Periventricular
Leukomalacia (PVL) usually affects unborn or newborn children, with premature
babies most at risk from this condition.
PVL is caused by lack of oxygen or blood flow to the periventricular
areas of the brain, which results in softening of the brain tissue and death of
the white matter of the brain. This
affects the nerve fibers which carry messages from the brain to the body
muscles. This can result in motor
disorders, delayed mental development, coordination problems, and impaired hearing
and vision. This condition can also
cause bleeding in the brain, leading to cerebral palsy. The diagnosis of PVL is usually made by an
ultrasonography examination of the head.
There is no specific treatment for this condition and management is
symptomatic and supportive. Periodical
medical screening is usually advised.
The severity of brain damage determines the overall outcome for this
condition and may range from a presentation with mild symptoms to significant disability.
Ayurvedic herbal treatment
for PVL consists of the use of herbal medicines which have a specific action on
the brain and central nervous system.
These medicines are used in high doses in order to reverse brain damage
and salvage the maximum possible function of the central nervous system. This in turn prevents long-term neuromuscular
and sensory disability. Herbal medicines
which reduce bleeding, help repair and regeneration of nerve cells, and which
normalise the metabolism of damaged cells are very useful in the management of
this condition.
Aggressive Ayurvedic
herbal treatment can help to minimise long-term damage, improve quality of life
as well as overall life span of affected children. Ayurvedic herbal treatment usually needs to
be given for periods ranging from six months to two years, depending upon the
extent of damage and severity of symptoms seen in affected children. Ayurvedic herbal treatment thus has a definite
role to play in the management of Periventricular Leukomalacia.
The writer, Dr. A. A.
Mundewadi, is available as an online Ayurvedic Consultant at www.ayurvedaphysician.com
