Preventive medicine, as the name suggests, implies doing something to prevent the disease. Early detection has been taken on well by the mainstream medical community. Men and women are recommended to have routine checkups, colonoscopies, and mammograms as a means of detecting cancer in the early stage. While this does not lead to the treatment of the disease, early detection helps for better treatment.
Ayurveda is a branch of science that helps produce harmony and balance in our lives. According to Ayurveda, if there is harmony, there is health; where there is disharmony, there are diseases. The term harmony here means to create a harmonious relationship with our surrounding environment through our five senses. Exposing ourselves to harmonious sights (beauty and colors), tastes (foods and herbs), smells (aromatherapy), touch (massage and oils), and sounds (music and mantra).
Exposure to such harmonious environments creates harmony in our bodies. This state of harmony within ourselves helps us to prevent diseases. Listening to disharmonious music, eating improper foods, etc can cause disharmony which leads to direct physical stress. A weakened body cannot handle continuous stress and this leads to diseases.
For disease prevention, Ayurveda teaches us to live a healthy lifestyle designed to be harmonious with our own unique nature. Reducing the effects of stress, early detection, and purifying our bodies are important steps to keep ourselves healthy and free from diseases.
