Tag: Ayurvedic Correlation of Kidney Disorders

How To Avoid Kidney Transplant With Ayurveda

Abstract

Kidneys are the two bean-shaped organs lying on each side of the spine just below the rib cage and behind your belly. Each kidney is about 4-5 inches in length with a million tiny filters called nephrons. Kidneys are drainage organs of your system and its main function of the kidneys are to filter and excrete the waste minerals and free fluid from the body in the form of urine and keeps the fluid and electrolyte balance in the body. This is an alarming increase of chronic kidney disorders that is enhanced due to the rising rate of the disturbance in life-style and it also raises the life-expectancy of disease. In this article we are going to discuss kidney diseases and their management through Ayurvedic herbs to avoid kidney transplantation.

How To Avoid Kidney Transplant With Ayurveda

Introduction

In renal diseases, kidney transplantation is recommended for those who have serious illness related to kidneys or dysfunctioning of kidneys or it may result in dialysis. A kidney transplant is a surgical procedure performed to replace the chronically diseased kidney to the healthy kidney and this procedure differs from person to person. The kidney can be replaced by a living donor or any deceased owner of the kidney. Transplantation can also be referred to as living transplantation when any family member or living donor donates one of their healthy kidneys. However, not all cases need to be transplanted, but just consult your physician to guide you properly for this procedure. Some of the major renal diseases that may result in kidney transplantation like –

  • Congenital renal obstructive disorders that may result in nephrotic diseases like hydronephrosis, obstruction of ureteropelvic junction, vesicoureteral reflux, congenital nephrotic syndrome etc.
  • When kidneys are not able to filter the wastage, or harmful substances that start to accumulate into the body, that condition can raise the blood pressure and may lead to kidney diseases or even failure. Here, is the condition where kidneys are 90% damaged and not functioning properly. Some popular conditions that may lead to this condition is Diabetes, uncontrolled blood pressure, polycystic kidney anomalies, chronic glomerulonephritis.

Complications of Kidney Transplantation

People who are suffering from these conditions like kidney failure choose the dialysis or kidney transplantation for their better quality of life. But they may experience other complications of the procedure like-

  • Bleeding disorders
  • Blockage or leaking of ureters
  • Prone to get infections
  • Rejection of kidney transplantation from the body.
  • Infection or cancer can be developed from kidney transplantation.
  • This procedure can also land into heart attack, stroke or death.

Kidney transplantation can manage the advanced kidney disorders or failure of kidneys but the surgery is not the perfect management of the disease. Some renal illnesses may flare-up after the surgical procedure also, the major complication of this procedure is rejection of the transplanted kidney. Patients who are suffering from these end-stage renal diseases need to expel out all the waste material from the bloodstream that may be done by dialysis or kidney transplantation but in Ayurveda Chronic kidney illnesses can be managed by knowing its leading cause that can be diabetes, high blood pressure and other renal diseases. Chronic kidney diseases are correlated by mutravikara upadrava or prameha upadrava is primarily aggravated by Vata dosha vitiation. This condition can be treated by Basti therapy that helps to cleanse the accumulated dosha in our urinary tract disorders. This therapy is used as the detoxification process and helps to expel out all the vitiated dosha from the body. Ayurveda helps by recommending a proper Ahar (nutritional diet) and a proper Vihar (lifestyle changes) to manage the condition that helps effectively. Some miraculous herbs are also recommended for these patients to get wonderful results.

Diet Indications

  • Low protein and low sodium diet is prescribed for kidney patients.
  • Avoid eating high protein food, citrus fruits, junk food, preserved foods, caffeine or alcohol.
  • The patients with chronic kidney diseases are contraindicated to eating white refined flour, tomato, garlic, frozen vegetables, and raw salads.
  • Eat split lentils like yellow lentils, orange lentils, split pigeon peas, split chickpeas, green gram.
  • Avoid whole milk products like cream, curd, full-fat yoghurts, cheese, butter etc.
  • Avoid red chillies or green chillies or excessive salt from the food.

Lifestyle Tips for the Kidney Patients

  • Walk for at least 30 minutes per day.
  • Regular exercise or daily meditation should be recommended to stay active.
  • Achieving a healthy weight, helps to lower the blood pressure or blood sugar level to stop the progression of kidney failures.
  • Try to do healthy yoga, cycling, walking, jogging or anything else that is prescribed by your physician.
  • Quit smoking, alcohol consumption, that leads to decrease the blood flow to the major organs like kidneys or liver etc.

