The idea of maintaining the health led to the conclave where the concept of the science originated according to the historical narration. When Ashtangahridaya proclaims a derivation of the formulation of the science beyond natural or historical implementation “ Brahma Smrithwa Ayushorvedam……” the idea of Tibetan origin has the truthful claim for the 5000 years of existence. Ayrveda has been categorized as eight specialties according to the treatments for the different diseases to be treated.

Ayurveda, the 5000 year old holistic system of healing, has eight specialized branches that correspond roughly to eight branches of western medicine. Ayurvedic physicians or ‘vaidyas’ who are equally proficient in all the eight branches are known as ‘ashtavaidyas’, for ‘ashta’ means ‘eight’. Ayurveda or the science of life is rooted in Nature. Kerala in South India has traditionally been the source of a rich variety of medicinal plants and herbs, thanks to its abundant sunshine, rich soil and generous rainfall. As a result, Kerala has a long history of folk medicine that was practiced by healers from all levels of society. Between the 6th and 7th century, it is believed that Vagbhata, an Ayurvedic physician from Sind came to Kerala in quest of rare and valuable medicinal plants. His arrival triggered a new dynamic medical culture, and the traditional healers of Kerala adopted his work ‘Ashtangahrdayam as the foundation of their system of medicine. They continued to draw on regional folk and medical practices too, and with their deep knowledge of the eight branches of Ayurveda as described in the Ashtangahrdayam, these healers became the Ashtavaidyans of Kerala.

The Ayurveda is branched under the specialties under the title as Kayachikilsa, Kaumarabhrithya, Salyatanthra, Salakyathanthra, Bhoothavidya, Agadatanthra, Rasayanatanthra and Vajeekaranatanthra which deals with various diseases and is cure.

Kāyacikitsā: General medicine for the ailments of the body and its organs. Kaumāra-bhṛtya: The branch of science which cures the ailments of children, paediatrics. Śalyatantra: The treatments for the various complaints which has to be operated and opened to clear foreign objects. Śālākyatantra: Treatment of problems related to ears, eyes, nose, mouth, etc. Bhūtavidyā: Pacification of possessing spirits, and the people whose minds are affected by such possession Agadatantra: Toxicology Rasāyanasasthra: Rejuvenating medicinal formulations for longevity and the vitality and vigor. Vājeekaranam: The medicinal formulations or preparations which deals with the improvemen of sexual capacities of Men specifically.

Aneimia
SYMPTOMS:Weakness, dizziness and quick exhaustion. A haggard look, lined with premature wrinkles. Eyes stripped off its shine, mirroring fatigue. Failing memory. Shortness of breath and palpitation on exertion. Occasional disturbing headache. Slow healing of wounds Pale looking skin and mucus membranes.

Acne
SYMPTOMS:Blackheads, pimples, small superficial sebaceous cysts and scars affect your forehead, temples, cheeks, chin, chest, back and in rare cases the whole body.

Anxiety
SYMPTOMS: Inability to relax Headaches Sleeplessness Heart palpitations Feelings of tightness in chest Belching, nausea, occasional diarrhea Emotional instability Tendency to be irritable without an obvious cause Tendency to be cry without an obvious reason.

Alzheimers Disease
SYMPTOMS:Ayurveda terms Alzheimers disease as Ismriti nasha. It caused by the depletion of dhatus or tissue elements and upward movement of the excessively accumulated Vata or bio energies. In Alzheimers disease, the vata is severely provoked in the majja dhatu, the tissue layer which includes the central nervous system and all other tissues, which are contained within bone. The vata dries and thus degenerates the brain. In addition, the vata passes from the majja dhatu to the mano vaha srotas, or mind carrying channels,causing thought disorders such as paranoia and delusions as well as memory loss and confusion.

Bronchitis and Asthma
SYMPTOMS:During an attack of Bronchial Asthma you have to literally gasp for every breath – breathing out being more difficult than breathing in, since the air cannot be properly driven out of the lungs before you have to take another breath. For chronic patients these frequent attacks, specially in the night or early morning, are often preceded by nasal congestion and sneezing.

Backache
SYMPTOMS: Constant pain, at times unbearable and severe. Difficulty in bending forward and also on sideways. Aggravation of pain by least movement, jerk. Feeling as if entire area is sore and sensitive to even slight touch. Relief is felt by gentle massage. Incapacitation. Feeling as if the back muscles were bound and tightened by a blinder.

Premature Baldness
SYMPTOMS: Constant pain, at times unbearable and severe. Difficulty in bending forward and also on sideways. Aggravation of pain by least movement, jerk. Feeling as if entire area is sore and sensitive to even slight touch. Relief is felt by gentle massage. Incapacitation. Feeling as if the back muscles were bound and tightened by a blinder.

