The human body sustains vitality through a continuous process of disintegration and integration of each and every tissue in the body, coordinated and enabled by the doshas. The word dosha has a two-fold meaning: that which instigates proper function in proper conditions of life, and that which pollutes the tissues and disturbs the various functions of the various sub-systems of the body. With proper life style (physical, mental, spiritual), the instigation of the doshas ensures health. When lifestyle changes and is improper, the instigation changes- the balance of the system is lost leading to disease. The symptoms of health denote ease, pleasantness- mentally and physically. In disease, as the term itself denotes, the ease is lost and symptoms indicate unpleasantness, pain. Health is the natural state of the mind-body system, and Disease is its unnatural state.

The various kinds of tissues (dhathus), are replenished in the course of metabolism. The nutritional part is assimilated and the residue is left for elimination, through various channels of elimination. With faulty diet, lack of exercise etc. the system of metabolism - assimilation and elimination - is upset. If the metabolic waste is not properly eliminated, it accumulates in a putrified form, as toxins, in the various tissues and organs and channels. The balance of the doshas is upset resulting in disease.

Ayurveda also recognizes the role of external agents, that can cause disease in a person with lowered immunity.

The human body has various organs, each with specific functions and aspects. But, the system as a whole is the holistic effect of all the particular sub-systems, properly working in sync. In a disease state, a particular organ or sub-system is out of order and it disturbs cooperative functioning of all the organs and systems. By understanding and interpreting the symptoms expressed by a sub-system, you can actually understand the function/condition of the body and the path to curing the disease.

Thus, Ayurveda enables accurate diagnosis and effective intervention at the early stage of disease itself and not waiting, until the medical condition reaches a mature stage.