Some Wonderful Herbs

Above mentioned herbs are very helpful in relieving the symptoms related to chronic kidney diseases and supports the improvisation in kidney functioning. Varun, punarnava, gokshur, kasni, bhumi amla, shirish, shigru, apamarg are the basic herbs that are indicated in the treatment of chronic kidney diseases and may help to avoid the dialysis condition or kidney transplantation. Some of these are –

  1. Varun (Crataeva nurvala)
    • This wonderful herb helps to manage kidney diseases. It is an excellent herb to give relief from kidney failure, and helps to improve the functions of kidneys.
    • It relieves the excessive fluid accumulation or swelling that are shown due to kidney failure.
  2. Gokshur (Tribulus terrestris)
    • It is used as a stamina enhancing herb and also used to clear out the obstructions from the urinary tract and gives strength.
    • It helps in regeneration of kidney cells and also helps in avoiding dialysis or kidney transplantation.
  3. Bhumi amla (Phyllanthus niruri)
    • This herb helps to manage the painful conditions related to kidneys.
    • It has a diuretic effect so that it can excrete excessive fluid from the body.
    • This herb not only helps to manage the kidney function but can give efficient results in liver diseases also.
  4. Punarnava (Boerhavia diffusa)
    • Punarnava as the name indicated it can regenerate the damaged cells.
    • It helps to decrease the increased level of urea and creatinine, chronic and acute renal failure, diabetic nephropathies, nephrotic syndromes.
  5. Kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata)
    • Kalmegh helps to manage kidney disorders or is very beneficial in excreting out the accumulated toxins from the body.
    • It helps in relieving the pain and recurrent retention of urine due to its hot potency and helps to pacify the kapha and vata dosha.

Conclusion

Kidney disorders are called Vrikka roga that are caused by mutra vaha srotas dushti. Vata dosha is predominantly associated in this condition and kapha dosha is responsible for blockage of mutra vaha srotas. In allopathy medication, in the chronic renal diseases, the surgery kidney transplantation is recommended. But in Ayurveda we can help with various herbs like bhumi amla, varun, kasni, kalmegh, punarnava which helps to maintain the good health of kidneys and gives relief from the chronically ill conditions of the kidneys.

Seven Lifestyle Changes You Need to Make To Prevent Kidney Disorders

Kidney Disorders

Abstract

The term kidney disorders are very vast and vague in actuality. As there are numerous kidney dysfunctioning related ailments such as dysuria, polyuria, nephrotic syndrome etc. As per ayurveda each and every malady arises due to an imbalance between the tridosha (three essential energies of our body vata, pitta and kapha). If we follow the ideal principles of dinacharya (daily regime) and ritucharya (seasonal regime) of ayurveda we can surely prevent ourselves from kidney disorders as well.

Kidney Disorders

Introduction

According to ayurveda, kidneys are known as “vrikk”. They are the bean shaped structure located on the both right and left side of the abdomen in the retroperitoneal space slightly toward the back. They are the main organ of the renal system of our body and play a major role in excretion of waste products and formation of urine. Each kidney contains numerous nephrons (cells); they are the structural and functional unit of the renal system. if there is formation of an abnormality in kidneys, it will lead to the generation of various disorders known as “kidney related disorders”.

Ayurvedic Correlation of Kidney Disorders

  • According to our ancient classical text kidney disorders come under the “mutra vaha srotas vyadhi” (channels carrying urine).
  • It means there is malfunctioning in the working of the complete renal system of our body that includes both the kidney, ureter (a pair of tubes that carry urine from kidneys to the urinary bladder), urinary bladder (a hollow muscular organ that stores the urine until we excrete it out by urination) and urethra (it is a fibromuscular tube that starts from the lower border of bladder and extend toward the outside of the body, it helps in excretion of urine from the body)

General Description of Mutra Vaha Srotas

According to our ancient classical text- there are numerous sarotas (channels) in our body that play a major role in normal functioning of our body, one such important srotas is “mutra vaha srotas” so let’s start discussing about that in detail by going through our textual references.

Ancient Reference

This verse states that-The main seat of mutra vaha srotas are- basti (urinary bladder) and vankshan (pelvic region)

Etiological Factors that Lead to Formation of an Ailment in Mutravaha Srotas

Etiological factors mean “nidan” (causes) as per ayurveda, and they are the factors that lead to generation of disorders within the body. The below mentioned verse explains the classical reference of nidan as per our ancient acharyas.

Ancient Reference

It states that

  • Mutrit udak bhakshya stri sevnaat mutra nigrhat (use of water, food and coitus during the urge of micturition)
  • Ksheen abhi kshatasya (particularly in those individuals who are emaciated and wounded)

Symptoms of Kidney Disorders (Mutra Vaha Sarotas Vyadhi)

According to Ayurveda the common symptoms (complaints of a patient) are explained in the below mentioned verse by acharya charaka.

