Are ayurvedic medicines effective for polycystic kidney disease ?

by Rahul Kumar Health and Medical

What is polycystic kidney disease ? 

Polycystic kidney disease is a genetic medical condition that causes growth of cysts in the kidneys. These cysts are filled with fluid. If too many cysts grow or if they grow in size, it can damage the kidneys.

Since PKD is a genetic disorder, a person has to have a mutated gene to get the disorder.  

PKD is a serious type of chronic kidney disease unlike kidney cysts, which are usually harmless. The cysts can cause the kidney to grow in size and prevent them from filtering out waste from the blood.

 

What are the different types of polycystic kidney disease?

 

Polycystic kidney disease can be of three main types-

●     Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD): This form of disease gets passed from parent to child by dominant inheritance. In simple words, only one copy of  the abnormal gene can cause the disease. People develop symptoms between the ages of 30 and 40, but in some cases they can begin in childhood. About 90 percent of all PKD cases are ADPKD, making it the most common form of PKD. 

●     Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD):

This form of disease gets passed from parent to child by recessive inheritance. Symptoms can begin as early as in the womb. It can be very serious in the initial months of life. It occurs in one out of 25,000 people, making it a very rare form of disease. 

●     Acquired cystic kidney disease (ACKD) : ACKD is often associated with kidney failure and dialysis as it can happen in kidneys with long term damage. ACKD affects about 90 percent of people on dialysis for 5 years. People with ACKD often find blood in their urine. This is because of the cysts bleeding into the urinary system, thus it discolors urine. 

 

What are the early symptoms of polycystic kidney disease ? 

In most cases, people do not seem to develop symptoms until they are 30 to 40 years old. The early signs and symptoms of PKD may include-

 

●     Back or side pain

●     Increased size of the abdomen

●     Blood in the urine

●     High blood pressure

●     Kidney infections 

Does polycystic kidney disease have any complications ? 

PKD can often cause serious health complications in adults and babies. 

Adults may develop: 

●     High blood pressure

●     Kidney stones

●     Kidney failure

●     Urinary tract infections

●     Liver cysts

 

Babies may have:

 

●     High blood pressure

●     Liver problems

●     Kidney failure

●     Breathing problems due to premature lungs

 

How is polycystic kidney disease diagnosed ?

 

Since ADPKD and ARPKD are inherited, the doctor will have to review the family history of the patient. In the initial stages, they may look for anemia or signs of any infection and a urinalysis to search for blood or protein in the urine of the patient.

 

The doctor may ask to get these tests done to diagnose PKD-

 

●     Abdominal ultrasound: This test uses sound waves to look at the patient’s kidneys for cysts.

 

●     Abdominal CT scan: This test is used to detect smaller cysts in the kidneys.

●     Abdominal MRI scan: Strong magnets are used in this MRI scan to visualize kidney structure and look for cysts.

 

●     Intravenous pyelogram: This test can make the patient’s blood vessels show up more clearly on X-rays.

 

 

How is polycystic kidney disease treated ?

 

The most common treatments for PKD are-

 

●     Blood pressure management: It becomes very important for a person with PKD to keep their blood pressure within a safe range as it reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke.

 

●     Breathing support: Infants with premature lungs have breathing problems for which they may need ventilation.

 

●     Dialysis: A dialysis may be needed in case of kidney failure. It is a procedure to clean the blood through a machine.

 

●     Growth therapy: Infants who are born underweight may need help growing. A nutritional therapy or human growth hormone may be recommended in such a case.

 

●     Kidney transplant: If ADPKD progresses to end-stage renal failure, then it indicates that the kidney can no longer function on its own. In such a case, the patient may need a kidney transplant. It is a surgery replacing a failed kidney with a donor kidney.

 

●     Pain management: In order to control pain caused by infections, kidney stones or cyst bursts, medicines can provide relief. The pain medicines must be approved by the doctor as some medicines can worsen the kidney damage.

 

 

Ayurveda treatment for polycystic kidney disease

 

Ayurveda, which has its roots in India, today it is a globally popular concept for its results. Ayurveda is holistic in nature, i.e., it not just accounts for the symptoms of a disease but also caters to other factors such as conditions of mind, body and soul. Ayurvedic medicines are effective for polycystic kidney disease.

 

The medicines recommended by Ayurveda for polycystic kidney disease also makes it the ideal treatment alternative as it consists of natural herbs and has no side effects on the body. Unlike other treatment alternatives such as Dialysis and kidney transplant, it is affordable and result-oriented.

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Created on Jan 15th 2022 03:23. Viewed 252 times.

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