Common Cough and cold
SYMPTOMS:Due to vitiation of Kapha upper Respiratory tract is inflamed and congested. Sneezing, coughing, running nose, heaviness of head followed by inflammation of mucus membrane of nose, body aches, chill and loss of appetite. Allergens, Virus. Bacteria are the common causative factors of this disease. A cough may be caused by the inflammation of the larynx or the pharynx. and develop in the chest due to change in weather. The real cause of this disorder is clogging of the bronchial tubes with waste matters.. The reason for higher incident of cough during winter than other seasons due to intake of catarrh - forming foods such as white bread, meat, sugar, porridge, puddings, and pies .Hay fever, flu, sinusitis etc are the associated causes of this disease. According to Ayurveda Pratishyaya is classified in to VATAJ, PITTAJ, KAPHAJ and TRIDOSHAJ types. In Vataj type there is pain in sinus cavity with sneezing, pittaj type is with fever and in kaphaj type there are whitish secretion and dull headache.

Cystitis
SYMPTOMS:The patient complains of an almost continual urge to void and a burning sensation on passing urine. There may be feeling of pain in the pelvis and lower abdomen. The urine may become thick, dark and stringy. It may have an unpleasant smell and may contain blood or pus. Some pain in the lower back may also be felt in certain cases. In an acute stage, there may be rise in body temperature. In the chronic form of cystitis the symptoms are similar but generally less severe and longer lasting, and without a fever.

Chickenpox
SYMPTOMS:The patient complains of an almost continual urge to void and a burning sensation on passing urine. There may be feeling of pain in the pelvis and lower abdomen. The urine may become thick, dark and stringy. It may have an unpleasant smell and may contain blood or pus. Some pain in the lower back may also be felt in certain cases. In an acute stage, there may be rise in body temperature. In the chronic form of cystitis the symptoms are similar but generally less severe and longer lasting, and without a fever

Conjunctivitis
SYMPTOMS:Discomfort & foreign body sensation in the eyes Redness of the eyes Photophobia i.e. difficulty to tolerate light Sticking together of the lid margins due to profuse discharge.

Diabetes Mellitus
SYMPTOMS:Constant feeling of hunger and thirst. Weight loss Quick exhaustion. Drowsiness. Low sexual urge. Possible anaemia, constipation, itching around genital organs, palpitation. Slow healing of wounds.

Dysentery
SYMPTOMS:Abdominal pain, tenesmus (spasmodic contractions of anal or vesicle sphincter with pain and persistent desire to empty the bowel or bladder, with involuntary ineffectual straining efforts), diarrhea with passage of mucus or blood. More or less fever, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, and restless at night. Sometimes the abdomen is distended. Severe symptoms: Increasing fever, great thirst, red tongue, the abdomen may appear sunken in some cases, straining ceases, and the bowels become relaxed and may protrude. Passage of urine is infrequent and is accompanied by a burning sensation. The pulse becomes slow, breathing is rapid, and generally the patient looks pale and emaciated. Do not let this condition continue. See a doctor for the severe symptoms.

Dandruff
SYMPTOMS: When the hair is combed or brushed, or when the scalp is scratched, the scales from the scalp fall like snowflakes and settle on the eyebrows, shoulders and clothes. These scales sometimes appear as lumps or crusts on the scalp. Often there is itching as well and the scalp may become red from scratching.

Depression
SYMPTOMS:The most striking symptoms of depression are an acute sense of loss, inexplicable sadness, loss of energy, lack of interest in the world around and fatigue. A disturbed sleep is a frequent occurrence. Other symptoms of depression are loss of appetite, giddiness, itching, nausea, agitation, irritability, impotence or frigidity, constipation, aches and pains all over the body, lack of concentration, and indecisiveness. Cases of severe depression may be characterized by low body temperature, low blood pressure, and hot flushes and shivering.

Diarrhoea
SYMPTOMS:Ordinary Diarrhoea: Diarrhoea may occur due to the incapacity of the bowels to cope with fatty foods; ingestion of poisonous substances; certain harmful bacteria, as in cholera or typhoid fever;improper diet; ulceration of the intestines as in tuberculosis or some diseases of the liver, kidneys, lungs, or the heart. Diarrhoea may also be caused by sudden fright or shock due to the death of a beloved one, or worrying too much.Other Causes of diarrhoea inclued change of climate, as with mountaineers when they reach hights; change of season, as in Spring or Autumn; and change of diet to which a person is habituated. Home Remedies: In diarrhoea of ordinary intensity, preparations made of the various parts of the babul tree are useful. A mixture of equal parts of the tender leaves of the tree with white zeera and black zeera should be administered in doses of 12 gm each, thrice daily. An infusion made of the bark of the tree, comprising about a couple of ounces boiled in a pint of water, should be given thrice daily. Another useful remedy is to soak 3 gms of catechu, and 4 gm cinnamon for two hours in half a pint of boiling water, and to give the decoction in 10 ml doses, thrice a day. Infantile Diarrhoea: Infantile diarrhoea falls into a separate category. Contaminated milk or infection in the alimentary canal may cause diarrhoea in infants, and if an infant is breast feed, some of the digestive disorders of the mother may be transmitted to the child. Infantile diarrhoea may be accompanied by vomiting or gripping pain in the stomach. It is a common disorder at the time of teething.The child refuses milk, is giving to crying, and cannot sleep.Care should be taken in such a condition as continued diarrhoea may lead to dehydration. In some cases, infantile diarrhoea starts because the clild may be feeding the milk of a women who is pregnant.

