DIAGNOSIS IN AYURVEDA

Diagnosis is a very vital aspect of Ayurvedic treatment. Diagnosis is to find out the root cause of a
disease (Nidan). Unless the proper diagnosis is not done it is difficult to provide medicine and cure the
disease. It is not always necessary that the root cause is internal. Many times the causes may be
external. To give permanent relief the root cause of the disease has to be eliminated. Ayurveda thus
believes not only in the treatment of the physical aspect of the disease but completely eliminating the
disease. All causative factors of disease, whether internal or external, directly or indirectly create an
imbalance (increase or decrease) in these doshas first and only then do the symptoms of the disease
manifest.
The causative factors of diseases can be the food, life style or other activities. Factors affecting
your health could be your diet, life style or daily activities. In Ayurveda, the diagnosis and treatment of
disease is always individual to each patient. As Ayurveda treats according to the constitution of an
individual, it is known as a highly accurate and personalized method of analyzing diseases. All diseases
are caused by aggravation of the three doshas i.e. vata, pitta and kapha. The Nidan or the solution of the
disease is done in accordance with the doshas.

Diagnosis of Doshas
Vatta
There are various factors responsible for increasing vata:
• Excessive intake of food like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, sprouts, beans, dry fruits, mushrooms
and raw foods.
• Travelling too much by any means of transportation.
• Untimely sleeping hours or late nights
• Too much eating of junk food, frozen food and micro waved cooked
• Exposure to sound pollution
• Too much exposure to television and computers or any electric gadgets
• Indulging more in sexual activities
• Excessive physical labor like sports
• Taking too much medicinal, recreational and stimulating drugs.
Symptoms
Symptoms caused by excess of vata in the body are:
• Joint Pains
• Constipation
• Dry Skin
• Loss of Memory
• Palpitation insomnia
• Stiffness of muscles
• Weight Loss
• Migraine
• Vertigo
• Tremors

Pitta
There are various factors responsible for increasing vata:
• Drinking too much tea, coffee, alcohol and excessive smoking increase pitta in the body.
• Eating of hot and spicy food
• Too intake of chillies, tomatoes, egg plant, spinach, and onions.
• Exposure to sun and heat also increases pitta.
Symptoms:
Some of the symptoms caused by excess of pitta in the body are:
• Hyperacidity
• Skin diseases
• Burning sensation
• Fever
• Infections
• Ulcers And Liver disorders

Kapha
There are various factors responsible for increasing Kapha:
• Eating too much sugars, fats, oily and fried foods, ice creams, meats, dairy products and nuts
• Sleeping during day time and less of physical activities
Symptoms:
Some of the symptoms caused by excess of kapha in the body are
• Asthma
• Cough and cold
• Congestion in the chest
• Anorexia
• Obesity

Ayurveda Pareeksha
Ayurveda is a very logical science based on basic scientific principles. The science of Ayurveda doesn’t
only depend upon the symptoms as told by the patient rather it believes in a thorough examination to
find out the root cause of the ailment in the patients body.

Pratyaksha
Ayurveda is a very logical medical science based on the basic principles of body mechanism and organ
functioning. More than healing a particular disease through external means, it focuses more on
eliminating the root cause of the disturbances so that the body can regain its normal strength and
endurance to function properly.

Darshana
Darshana in Ayurveda means complete inspection of the body. It is a way of assessing the nature of the
disease through different tests and examination. It is derived from the first triad described in Trividh
Pariksha for the assessment of diseases. It is actually the first method of clinical assessment.

Anumana
Ayurveda is a very vast medical science. It has several prescribed to various complex ailments that do
not find solution in any other modern medical sciences. According to Ayurveda the fundamental cause
of diseases is imbalance of the three doshas - Vata, Pitta and kapha.

Sparshana
In Ayurveda, the diagnosis and treatment of disease is always based on the constitution of an individual
or on an individual basis. As such, it is known as a highly accurate and personalized method of
analyzing every kind of diseases. There are different stages of diagnosis of disease, in ayurveda.
AYURVEDIC DIET

Ayurvedic Diet : The science of Ayurveda teaches that to maintain our health it is important that the food
we eat nourishes our body and also restores the balance our doshas. Depending on our constitution, some
foods can be beneficial and others should be avoided.
Imbalances can be caused by a variety of situations, eating the wrong foods, stress, poor sleeping
habits, poor elimination, physical exhaustion and if not corrected, eventually lead to some form of
disease. To help prevent this it is important to try to maintain our doshas in a proper balance.
If we do find ourselves out of balance we can use our diet to increase or decrease the three doshas
until a balance is restored. Only a very small percentage of us are purely, vata, pitta, or kapha, most of us
have a proportion of all three; in most cases two doshas combine to determine our dominant traits both
physical and psychological.
The ability of our food to balance our doshas is determined by its taste; either salty, sour, sweet,
bitter, astringent, or pungent and its other qualities, either heavy, oily, cold, hot, light or dry.