Ancient Reference

  • Excessive excretion of urine.
  • Obstruction or suppression of the natural urge of urination.
  • Excretion of vitiated, diminished and thick urine.
  • Painful micturition.

Other Symptoms are

  • Acute pain in the lower abdomen.
  • Increased frequency or decreased quantity of urine
  • Burning micturition
  • Darkness in front of eyes
  • Heaviness in the bladder.
  • Flatulence
  • indigestion

How Ayurveda Helps You in Dealing with Kidney Disorders

As Ayurveda is not just the science of medicines it also tells us about the ideal way to live life in such a manner that it prevents us from various disorders. Ayurveda believes in a principle mentioned in below listed shaloka:

Ancient Reference

(Sushrut. Sutra 15/48)

It states that when a person has balanced amount of tridosha (vata, pitta & kapha (essential energies of our body), agni (digestive fire within our body), dhatu (supporting unit of our body), mal (waste material within the body) and a happy atma (soul), indriya (body senses), mann (mind & heart) is considered as a healthy person.

  • To achieve the goals mentioned in the above paragraph we need to follow the ideal routine of ritucharya (seasonal regime) and dincharya (daily regime) mentioned by our ancient acharya over thousands of years ago.

Lifestyle Changes You Need to Make to Prevent Yourself from Kidney Disorders

As kidney disorders are usually inflammatory in origin, it means there is involvement of vitiated pitta dosha in it. Pitta dosha is considered to be the main reason to produce various symptoms such as burning sensation, irritation etc. It is also a prime factor to control digestion because of its ushan (hot potency)], metabolism and certain essential hormones that are necessary to increase your appetite.

So, to prevent kidney disorder our main focus is to lower the level of pacified pitta dosha in our body, for this we need to follow the below listed lifestyle changes:

1. Drink Proper Amount of Water

Problem of urinary tract infection and dysuria occurs due to decreased water intake, so it is very necessary to maintain your consumption of water up to 3-4 liters per day.

Even in urinary lithiasis increased water intake will also help you in excreting out the renal stone with the pressure of urine and that will happen when you consume water in excess amount.

2. Kulath Dal (Horse Gram)

It is considered as best “ashmari nasahak” as per ayurveda so it will work very effectively in patients suffering from the problem of kidney stones.

3. Add, Moong Dal in Your Diet

Moong dal is known as “mudag” and is the best among all the pulses, because it is laghu (light weight) in digestion so will helps in various digestive issues such as indigestion, constipation, bloating etc.

  • If your body digestion power is good, it means you will not suffer from any renal disorders. According to Ayurveda every ailment in the body arises from the unhealthy digestion of the food we intake.

4. Increase Intake of Fruits Such as Apple, Pears and Papaya

As these fruits are rich in antioxidants that will helps in reducing the amount of harmful free radicals, enrich with vitamin A, C and K so they help in excreting out the harmful toxins out from the body via renal filtration, so aid in preventing renal disorders.

5. Avoid Carbonated Drinks Such as Cold Drinks and Alcohol

As they are filled up with harmful a chemical that has bad impact on the functioning of renal system, excessive intake of alcohol ultimately leads to condition such as renal failure, so it’s better to keep yourself away from excessive use of alcohol and other carbonated drinks.

6. Enhance Use of Olive Oil

As it is enriching in healthy fats and is free from phosphorus, so it will help you in preventing growth of atherosclerosis (narrowing of lumen of blood vessels due to fat accumulation over it) and it is a prime culprit that will generate various circulatory problems that ultimately leads to renal impairment.

7. You Can Also Include Certain Classical Herbs in Your Daily Regime

These herbs will help you in enhancing disease combating power of your body as they are rich in antioxidants and essential nutrients that will help you in raising immunity power. If your immunity is strong means you will not suffer from any renal ailment (kidney disorders).

It Includes:

  • Amalaki (Emblica officinalis) – start consuming amla juice daily early in the morning.
  • Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) – Giloy is a very good immuno modulator herb that possesses rasayana property (means it rejuvenates the body) so it assists you very well in preventing kidney disorders.

Conclusion

Now we can conclude that if we follow an ideal dietary regime and engage in fitness activities such as yoga and pranayama we can surely prevent ourselves from kidney disorders. Ayurveda teaches us about the perfect way to live our life by its basic principle of tridosha theory (three essential energies of our body). If you want to learn about this in detail, watch the blogs of Dr. Vikram Chauhan from planet ayurveda, as they focus on awaring the society about ayurveda and its ultimate benefits. You can contact us through our official email www.planet ayurveda.com.