As we all know, from the last 20 years science has advanced rapidly. Every day there are new inventions and discoveries. From the first invention of the printing press to 3D printing we came to see a lot and much more has to come. Science has improved quality of life at many different levels, starting from daily routine matters of human life to world issues. The essence of how science and technology contributes our society is actually the creation of new knowledge, and then utilization of that knowledge which helps to boost the prosperity of human lives, and resolve the various issues facing by the society. In this journey of science, medicine has been one of the most important topics attraction attention of the people of all shades and opinion. Aspirin, the first synthetic medicine was introduced in 1897. After that many medicines were introduced in markets which changed the style of treatment. Even in this 21st century, there are some diseases too that can’t be cured but we really hope to see treatment coming for some critical ailments. Talking about the medicines, they have enabled doctors to cure many diseases and save lives. Nowadays, medicines come from different sources. Many were developed from substances which are found in nature, and even today many of them are extracted from plants while some medicines are made in labs by mixing together a number of chemicals which do affect our body both ways. Before these chemicals, human bodies were treated by Ayurvedic medicine. It was based on ancient writings that relied on the natural approach to physical and mental health. Ayurvedic medicine is accepted as one of the world’s oldest medical systems and it has remained one of India’s traditional health care systems. It was believed that there were no side effects of this medical system but we are pursuing allopathic system of medicine more vehemently and some of us don’t show interest in Ayurvedic system of medicine. Ayurvedic herbs and spices are also an important component. They’re thought to protect our body from disease and offer a variety of health benefits, including improved digestion and mental health.
Some of the Ayurvedic herbs believed have greater health benefits are; Ashwagandha, Boswellia, Triphala, Brahmi, Cumin, Turmeric, Licorice root, Gotu kola, Bitter melon, Caradamom and many more but we don’t show interest in all this and have adopted chemically made antibiotics, pain killers, antidepressants, anti-anxiety agents and many more. These medicines have changed our day to day lifestyle and most of it has effected us more when we don’t consult doctor and most of the people choose self medication. Every person thinks that he or she is a doctor but they know very little about the fact that there is a proper procedure to learn and understand the medicine, the manufacturing process and finally it’s prescription. Excessive use of chemically made painkillers are harmful and may cause nausea, drowsiness, dizziness, depression and may weaken the immune system. The constant use of painkillers also takes a heavy toll on the central nervous system. The effects of painkillers aren’t just isolated to the central nervous system and our body’s natural ability to relieve pain, either. In fact, painkiller addiction can have a ripple effect across our entire body parts. So we must not rely on painkillers and should go for physical exercise early in the morning so that our body is fit and can produce normal hormones for routine body function. Never forget Mahatma Gandhi once said, “It is health that is the real wealth, and not pieces of gold and silver”.
(The author is a student of Economic at Kashmir University. Views are his own)
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