The Six Tastes :

Bitter: The bitter taste is found in foods such as rhubarb, bitter melon, romaine lettuce, endive, chicory,
spinach, chard, kale, turmeric root and tonic water.
Pungent: The pungent taste is found in foods such as radish, chilli peppers, black pepper, cayenne, ginger,
and other hot-tasting spices.
Astringent: The astringent taste is found in foods such as parsley, cranberries, beans, lentils, pomegranate,
cabbage, apples and pears.
Salty: The salty taste is found in any food to which salt has been added also kelp and seaweed.
Sour: The sour taste is found in foods such as green grapes, lemons, limes, pickles, vinegar, yogurt, miso,
cheese, and plums.
Sweet: The sweet taste is found in foods such as sweet potatoes, table sugar, peaches, honey, rice,
melons, pasta, milk, carrots, beets, cream, butter, wheat and bread.

The Tastes And The Doshas

Bitter - The bitter taste decreases both kapha and pitta, but increases vata.
Pungent - The pungent taste decreases kapha, but increases pitta and vata
Astringent - The astringent taste decreases kapha and pitta, but increases vata.
Salty - The salty taste increases kapha and pitta, but decreases vata.
Sour - The sour taste increases kapha and pitta, but decreases vata.
Sweet - The sweet taste increases kapha, but decreases pitta and vata.

The Six Major Food Qualities

Heavy: Heavy foods include bread, pasta, cheese, and yogurt.
Light: Light foods include rye, barley, corn, spinach, lettuce, pears and apples.
Oily: Oily foods include dairy products, meat, fatty foods, and cooking oils.
Dry: Dry foods include beans, potatoes, barley, and corn.
Hot: The hot quality describes hot beverages and warm, cooked foods.
Cold: The cold quality describes cold beverages and raw foods.

Food Qualities And The Doshas

Heavy - The heavy quality decreases vata and pitta, but increases kapha.
Light - The light quality decreases kapha, but increases vata and pitta.
Dry - The dry quality decreases kapha, but increases vata and pitta.
Hot - The hot quality decreases vata and kapha, but increases pitta.
Cold - The cold quality decreases pitta, but increases kapha and vata.
When you select foods appropriate for your constitution, you can maintain or restore your proper
dosha balance. Keep these dietary and lifestyle suggestions in mind when trying to balance your
particular dosha.
To balance Vata:
Vata is governed by air and movement and people with vata constitution are characterized by swift
change and are easily thrown out of balance, if you have a vata dominant constitution you will benefit
from having a daily routine with consistent meal times and a regular sleeping pattern.
Vata types should eat plenty of heavy foods, such as hot cereal, whole cooked grains, hearty soups and
vegetables, stews, spicy foods in moderation are generally ok for vata types, breads and warm desserts,
and should drink lots of warm fluids (e.g. herbal tea). On the other hand, raw fruits and vegetables and
cold beverages should comprise only a small part of a Vata-balancing diet. Stimulants like smoking,
alcohol, junk food, sugar, tea especially long leaf teas and green tea will aggravate vata types.
To balance Pitta:
Pitta governs heat, metabolism and transformation when out of balance, people with a Pitta constitution
tend to work excessively. You can balance excess pitta with foods that are cool, dry and heavy. As a
result, it is important if you are pitta dominant to avoid over scheduling and to balance work and other
commitments with sufficient recreation and leisure. Don’t skip meals, and avoid overeating at meals.
Pitta types are well-suited to a vegetarian diet, and benefit a lot from eating fruits, raw vegetables and
cold drinks. You can also eat starchy vegetables, grains and beans, but should eliminate spicy and
overcooked foods. Stimulants like smoking, alcohol, coffee, pickles, vinegar, fried foods, spicy foods,
fermented foods and curds could aggravate pitta types.
To balance Kapha:
Kapha governs structure and fluid balance and when out of balance Kapha types can gain weight easily
and have difficulty getting rid of unwanted pounds, therefore regular exercise is important for
maintaining your ideal weight. If you have a kapha dominant constitution you should eat only when you
are hungry and should consider doing a 24-hour liquid fast as often as one time per week.
Kapha types should avoid ice cream, butter, milk, rich and sugary desserts, meat, and fried foods. You
should consume large amounts of raw vegetables, fruits and beans, and you may improve your digestion
by drinking hot ginger tea.

NB: Whatever your dominant dosha, the principles of ayurvedic nutrition state that you should eat fresh
unprocessed foods where ever possible.