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Friday 13 January 2012

Ayurvedic Herbal Treatment for Budd-Chiari Syndrome

Budd-Chiari syndrome is a rare liver disorder which occurs due to clotting of blood in the hepatic veins resulting from various causes.  This condition progressively causes mild to severe liver damage, with symptoms such as ascites, liver and spleen enlargement, pain in the area of the liver, nausea and vomiting, weight loss, hemoptysis, and edema of lower limbs.  Blood clots in the hepatic veins can result due to liver cancer, structural obstruction in the inferior vena cava, infections, liver trauma, phlebitis, the use of immune suppressive drugs and oral contraceptives, and blood disorders like myeloproliferative diseases, polycythemia, and sickle-cell disease.  The modern management of this condition involves the use of anti-clotting medication or surgery to remove the block in the veins.

The Ayurvedic management of Budd-Chiari syndrome involves the use of herbal medicines to remove the blood clots present in the hepatic veins.  Herbal medicines which have a known action on blood clots are used in high doses and for prolonged periods as the mainstay of treatment for this condition.  In addition, other Ayurvedic medicines which act on the liver and reduce the pathology within the liver are also used in the management of this condition.  It is also imperative to treat the known cause of the condition in order to obtain a complete remission of the symptoms.  Inflammation, infection, dysfunctional clotting of the blood, and obstruction to the flow of blood need to be treated specifically.  Blood clotting disorders need to be treated on a long-term basis in order to resolve this condition completely.  Medicines may also be required to remove accumulated fluid from the abdomen and lower limbs, as well as to treat nausea and vomiting and other symptoms like hemoptysis.

Depending upon the severity of the condition, most individuals affected with Budd-Chiari syndrome require Ayurvedic herbal treatment for periods ranging from 6 to 15 months in order to obtain a complete remission from the condition.  Aggressive and regular long-term treatment can help most individuals become free of this disease.  Ayurvedic herbal treatment thus has a significant contribution to play in the management and treatment of Budd-Chiari syndrome.

The writer, Dr. A. A. Mundewadi, is available as an online Ayurvedic Consultant at https://www.mundewadiayurvedicclinic.com  and  www.ayurvedaphysician.com    For Ayurvedic herbal treatment of Budd Chiari syndrome, kindly click here