation
Fourth stage: Sthana Samsraya
- doshas relocate in other sites of the body & begin to cause specific diseases
- generally Vata moves to the bones; Pitta moves to the blood; Kapha moves to the lymphatic system
Manifestation
Fifth stage: Vyakti
- doshas manifest specific symptom complexes as particular sites
- diseases are now identifiable
- treatment becomes difficult
Diversification
Sixth stage: Bheda
- doshas manifest their special characteristics at particular sites
Ama
Definition: raw, unripe, uncooked, immature
Qualities: Guru - large, bulky --> undigestible Aneka Varana - varied type Snigda - viscous Bahupicchila - smeary Tantumad - network of filaments (fiberous?) Durgandham - abnormal color Drava - liquid/fusing/quick motion
- 1st stage of disease; it causes blockages in the channels (srotorodha), mucus congestion, loss of strength, lack of movement, edema, low digestive fire, bloating, constipation, slippery pulse, lack of enthusiasm, stagnation in tissues
- the difference between ama and kapha is that ama causes srotorodha, which causes vata to reverse its flow and effects derrangements to the flow of dosha
- impairment of agni causes ama (instead of ojas) because food ferments; this is a degenerative cycle because ama causes low agni and vice versa
Doshas’ role in health & disease
Balanced/Diseased
- VPK are physiological factors when they are in balance & promoting health
- VPK are pathological factors when out of balance and causing disease
1.. SAMA/SWASTHA
- balanced doshas (VPK) & sattvic mind (balanced rajas-tamas)
- . ASWASTHA
- diseased
- VRUDDHI - increase
- state of increase leads to development of pathological manifestaton - KSHAYA - decrease
- state of decrease only has deficiency symptoms, no severe pathological disease
Measurements for Doshas, Dhatus, and Malas
- Pramanatah - Quantitative
- Gunatah - Qualitative
- Karmatah - Functional
Sama/Ama-visa & Nirama
With Ama & Without Ama
- Sama/Ama-visa occurs when aggravated doshas, dhatus, and malas mix with ama; translated as “poison toxins”; occurs after ama has been present for a long time
- Nirama - no ama, but dosha is aggravated
Disease origins
- SHARIRA
- i.e. body, soma, doshas - SATTVA
- i.e. mind, psychological, rajas-tamas
Samprapati
Pathogenesis, which includes the six phases of dosha activity:
- Sanchaya - accumulation
- Prakopa - provocation
- Prasara - spreading
- Sthana Samshraya - settling
- Vyakti - manifestation
- Bheda - complications/derangement/destruction
Vikruti
The study of imbalance
- Linga - clinical features/signs & symptoms
- Diagnostic tests
- Understanding Pathologies
- Aetiology - causes of disease (i.e. internal/external)
- Prodromal Symptoms - symptoms that happen before the disease; mild or strong?; happens when ama is associating with doshas
- If there is no vikruti, then it is called Arogya (non-disease) or Swastha (health)
Disease happens with these elements:
- Dosha (asamya - problem form of dosha, caused by ama)
- Dushya - weak dhatus
- Samorchana - binding
Ayurveda in a nutshell:
HETU LINGA AUSHADA
HETU = cause LINGA = signs & symptoms AUSHADA = remedies
Goals of Ayurveda
- Protection, promotion, & preservation of health
2. Alleviation/relief of disease
