Agranulocytosis is a medical condition in which the number of circulating white blood cells decreases drastically and may be less than hundred per micro liter of blood. This condition usually constitutes a medical emergency and requires immediate hospitalization. The causes for agranulocytosis include hereditary causes such as genetic abnormalities and acquired causes such as drugs, compromise in immunity, and exposure to chemicals, infective agents, and ionizing radiation. Common symptoms include fever, sepsis, mouth ulcers, skin infections, and other manifestations of infection. This condition can be treated in hospital by infusing packed cells or whole blood transfusion; however, the cause of the condition needs to be treated, without which the patient may revert back to the diseased condition.
The Ayurvedic herbal treatment of agranulocytosis is aimed at treating the known cause of the disease as well as giving supportive treatment. Supportive treatment is given for fever, infection and mouth ulcers. Medicines are also given which act on the bone marrow and stimulate it to produce normal and mature white blood cells in the required quantity. Such medicines include both herbal medicines as well as herbomineral powders. Treatment for bone marrow stimulation needs to be given continuously for about two to six months in order to bring about the desired result and the normal count of white blood cells in the circulation. Long-term treatment also ensures that the number of white cells remains at the required levels even after completely stopping the treatment.
Simultaneously, treatment is also given to improve the immune status of the affected individual, so that the person does not suffer any increased susceptibility to infections, and is able to overcome any current infections. The use of Ayurvedic herbal immunomodulatory medicines also ensures that bone marrow stimulation occurs quickly, and agranulocytosis is cured at the earliest.
Ayurvedic herbal treatment can thus be utilised in the successful management and treatment of agranulocytosis.
The writer, Dr. A. A. Mundewadi, is available as an online Ayurvedic Consultant at www.ayurvedaphysician.com
