Ayurvedic Treatment for Chronic Kidney Disease
The kidneys are the 2 bean-shaped organs that exist in your back on either side of the spine. The size of each kidney is just about the size of a computer mouse and after every 30 minutes, they filter all the blood in your body. Healthy kidneys remove the wastes, toxins, and excess fluid from your blood in form of urine. Moreover, kidneys are important to keep certain elements of your blood in balance (like sodium, potassium, and calcium) and produce hormones to control blood pressure and red blood cells.
The term “chronic kidney disease” refers to long-lasting kidney damage and which may get worse over time. The severity of the damage may lead kidneys to stop functioning and which is known as kidney failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD). You will need dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive if your kidney fails.
Chronic kidney disease or chronic kidney failure results in a gradual loss in functions performed by the kidneys. However, the severity of the disease can increase the fluid level, electrolytes, and wastes in the body dangerously. You might experience few symptoms at the initial stages but might not be able to recognize the kidney disease until the conditions become severe. Nowadays, chronic kidney disease has become a common health disorder as the number of patients having chronic kidney disease is increasing rapidly. The African American, Hispanic, Native American, and Asian American people are at higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease than white people.
Chronic Kidney Disease by the Numbers
- Early detection can help prevent the progression of kidney disease to kidney failure. Early diagnosis can be helpful to prevent kidney failure.
- Heart disease is the major cause of death for all people with CKD.
- Hypertension causes CKD and CKD causes hypertension
- In the United States, Kidney diseases are the most leading cause of death.
- About 37 million people in the United States have chronic kidney disease and the majority of them are unaware of having it.
- About 40% of people, whose kidney functions are severely damaged, are unaware of having CKD.
- About 360 people in the United States start dialysis treatment for kidney failure.
Diabetes and high blood pressure are the leading cause of kidney failure in the United States as both represent 3 out of 4 new cases.
Chronic Kidney Disease in Ayurveda
The Ayurvedic texts say that body channels (srotas) look after the flow of liquid into and out of the kidneys and when there is a blockage in these srotas, it causes kidney failure. The blockage in incoming srotas leads kidneys to shrink due to the nonavailability of fluids while blockage in outgoing srotas causes swelling in the kidneys. The kidneys are known to filtrate the urine but the process of urine formation and urine purification gets disrupted by the imbalance in digestive fire (Agni) and which may lead to the accumulation of wastes in the body. The Ayurveda terms this unwanted accumulation of wastes as Ama and it can be visible as :
- Loss of appetite
- Tiredness
- Heaviness
- Puffiness around the eyes
- Abnormal values of Creatinine, Urea, GFR, etc.
Types of kidney failure
- Acute prerenal kidney failure. In this type of kidney failure, there is insufficient blood flow to the kidneys due to which kidneys do not filter the toxins from the blood.
- Acute intrinsic kidney failure. It is caused due to direct trauma to the kidneys like any physical impact or an accident.
- Chronic prerenal kidney failure. In this type of kidney failure, there is insufficient blood flow to your kidneys for an extended period due to which kidneys begin to shrink and are unable to function.
- Chronic intrinsic kidney failure. The long-term damage to the kidneys due to intrinsic kidney diseases such as severe bleeding or lack of oxygen cause chronic intrinsic kidney failure.
- Chronic post-renal kidney failure. It is caused due to a long-term blockage of the urinary tract that prevents urination and ultimately leads to kidney damage.
Symptoms of Chronic Kidney Disease
The center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that about 90% of chronic kidney disease patients are unaware of having it as the disease doesn’t show any visible symptoms at an early stage however the symptoms become visible with the progression of the disease. Below are some of the symptoms of chronic kidney failure.
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Fatigue and weakness
- Sleep problems
- Frequent or reduced Urination
- Decreased mental sharpness
- Cramps in muscles
- Swelling of feet and ankles
- Dry, itchy skin
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Shortness of breath if there is an increase in fluid in the lungs
- Chest pain, if fluid increases around the lining of the heart
Causes of Chronic Kidney Disease
The National Kidney Foundation says that high blood pressure and diabetes are the two most common causes of chronic kidney disease. However, certain other health conditions also cause kidney failure. The disease takes place gradually and the function deteriorates over the years.
- Type-1 or type-2 diabetes
- Polycystic kidney disease
- Pyelonephritis
- Glomerulonephritis
- Prolonged obstruction of the urinary tract
Risk factors for Chronic Kidney Disease
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Heart (cardiovascular) disease
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Being Black, Native American, or Asian American
- Family history of kidney disease
- Abnormal kidney structure
- Older age
- Medicines that can damage the kidneys
Diagnosis of Chronic Kidney Disease
To diagnose chronic kidney disease, your doctor will perform a physical exam and examine the neurological exam. Moreover, the doctor may recommend the following tests to check the severity of the disease.
- Blood tests.
- Urine tests
- Imaging tests.
- Kidney biopsy
Chronic Kidney Disease Prevention
Chronic Kidney disease has no cure but there are steps that you can take at an initial stage to maintain a high level of kidney function for a long period and some of which are enlisted below:
- Visit your healthcare provider or nephrologist regularly.
- If you are diabetic then always maintain your blood sugar
- Don’t take any pain killer or any other medicine that can worsen your kidney disease.
- Keep your blood pressure levels under control.
- Don’t smoke.
- Treat anemia (if present).
- Always perform regular exercise
- Maintain a healthy weight.
Ayurvedic Treatment
To manage chronic kidney disease naturally, Ayurvedic medicines or remedies are worth considering. Ayurvedic treatment for chronic kidney disease mainly focuses to eliminate kidney diseases and restore the health of damaged kidneys. In Ayurveda, there are several natural herbs like Varuna, Punarnava, Gokshura, etc that improve the functions of kidneys and are helpful to deal with chronic kidney disease and reduce its symptoms.
Below are Life Aveda`s Premium herbal products that you can use to control Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)and reduce its symptoms:
Punarnuva Capsule
Punarnava Capsules possess diuretic properties and are known to support healthy kidney, lung, and cardiac functions. Since it has diuretic properties, it is known to treat edema or accumulated toxins that are present in the form of fluid in the body. These capsules also balance Tridoshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha). Punarnava is anti-inflammatory which makes it useful in arthritis and has potent hepato-protective properties.
Kidney Restore
Kidney Restore`s herbal formulation is rich in antioxidants which provide total renal protection, detoxification, and rejuvenation. The formula helps to lower UTIs and promotes healthy kidney functions.
Varuna Capsule
Varuna capsule consists of a standardized extract of Varuna herb which helps in balancing Vata dosha and reducing inflammation. It aids the kidneys to function properly along with boosting the metabolism. Varuna is a diuretic and is known to remove stones naturally since it is a lithophytic herb that means it can break stones.
Conclusion
Kidney failure can either be acute or chronic and certain factors like diabetes, high blood pressure, high-level medication, etc can cause kidney failure. If you have kidney failure, the above-mentioned herbal products can help you a long way to deal with the problem. Moreover, you can also consult our Ayurvedic expert at +91-7743002520 to get the best treatment options for your condition.
