In order to live a healthy life, the sates of different natural elements in the individuals should be well functioning and balanced. By natural elements we mean Doshas, Dhatus, Agni and Mala. Therefore, the Ayurvedic treatments give emphasis to identify these doshas before proceeding with the treatment.
The different schemes of diagnosis in Ayurveda are
- Pulse Diagnosis
- Tongue Diagnosis
- Facial Diagnosis
- Nail Diagnosis
- Lip Diagnosis
- Eye Diagnosis
Pulse Diagnosis
A skilled practitioner can determine the imbalance in the mind-body constitution, as well as the imbalance in the tri-doshas and Dhatus from the pulses of the patient.
This is done with the help of index, middle and ring fingers. These three fingers help to identify three types of doshas- Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Ayurveda identifies three of them as snake, swan and frog pulses.
Tongue Diagnosis
Diagnosis is done by checking the size, shape and color of the tongue. For example, a pale tongue represents an anemic condition, while a yellowish color indicates a possible liver disorder. Different areas of the tongue can be associated with different areas of the body, and there by the practitioner identifies the affected body organs.
Facial Diagnosis
Lines and wrinkles on your face can help a lot in identifying various disorders related to mind and body. Deep rooted worries can cause wrinkles on the forehead. The three different doshas are identified from observing the characteristics of the nose.
Nail Diagnosis
The doshas can be determined from the diagnosis of nail.
- Dry and rough nails – dominance of vata constitution
- Soft and tender nail – pitta constitution
- Thick, strong and shiny – kapha constitution
Lip Diagnosis
By examining the color and nature of the lips, the practitioner can derive different conclusions of the patients’ condition. Some examples are here.
- Pale lips – anemia
- Yellow lips – symptom of Jaundice
- Blue lips – indication of heart problems
Eye Diagnosis
The three doshas are identified by examining the eye. The appearance and nature of the eye varies from person to person.
- Small in sizes, drooping eyelids and dry lashes- dominance of vata constitution
- Moderate in size, sharp, sensitive to light and lashes are oily – dominance of pitta constitution
- Large, beautiful, moist eyes with long, thick and oily lashes – dominance of kapha constitution.
