Ayurvedic Herbal Treatment and Long Term Management of Mitral Stenosis

Mitral Stenosis is a medical condition caused due to narrowing of the mitral valve opening from the left atrium into the left ventricle. This condition is usually caused due to rheumatic fever, congenital causes, and chronic autoimmune diseases. The inflammation and resulting damage to the mitral valves may become apparent several decades after the actual infection has occurred. While there may be no symptoms with mild stenosis, as the condition progresses and the mitral valve orifice becomes less than 1cm ², symptoms of breathlessness, lung congestion, and heart failure become apparent. Atrial fibrillation may also develop gradually.

Conservative treatment includes medicines to prevent infection, reduce lung congestion, treat atrial fibrillation, and prevent embolism. Surgical treatment includes mitral valvotomy or mitral valve replacement. Ayurvedic treatment can be successfully included in the long term management of mitral stenosis. The goal of this additional treatment is to increase the symptom free period by at least another decade or so, reduce the need for surgical treatment, improve quality of life, reduce the risk of complications, and help improve overall long term survival.

Ayurvedic herbal medicines improve heart function and efficiency, reduce the load on the heart, reduce lung congestion, treat fibrillation, and help reduce inflammation and calcium deposits on the valve, thereby making the valve leaflets more pliable. Herbal medicines act on heart muscle, as well as on the tiny tendon chords attached to the valves, thereby improving the valve functional efficiency and delaying further stenosis.

Once symptoms are brought under control, other medicines are used to increase heart performance and endurance, so that the overall symptom free period is increased and overall life span of the patient too increases. The medicines required for each individual patient may differ, and the dosages required too may be different, depending upon the overall medical status of each affected individual, the response to treatment, and associated medical history and complications. Initial treatment may be for about 6-8 months, while a few medicines for maintenance may be required for another 6 months. Some patients with severe valve disease and declared unsuitable for surgery may require a few Ayurvedic herbal medicines on a lifelong basis.

Ayurvedic herbal treatment can thus be judiciously utilized in the long term management of mitral stenosis.

The writer, Dr A A Mundewadi, is available as an Ayurvedic Consultant at https://www.mundewadiayurvedicclinic.com and http://www.ayurvedaphysician.com

Ayurvedic Herbal Treatment for Mitral Stenosis

Mitral stenosis is a disease of the heart, in which there is an abnormal narrowing of the valves opening into the left ventricle.  This condition is usually due to old rheumatic heart disease, but can also be congenital, or may also result from other infections of the heart.  Mitral stenosis results in breathlessness, cough, fever, repeated infections of the respiratory tract, hemoptysis, and failure of proper growth.  Mitral stenosis gradual results in left sided heart failure.  The management of mitral stenosis in the modern system of medicine usually consists of giving symptomatic treatment for heart failure or surgery to correct or replace the defective valve.

Ayurvedic herbal treatment for mitral stenosis usually consists of oral medication as well as local application of medicated oils and pastes on the chest in order to minimize the damage due to mitral stenosis.  This treatment is usually indicated in patients with mitral stenosis who do not respond in to conventional modern treatment and are not fit for surgery.  Ayurvedic herbal medicines which act on the leaflets of the valves as well as the tendons connecting these valves to the heart muscles are used judiciously in high doses.  A proper combination of these medicines improves the working efficiency of the heart and minimizes the deficit from the narrowed down mitral valve.  Ayurvedic medicines also improve the strength of the heart muscles as well as increase the blood flow to the heart, thereby increasing its efficiency.

Ayurvedic herbal treatment for mitral stenosis usually needs to be given for about four to six months in order to bring about significant improvement in the condition.  Most people with mitral stenosis get definite improvement with this treatment and can lead a near normal life.  It is important to commence treatment as early as possible, usually immediately after the diagnosis of the condition, so that maximum benefit can be obtained from this therapy.  Early treatment with Ayurvedic herbal medicines can help most affected individuals to obtain a complete or a near cure.  Ayurvedic treatment is therefore very important in the management of mitral stenosis.

The writer, Dr. A. A. Mundewadi, is available as an online Ayurvedic Consultant at www.ayurvedaphysician.com