Cushing's syndrome is a medical condition which typically displays the side effects of high dose and chronic steroid therapy. Long-term exposure to high levels of cortisol hormone produce the classical signs of Cushing's syndrome which include a fatty hump between the shoulders, a rounded face, stretch marks on the skin, high blood pressure, bone loss, and diabetes. Cushing's syndrome is caused by prolonged use of steroid medications, pituitary gland or an ectopic ACTH secreting tumour, and a primary adrenal gland disease. The modern management of this condition includes discontinuation of steroids, surgery, radiation therapy, and oral medications.
Ayurvedic herbal treatment for Cushing's syndrome involves treating the symptoms of the disease as well as treating the cause of the condition, if known. Herbal medicines which reduce oedema and retention of water in the body are used in the appropriate doses so as to reduce body oedema and high blood pressure. Herbal medicines and herbo mineral combinations which strengthen bone are used to correct the bone loss. Herbal antidiabetic medicines are used to treat diabetes, if present.
If the cause of Cushing's syndrome is a tumour of the pituitary gland and brain, or adrenal gland, Ayurvedic herbal medicines which act specifically on the brain tissue and on the adrenal gland are used in high doses in order to treat the tumour. Medicines which act on the blood as well as the lymphatic circulation are also used so as to bring about an early resolution of the tumour as well as of the symptoms related to Cushing's syndrome. The high levels of cortisol are brought down by flushing the hormone from the circulatory system with the help of herbal medicines, either through the gastrointestinal system or through the kidneys and the urinary tract.
Depending upon the severity and cause of Cushing's syndrome, individuals affected with this disorder need treatment for about six months to eighteen months. However, with regular Ayurvedic herbal treatment, almost all patients affected with Cushing's syndrome recover completely.
The writer, Dr. A. A. Mundewadi, is available as an online Ayurvedic Consultant at www.ayurvedaphysician.com
