Pancreatitis is a medical condition in which there is inflammation and damage to the pancreas due to gall stones, or alcohol binges along with fatty food consumption. The pancreatic juices which are responsible for the digestion of food can cause auto-digestion of the pancreas due to the inflammation process. An acute attack can be dangerous, with the potential for serious complications like infection, peritonitis, abdominal rupture and septicemia. Chronic or recurrent attacks, combined with inflammation, can cause scarring and cyst formation in the pancreas.
An acute attack is best treated in an intensive care
unit of a well equipped hospital. This can prove to be life-saving. Timely
treatment in a hospital can prevent or treat infection, stabilize the patient
with intravenous fluids, provide symptomatic treatment for vomiting and
abdominal pain, and help tide over the crisis. If impacted gall stones are the
cause for the pancreatitis, surgery can be planned to remove the stones. Modern
medicines however, cannot actually treat the pancreatitis or prevent further
attacks, other than giving dietary and lifestyle modification advice to avoid
the aggravating factors for this condition.
Recurrent attacks of pancreatitis can be effectively
treated with Ayurvedic herbal medicines. Most patients with chronic
pancreatitis complain of continuous, low grade or severe pain in the abdomen,
along with nausea and loss of appetite. In this scenario, while modern medicine
can provide just symptomatic and short-lived improvement, Ayurvedic herbal
medicines can provide complete and lasting relief from the pain, nausea and
vomiting, and help gradually improve appetite as well as normalize digestion. Ayurvedic
treatment can also reverse the damage and inflammation to the pancreas and
prevent recurrence of attacks. Early commencement of Ayurvedic treatment can
bring about a full recovery and prevent permanent damage.
Ayurvedic treatment is equally effective in both
adults as well as children, since herbal medicines are used in pancreatitis
treatment, which have a wide safety margin. An average of about six months of
treatment is required for most patients, in order to relieve all symptoms, prevent
recurrence, and help the patient regain lost weight, especially so in children.
It is important to reduce weight in obese patients and avoid intake of alcohol,
tobacco, and fatty foods. Patients with gall stones need to be treated
aggressively with specific Ayurvedic medicines, if this is the causative factor.
To sum up, Ayurvedic herbal medicines provide a
comprehensive, safe, effective and affordable treatment for chronic and
recurrent pancreatitis. No recurrence has so far been observed in patients –
both adults and children – who have completed a full course of regular
treatment, and have abstained from all the known and aggravating factors. While
modern medicine currently has no effective therapy for chronic or recurrent
pancreatitis, patients with an acute attack are best managed in hospital.
