Acute kidney failure is of short duration and is usually due to three main causes. Prerenal causes are the commonest and usually result from insufficient blood supply to the kidneys due to dehydration or other causes like low blood pressure, heart attack or heart failure. Postrenal causes include obstruction to the flow of urine due to kidney stones, tremors, enlarged prostate etc. Renal causes include damage to the renal blood vessels or kidney tissue due to infection, inflammation, or injury. The modern management of acute kidney failure includes hospitalization, treatment of the specific cause of the condition, supplementing or replacing the filtration of the kidneys, correction of dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, and treatment to restore blood circulation and maintain blood pressure.
Ayurvedic herbal treatment is useful in acute kidney failure when there is damage within the kidneys either to the blood circulation or to the actual kidney tissue. Herbal treatment is especially useful when there is inflammation of the kidney tissue or blood vessels. Herbal medicines are given in high doses so as to reduce the inflammation and reverse the damage to the kidneys. Toxins generated within the blood circulation are also flushed out either through the kidneys themselves or through the gastrointestinal system. Ayurvedic herbal medicines help to maintain the kidney function and bring about a gradual reversal of inflammation and the resulting damage to the kidneys
Ayurvedic medicines can be given in combination with modern intensive care for acute kidney failure. These medicines provide a supportive role and help to bring about a long-term correction of kidney function. Herbal medicines not only bring about an early cure, but also prevent long-term complications like chronic kidney failure. Individuals affected with acute kidney failure require Ayurvedic herbal treatment for about 4 to 8 weeks in order to provide significant relief from the symptoms. Ayurvedic herbal medicines thus have a definite role to play in the management and treatment of acute kidney failure.
The writer, Dr. A. A. Mundewadi, is available as an online Ayurvedic Consultant at www.ayurvedaphysician.com
