Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder involving defective production of haemoglobin, because of which the normal lifespan of blood cells decreases dramatically, requiring the use of periodical blood transfusion. Thalassemia major is a beta type of Thalassemia and is a more serious type of this condition. It is also known as Cooley's Anemia and Mediterranean Anemia. Symptoms of this condition include a pale skin, irritability, growth retardation, jaundice, hemolytic anemia, and enlargement of the liver and spleen.
Ayurvedic herbal treatment for Thalassemia is aimed at providing supportive treatment so as to increase the lifespan of the affected blood cells, stimulate the bone marrow to produce normal red blood cells, as well as to possibly correct the defective production of haemoglobin. The affected individual can initially be provided blood transfusions as and when required. Ayurvedic herbal medicines which have a specific action on the bone marrow are used in high doses for periods of six to nine months. These medicines have a stimulating and correcting action on the bone marrow so that normal type of red blood cells can be produced. Ayurvedic medicines are also used to act on the blood cells so that defective production of haemoglobin can be corrected or minimized to the extent possible.
Long-term use of these medicines can gradually correct the abnormal production of haemoglobin and defective red blood cells, so that the lifespan of the red blood cells can be gradually corrected and brought to as near the normal as possible. This reduces the need for blood transfusion and gradually treats all the known symptoms of Thalassemia major such as enlargement of the liver and spleen, jaundice, pale skin, and growth retardation. In addition, Ayurvedic medicines are also used which act on the basic cellular structure of the body so that it continues to produce normal haemoglobin as well as normal blood cells even after discontinuation of the treatment. Herbal medicines which have a specific action on the blood tissue as well as on the liver and spleen are also used in addition to the medicines which act on the bone marrow.
Ayurvedic herbal treatment can thus be judiciously utilised in the successful management and treatment of Thalassemia major.
The writer, Dr. A. A. Mundewadi, is available as an online Ayurvedic Consultant at www.ayurvedaphysician.com