Epilepsy
SYMPTOMS: In case of petit mal, there is momentary loss of consciousness with no convulsions except a slight rigidity. In this case, the attack stops within a few seconds. Grand mal, on the other hand, has a dramatic effect. Violent convulsions accompanied by a sudden loss of consciousness, twitching of the muscles, biting of the tongue, distorted fixation of limbs, rotation of the head and deviation of the eyes continues for much longer.

Eosinophilia
SYMPTOMS:Most common cause for eosinophilia are parasitic infections (such as hookworm, schistosomiasis), allergic conditions (such asthma and hey fever) and certain types of drug reactions. Few other rarer causes include: Lung diseases Due to inflammation of blood vessels Certain malignant tumors Due to certain types of antibody deficiencies Certain types of skin diseases Eosinophilia in children is more difficult to diagnose as the range of probable causes is much wider in this case compared to adults.

Fatigue
SYMPTOMS:Fatigue refers to a feeling of tiredness or weariness. It can be temporary or chronic. This condition can be remedied by adequate rest. Chronic or continuous fatigue is ,however, a serious problem which requires a comprehensive plan of treatment.

Fever
SYMPTOMS:Fatigue refers to a feeling of tiredness or weariness. It can be temporary or chronic. This condition can be remedied by adequate rest. Chronic or continuous fatigue is ,however, a serious problem which requires a comprehensive plan of treatment.

Female Sterility
SYMPTOMS:As you know, the union of sperm and ovum and the implantation of the foetus in the wall of the uterus leads to pregnancy. For its proper development, the foetus needs adequate and correct nourishment - provided through the mothers umbilical chord. The mother therefore should be free from disease during the entire period of pregnancy - through conception and gestation. Sterility in females is thus a result of either the impairment of the ovary, uterus, fallopian tubes, or hormones controlling the functions of these organs as well as diseases suffered by the would-be mother. Defects in the genital organs may be structural (organic) or functional. To correct the organic defects, surgical measures have to be taken. Functional defects of the organs, termed bandbyatva in Ayurveda and caused by the simultaneous aggravation of all the three doshas, can be successfully treated by Ayurvedic medicines

Flu
SYMPTOMS: Flu symptoms include: A 100oF or higher fever or feeling feverish (not everyone with the flu has a fever) A cough and/or sore throat A runny or stuffy nose Headaches and/or body aches Chills Fatigue Nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea (most common in children) Seek medical attention immediately if you experience any of the following: Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath Purple or blue discoloration of the lips Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen Sudden dizziness Confusion Severe or persistent vomiting Seizures Flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with fever and worse cough

Gout
SYMPTOMS:Pain in toe. Swelling. Nausea,flatulence or vague abdominal pain. Fever,Sweating, loss of appetite, constipation and highly colored and scanty urine are the common symptoms.

Dr. Abdul Sherif AM
Govt.Ayurveda Hospital, Chelakkara
Ph: 9495738832
Dr. V Aboobacker
Navajeen Aryavaidyasala, Karakkad, Guruvayur
Ph: 9746907070, 95678100
Dr. Agnes Cleetus
Medical Officer, GAD Ayyanthole, Thrissur
Ph: 9446329692
Dr. Ajayan U
Physician, Arya Vaidya Sala Kottakkal, Tirur Branch
Ph: 9447845299
Dr. Ajesh Gopinath
Kerala Pharamacy, Ayyanthole
Ph: 9447522155
Dr.Km Ajith Kumar
Karukayil Pharamacy, Chittilappilly
Ph: 9744778745
Dr.Ajitha S Menon
Mahoushahi Herbal Remedies, Avanoor, Thrissur
Ph: 9497623607
Dr. M A Ajitha
Nil
Ph: 9497312922
Dr. Akhila Asokan
PNNM Ayurveda College, Cheruthuruthy
Ph: 9447396663
Dr. Alice C V
Amala Ayurvedic Hospital & Research Center, Amala Nagar, Thrissur
Ph: 9048504655
Dr.K K Amibika
Nil
Ph: Nil
Dr. V B Ambika
Nil
Ph: Nil
Dr. Ambujakshy K
Nil
Ph: Nil
Dr. Ammini S
GAH Guruvayur, Thaikkad PO
Ph: 9947542188
Dr. Ammu BB
Nil
Ph: 9847870513
Dr.P K V Anand
Amala Ayurvedic Hospital & Research Center, Amala Nagar, Thrissur
Ph: 9048504655
Dr. Aneesh VR
Ayas Ayurveda Clinic, Puthukulam, Thalikulam
Ph: 8943235543
Dr. Aneeshya PK
Nil
Ph: 9947966296
Dr. Anil K
Asso. Prof. Vaidyarathnam Ayurveda College, Ollur
Ph: 9447553503