Causes and stages of Disease

Causes of Disease :
Ayurveda describes three main causes of disease – 'overuse', 'disuse' or 'misuse’ of faculties; 'errors in judgement'; and influence of seasonal changes. According to Ayurveda all human diseases can be classified into the seven broad categories, namely:

 

1. Genetic (Adibalapravritta)

Consists of ailments as obstinate skin diseases, hemorrhoids, diabetes, tuberculosis and asthma that arise primarily due to defects in the sperm (sukra) of the father – when it is called pitrija or the ovum (sonita) of the mother – when it is termed matrja.
Undigested food, abnormal behavior, addiction of any type and stressful situations affect the reproductive elements of both the male and female, resulting in a defective foetus.

2. Congenital (Janmabalapravritta)

Caused essentially due to nutritional disorder (rasakrita) and unfulfilled cravings of the mother during pregnancy (dauhrdya)
If diet and / or conduct of the mother aggravates vata, the foetus might end up with deformities as kyphosis (hunchback), blindness and dwarfism; increased pitta may cause alopecia and yellowish pigmentation of skin; and enhanced kapha might result in albinism.

3. Constitutional (Doshabalapravritta)

Arise out of any dietary or behavioral disturbance brought about by an imbalance in any one of the three vital physical energies (Tridoshas) or the three vital mental energies (Trigunas).
Thus constitutional disorders are of two types: somatic (Sharirika) & psychic (Manasika).

4. Traumatic (Sanghatabalapravritta)

Undergoing any trauma causing experience – external or internal – leads to this.
External trauma is induced by injuries inflicted by sharp instruments and bites of animals or venomous insects.
Stress and overstrain lead to internal trauma.

5. Seasonal (Klabalapravritta)

Brought about by changes in the nuances of seasonally.
Sometimes the body fails to adjust itself to the sudden and abnormal climatic changes – extreme cold might lead to frostbite and rheumatic disease. While extreme heat may cause sunstroke or fever.

6. Infectious and Spiritual (Daivabalapravritta)

Either born out of natural calamities as lightning, earthquakes, floods and the invisible, malignant forces of nature.
Or contacted through sexual & physical intimacy and sharing of food, plates, bed, clothes, towels and cosmetics with effected friends & relatives.
Or as a result of sheer jealousy.

7. Natural (Swabhavbalapravritta)

Hunger, thirst, sleep, death or senility strikes even the healthiest of people.
Brought about by functional, organic and natural changes in the body.

Diagnosis Process

The imbalance of doshas and the course they follow to cause disease is termed samprapti or pathogenesis. Since diseases develop in distinct stages, a good knowledge of those helps in early recognition of disease. Ayurveda thus elaborates a six stage process for diagnosis called Kriya (action) Kal (time). The first 4 stages being unique to Ayurveda in that they permit recognition and elimination of the disease before it ventures into differentiated clinical symptoms.
One who knows the various stages of pathogenesis accumulation (sanchaya), provocation (prakopa) spread or migration (prasara), deposition or augmentation (sthana samshaya), manifestation (vyakti) and the differentiation (bheda) is entitled to be a physician.

Stages of disease:

Stage One: Accumulation (Sanchaya)

Weak digestive power and excess of dosha is responsible for such a condition.
Here toxins (ama) produced by improper digestion collects in the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract.
Toxins resulting from a kapha imbalance accumulate in the stomach, those associated with a pitta imbalance collects in the small intestine, and that related to vata malfunction amasses in the colon.
Due to the presence of one of these toxins, mild and ill-defined symptoms may show.
We should recognise and eliminate the cause instead of ignoring or suppressing it.
Causes aversion to similar things and attraction for contraries.

Stage Two: Aggravation (Prokapa)

The accumulated, stagnant doshas are now `excited’ by factors as ahara, vihara & seasons.
The toxins amass in such degree to get provoked in the site of production in the GI tract.

Stage Three: Spread (Prasara)

In this stage, the toxins accumulated in the GI tract start overflowing.
Generally, up to this stage the damage is entirely reversible and restoration of doshic balance can be achieved with proper measures. Or there may be spontaneous prashama (remission) influenced by seasonal changes. Thus there is sanchaya of pitta in rainy season, prakopa in fall and prasara in early winter. Based on degree of excitation, it might even passed the stages of prashama or prasara.

Stage Four: Agumentation (Sthana Samshraya)

Overflowing toxins migrate, entering and taking refuge in localised, weak or defective dhatus thereby leading to malfunction and structural damage.
It is from here that specific degenerating disease and susceptibilities to serious infections begin.

Stage Five: Symptom Manifestation (Vyakti)

Differentiated symptoms first begin to appear from the location.
Manifested symptoms being used by modem medicine for classification & diagnosis of disease.

Stage Six: Complications/Differentiation (Bheda)

The disease having taken years or even decades to reach this final stage, becomes chronic.
Offers detailed understanding of the group of symptoms thereby making clear nature of disease.
Might act as predisposing factors for the spread of other diseases