History of Ayurveda in India

Ayurveda is a holistic system of medical science and is the oldest healing science which is almost 5000 years old. Ayurveda contains two Sanskrit words: Ayu which means life or lifespan and Veda meaning knowledge (The Science of Life). This system of medicine was shaped in the ancient lands of India. Hindu Vedas consider Ayurveda as a gift of Gods to mankind which was communicated to the saints and sages of India through deep meditation. Veda Vyasa, one of the greatest sages of India is considered to have written the Vedas for the first time. These Vedas have topics on health and the use of various herbs to cure the diseases.

The four main Vedas are Rig, Sama, Yajur and Atharva Veda (Ayurveda which means The Science of Life is a subsection of the Atharva Veda). In the beginning only Brahmins learnt the principle of healing and were considered as physicians. However, with time this changed and people from other castes also learned this art of healing and the specific term vaidya was brought into use for these practitioners.

Around 1500 B.C. the use of ayurveda increased for treating various diseases and it was divided into eight specific branches of medicine. In addition Atreya- the school of physicians and Dhanvantri- the school of surgeons originated. The Chinese, Tibetans, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Afghanistanis, and Persians came to India to learn ayurvedic principles of healing and treatment. Ayurvedic texts were translated in Arabic and these were used by physicians such as Avicenna and Razi Sempion, to establish Islamic medicine. Besides this, Ayurveda became popular in Europe as well and it formed the foundation of the European tradition in medicine. Paracelsus, the father of modem Western medicine (1600 AD) has also adopted from ayurveda (in the system of medicine that he practiced).

In the past few centuries ayurveda went through a period of decline in India (specifically during the period of British rule). During this period it became the second option for treatment used mostly by traditional spiritual practitioners and the poor. After independence, ayurveda started to gain importance again and several schools have been established since then.

 
Ayurveda is based on the fundamental principle that to prevent and treat illness, maintaining a balance in the body, mind, and consciousness through proper drinking, diet, and lifestyle, as well as herbal remedies, is essential. Even today ayurvedic medicine maintains its holistic approach to health and treatment of diseases. The branches of modern ayurveda include:

• Principles of preventive healthcare for the entire family (kulam svastyam kutumbakam).
• Treatment of addictions (sangakara chikitsa).
• Purification and rejuvenation treatments (panchakarma chikitsa).
• The ayurvedic approach to diet and weight loss (sthaulya chikitsa)
• Musculoskeletal system treatments (vatavyadhi chikitsa).
• Promotion of self-healing and resistance to disease (svabhaavoparamavaada).
• Male and female infertility (vajikarana).
• Beauty and cosmetic treatments for men and women (saundarya sadhana).

Since the mid 70’s the popularity of ayurveda has steadily increased in the developed nations (USA and Europe). In these countries it is included in the alternative and complementary therapies and is often used along with conventional (prescription) medications for treatment of chronic illness such as joint problems and skin problems. People from these developed countries have been coming to ayurvedic schools to learn its principles of healing and treatment.

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Scan spots womb cancer before symptoms show up

womb cancer in women months or even years before any symptoms show up has been developed.

The ultrasound scan can pick up the first signs of tumours in patients who feel perfectly healthy.

A study of 96 women found this method was 80 percent effective in picking up womb cancer before sufferers had any symptoms, such as bleeding, reports the journal Lancet Oncology.

Researchers say the test could soon be used for routine screening of women who are most at risk of developing the illness, according to the Daily Mail.

The specialist ultrasound test, developed by researchers at the University College, London, measures the womb’s thickness and generates an image of it, enabling specialists to look for tumours.

Ian Jacobs of the University College, who led the study, said: “In the future women most at risk, such as those who are obese, have had fewer children, or have high blood pressure, could be recommended for screening.”

Theoretically, if cancers are caught early sufferers have a far greater chance of survival as treatment can be given before tumours spread.

The researchers now want to carry out further studies on the test’s effectiveness. Womb cancer usually occurs after the menopause between the ages of 60 and 69.

There are about 6,000 new diagnoses of womb cancer every year in Britain, the majority among women in their 60s and the disease claims about 1,700 lives a year.

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Breast cancer among pregnant women on rise

Breast cancer rates among pregnant women are on the rise, warns an expert.

The diagnosis of the disease in expectant mothers leads to a terrible dilemma as the treatment can be devastating for the unborn child.

The chances of birth defects in children were higher amongst breast cancer patients regardless of what treatment they received, a team led by Sibylle Loibl of the German Breast Group found, reports the Telegraph.

The study looked at 313 pregnant women with breast cancer to see how their treatment affected the child, according to a statement of the German Breast Group.

Loibl said: “At the time we started the study in 2003, there was hardly any information on breast cancer therapy during pregnancy, but we felt there was a medical need for it.”

The seven year study looked at women aged between 23 and 47, with various types of cancer in different stages.

Of the women, 23 percent were in their first trimester, 42 percent in the second and 36 percent in the third. Various treatments including chemotherapy were used to treat them.

Two of the infants died shortly after birth, and 29 of the women did not continue the pregnancy. Premature babies were found to be more common among those who did not receive chemotherapy.

The children were found to be at higher risk of congenital problems than the usual population.

These findings were presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, in the US.

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Swine flu claims 10 victims in Britain

Swine flu, the H1N1 virus behind last year’s global pandemic has reared its head again this winter, claiming 10 lives in Britain, according to the Health Protection Agency (HPA).

Health officials have urged expectant mothers to vaccinate themselves as the virus is more risky for pregnant women than others. The latest vaccine offers protection against H1N1 and two other flu strains.

Apart from pregnant women, normal target groups, the over 65s, people with conditions such as diabetes and health workers have been urged to vaccinate themselves.

This amounts to more than 14 million people, of which pregnant women account for about 500,000 in Britain, reports the Telegraph.

The HPA said that the latest outbreak showed that the effects of flu are not to be underestimated but insisted overall levels were normal for this time of year.

Of 89 cases of flu tested by doctors during the past week, 18 turned out positive.

John Watson, flu expert at the HPA, said: “Flu vaccination offers the best protection for those at high risk from seasonal influenza.”

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Frequent sex makes neurotic newlyweds happy

People who are neurotic often find it hard to manage their relationships. But if neurotic newlyweds have frequent sex, their marital satisfaction is every bit as high as their less neurotic counterparts, a study says.

Neuroticism is the tendency to experience negative emotion. Such people get upset and irritated easily, have mood swings and worry frequently, reports the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.

People who score high in neuroticism are less satisfied in romance and relationships, and when they get married, they are more likely to divorce.

High levels of neuroticism are more strongly associated with bad marital outcomes than any other personality factor, said Michelle Russell and James McNulty of the University of Tennessee, study co-authors.

But sex in marriage seems to make people happy. Other research has shown that sexual interactions improved the couple’s mood the next day, according to a Tennessee statement.

Russell and McNulty wanted to know if frequent sexual activity would erase the negative effects of neuroticism.

They followed 72 newlywed couples over the first four years of their marriage. Both spouses reported – separately and privately – on their marital satisfaction and sexual frequency every six months.

On average, couples reported sexual intercourse about once a week during the first six months of marriage and about three times a month by the fourth year of marriage.

Couples were considered satisfied when they said that they “have a good marriage” and “my relationship with my partner makes me happy”.

Marital satisfaction was not associated with sexual frequency – neither at the start of the marriage, nor four years later.

But Russell and McNulty found one important exception. For spouses with high levels of neuroticism, frequent sexual intercourse improved their marital satisfaction.

The effect of frequent sexual activity was enough to completely wipe away the “happiness deficit” that neurotic spouses usually have.

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