Herbal Remedies For Nephrotic Syndrome
Abstract
Nowadays nephrotic syndrome has become the most common disease worldwide. This kidney condition most commonly begins in infancy and typically leads to kidney failure. But there are many patients in their early 40’s of age who have kidney syndrome. This is a slow life threatening condition. Patients who are suffering from congenital Nephrotic Syndrome start showing symptoms between births to 3 months. There is no permanent treatment of nephrotic syndrome in modern science. This disease is well managed by Ayurvedic principles. So in this article, we are going to discuss this syndrome and its Ayurvedic aspect and its herbal remedies in detail.
Introduction
Nephrotic syndrome is a condition in which kidneys pass too much protein in the urine. This syndrome is a collection of symptoms like protein in the urine, low blood albumin levels, high blood cholesterol level and imbalance electrolytes. It also consists of peripheral edema. Patients who are suffering from this disease mostly present with edema and fatigue, without evidence of heart failure or severe liver disease. The initial diagnostic factor for this disease is heavy proteinuria and hypoalbuminemia. The patient’s history and selected diagnostic studies help to rule out the secondary causes that are diabetes mellitus, systemic lupus erythematosus, and medication adverse effects.
Ayurvedic Aspect of Nephrotic Syndrome
By seeing the symptoms of this disease, we can correlate this disease with Ikshuvalikarasmeha and Sandrameha which comes under Kaphaja prameha. This disease is caused due to excessive and prolonged consumption of new grains like basmati, hayanak, wheat, vankodo, naishadh, etc, the use of new legumes with ghee, intake of newly prepared alcohol, intake of new black eyed peas, excessive intake of meat of marshy and aquatic animals, rice flour, rice cooked with milk, raw curd, sugarcane prepared products, abstinence of physical activity, etc. This results in the vitiation of kapha dosha and causes excessively sweet, cold, slightly foamy, slimy juice and also when kept for the night it becomes thick in appearance.
Etiology/Causes
This disease is caused by the damage to the clusters of tiny blood vessels which is known as gloemruli in the kidneys. This damage is caused due to the following reasons
- Diabetic kidney disease
- Chronic high blood pressure
- Autoimmune disorder
- Amyloidosis
- Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis
Clinical Features/Signs and Symptoms
This syndrome is characterized by a large amount of protein in the urine. The sign and symptoms of nephrotic syndrome are
- Swelling around eyes and ankles and feet
- Foamy urine
- Weight gain
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Anemia
Risk Factors
Factors that can increase the risk of nephrotic syndrome are
- Some medical condition such as diabetes, hypertension, lupus, amyloidosis, etc
- Certain infections such as HIV, Hepatitis B, malaria etc
- Family history
Complications
If this disease is left untreated for longer period of time then the patient may experiences the following complications:
- High blood cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Poor nutrition
- High blood pressure
- Infections
- Kidney failure
- Impaired electrolytes balance
Diagnosis
Tests and procedures used to diagnose this disease include
- Urine Tests: A urine test or urinalysis can reveal abnormalities in the urine such as high amounts of protein in the urine.
- Blood Tests: Renal function tests should be done to check the levels of the protein albumin and often decrease the level of blood protein in the body. The loss of albumin is often associated with an increase of blood cholesterol and blood triglycerides in the body. The serum creatinine and urea nitrogen levels are also increased in this disease.
- Kidney Biopsy: It should also be done for further diagnosis
Ayurvedic Management of Nephrotic Syndrome
As per Ayurvedic aspect, the treatment protocol for nephrotic syndrome is to do shodhan chikitsa (detoxification therapy) along with shaman chikitsa (Palliative therapy). In shodhan chikitsa, the treatment of choice is uttar basti (medicated enema through urinary tract) followed by snehanpan (intake of medicated oil or ghee) and Sweden (Sudation therapy). In palliative therapy, there are some classical Ayurvedic formulations used such as chandrakala ras, shweta parpati, tarkeshwar ras, chandraprabha vati, vrikkashoolantak vati, gokshuradi guggul, varunadi vati, etc. These medicines help to rejuvenate the damaged kidney cells and also provide a soothing effect on the kidneys.
Herbal Remedies For Nephrotic Syndrome
Planet Ayurveda is a company that provides various herbal products for numerous diseases. This is a manufacturing company that manufactures various herbal products with the standardized extracts of potential herbs. This is an internationally certified company. The herbal products are 100% pure and vegetarian and also made under the guidance of expert Ayurvedic physicians. This company offers the following herbal products for nephrotic syndrome:
- Phyllanthus Niruri
- Mutrakrichantak Churna
- Chandanadi Vati
- Curcumin Capsules
Products Description
1. Phyllanthus Niruri
This is also known as Chanca piedra. This single herb formulation is very effective as a stone breaker and hepato-renal protective. The capsules are made from the standardized extracts of Bhumiamla (Phyllanthus niruri). It helps in the proper functioning of the liver and kidney functions. This herb rejuvenates the kidney cells and improves its functioning. This herb is also beneficial in diabetes, indigestion, skin problems, cough, cold and fever, etc.
Dosage: 1 capsule twice a day after meals with plain water.
2. Mutrakrichantak Churna
This is a very effective herbal formulation for kidney and bladder disorders. This formulation is safe and effective because it does not contain any kind of preservative and chemicals. This formulation is made from extracts of Varun (Crataeva nurvala), Punarnava (Boerhavia diffusa), Gokshura (Tribulus terrestris), Kaasni (Cichorium intybus), Bhumiamla (Phyllanthus niruri), Shirish (Albizialubbock), Shigru (Moringa oleifera), Apamarga (Achyranthes aspera). This powder provides relief from painful and inflammatory renal conditions. This is even beneficial in patients who are on dialysis and naturally lower down the increased urea and creatinine levels in the blood. This powder naturally decreases the proteinuria (protein in urine).
Dosage: 1 teaspoonful twice daily with lukewarm water after meals.
3. Chandanadi Vati
This is a classical Ayurvedic formulation. It is used in kidney disorders and also in all other pittaj disorders. This Ayurvedic formulation contains Shweta chandana (Santalum album), Amalaki (Emblica officinalis), Maricha (Piper nigrum), Daruharidra (Berberis aristata) and many more. These herbs are best for burning urination and diabetes. These herbs in this formulation cleanse the kidneys from the toxins and give relief from the symptoms of nephrotic syndrome. This product provides a cooling effect on the body.
Dosage: 1 tablet twice a day with plain water after meals.
4. Curcumin Capsules
This is a single herbal formulation. This capsule is made from the standardized extracts of Curcumin (Curcuma longa). This is the best herb to fight against various infections in the body as it has antiseptic properties. This herb purifies the blood and helps in clearing away the infections from the body. It also works as the best adjuvant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.
Dosage: 1 capsule twice a day after meals with plain water.
Conclusion
We concluded that Nephrotic syndrome is best managed by Ayurvedic remedies. In Allopathic science they treat this disease with steroids and steroids have their own drastic bad effects on the body. So it’s better to switch Ayurvedic treatment for better results without any side effects and complications. The herbal remedies of Planet Ayurveda naturally improve the proteinuria. For more enquiries you can visit www.planetayurveda.com