Ayurvedic Treatment for Minimal Changes Disease
Abstract
The Kidneys are two bean-shaped organs situated on either side of our spine and below the ribs and its main job is to filter the blood. They are responsible for balancing the fluids present in the body along with acid-base balance and various other electrolytes by removing toxins from the body. Each time when the blood passes through the kidney it gets filtered through a structure called glomeruli present in the kidney. Through this process filtration which is removed in the form of Urine. The reason your urine does not contain blood is that the red blood cell which gives the red color to the blood is too big to fit into the glomerulus. When the glomeruli are affected this leads to a disease called Minimal changes disease which can only be seen through a special clinical test called “Light Microscopy”. In this article, we are going to discuss MCD more in detail with its treatment in Ayurveda.
What is Minimal Changes Disease?
Minimal Change Disease is a kidney disorder that is caused by the due loss of protein in large amounts through urination. It is one of the common causes which can result in Nephrotic syndrome. Both of our Kidneys are responsible for cleaning the blood and removing waste from the body in the form of urine. Normally Kidney filters blood without losing any protein from the circulation. However, when for some reason our Kidney is damaged the protein starts to slip through the urine called proteinuria. Minimal Changes disease is the common cause of nephrotic syndrome in children but is also seen in adults. There are two types of MCD:-
- Primary:- There is no reason or cause for MCD.
- Secondary:- The person has suffered from some medical condition in the past.
Etiology
According to the National Centre for Biotechnology Information MCD is seen mostly in children with ages less than 1 year (70% to 90%) cases which is caused due to Nephrotic syndrome.
- Incidence:-Every 16 in 100,000 people are seen with MCD.
- Sex:-Young boys are most likely to be affected by MCD as compared to Young boys.
- Country:-It is commonly seen in people who are South Asians and Native Americans.
What are the Symptoms Seen in Minimal Change Disease?
Following are the noticeable signs and symptoms noted in MCD are:-
- Urine appears very foamy because of a large amount of protein leaking through Urine which is known as Proteinuria.
- Swelling is very commonly noted in body parts like ankles, eyes due to the accumulation of fluid in the body called edema.
- The patient is not able to lose weight and due to building up fluid weight gain is also seen.
- MCD can rapidly develop within a night can show symptoms like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and also blood clots.
- Dyspnea means difficulty in breathing.
Complications
Nephrotic syndrome which can show symptoms like:-
- Swelling throughout the body is very easily seen in ankles, legs, and around the eyes especially in the morning.
- A large amount of protein is lost from the body through Urine.
- High levels of lipid start to get collected into the blood.
- It can also lead to Oliguria where the urine output is decreased due to depletion of intravascular volume.
What are the Causes of MCD?
Primary MCD is seen in young children where the disease is idiopathic and it has no exact cause for the disease whereas Secondary is seen in adults where it has caused due to some medical history. These may include medical problems like:-
- HIV
- Hepatitis
- Syphilis
- Malignant lymphoma
- Leukemia
- Prolonged use of non-steroid or anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Tumor
- Vaccinations:- Pneumococcal and Flu.
Clinical Investigations for Minimal Changes Disease
The investigation is based on signs and symptoms of the patient and test that can be done are:-
- Blood test:- Blood urea and Serum creatinine can be done which will tell the levels of cholesterol, protein, and waste present in the blood.
- Urine test:- It will help in knowing the levels of blood and protein present in the urine.
- Glomerular filtration rate:- It is done by monitoring the blood and knowing how much waste is being filtered by the kidney through the blood.
- Kidney biopsy:- In this test, the small part of the kidney is removed through a special needle and then histopathology is done for further studies.
Ayurvedic View on Minimal Changes Disease
According to Ayurveda MCD is correlated with mutra vaho sroto dushti janya kaphaj soth which is occurred due to various nidana (causative factor) leading to violation of Kapha Dosha. This is what results in mutra vaha srotas which causes deformity in the vrik (kidneys) and also affects the urine mechanism. This shows clinical features like decreased urination, sashulam (painful micturition), and also a pain in the lower abdomen.
MCD leads to the accumulation of fluid in the body resulting in sleshmaj sotha (swelling in the subcutaneous tissue) which is caused due to disturbance of Kapha dosha. This can become severe and result in sarvang sotha (anasarca) caused due to tridosha prokopa. Along with this sandra prasad meha (proteinuria) and lalameha (albuminuria) can also be seen. All of this can be managed through Herbal medicine.
Treatment for Minimal Changes Disease
According to modern science, the medicine for MCD includes steroids or drugs like methotrexate which will only suppress the symptoms and can lead to many other complications, It can also result in life long problems which can be life-threatening.
Ayurveda helps in treating the person as a whole from their soul to their body by removing the root cause of disease. All the herbs provided along with life modification will help in the increased recovery of the patient.
Herbal Remedies for Minimal Changes Disease By Planet Ayurveda
Planet Ayurveda is a herbal company that runs globally and all the herbal remedies provided by Planet Ayurveda are 100 percent pure as well as vegetarian. Each and every medicine is made under the supervision of an MD Ayurvedic Doctor and all are free from chemicals, preservatives, and additives. They all are free from side-effects which makes them safe to use. Planet Ayurveda provides there specially formulated Revive Kidney Pack which is excellent for Minimal Changes disease and this pack includes:-
- Punarnava Mandoor
- Varunadi Vati
- Rencure Formula
- Chandanadi Vati
- Mutrakichantak Churna
Product Description
1. Punarnava Mandoor
It is a classic Ayurvedic formulation that is made from Shunti (Zingiber officinale), Pippali (Piper longum), Amalaki (Emblica officinalis), Chavya (Piper chaba), Vidanga (Embelia ribes), Chitrak mool (Plumbago zeylanica) and many more. It is very useful in treating all kinds of kidney disorders which helps in removing toxins from the body and decreasing the high level of cholesterol as well as creatinine. Punarnava mandoor is a diuretic which is very useful in renal disorder.
Dosage:- 2 Tablets, thrice daily with warm water after meals.
2. Varunadi Vati
It is the herbal formulation of Varun (Crataeva nurvala), Gokshur (Tribulus terrestris) etc . It is a natural antibiotic and helps in the prevention of any kind of infection. One of the best formulations for removing kidney stones and improving their function. It helps in reducing pain and removing toxins from the kidney making it very useful in Minimal Changes Disease. It is also very effective in Nephrotic syndrome.
Dosage:- 2 Tablets, thrice daily with warm water after meals.
3. Rencure Formula
The herbal formulation of Palaash (Butea monosperma), Kaasni (Cichorium intybus), and many more. All the herbs help in the rejuvenation of the kidney and enhancing its function. Consumption of Rencure is also very effective in people who suffer from Kidney failure and is useful in ailments like painful micturition, swelling which is very common in MCD. It is proven to be best for any kind of Kidney disorder.
Dosage:- 2 Capsules, twice daily with warm water after meals.
4. Mutrakrichantak Churna
It is one of the herbal formulations for kidney made from Kaasni (Cichorium intybus), Bhumi amla (Phyllanthus niruri), Shigru (Moringa oleifera), Shirish (Albizia lebbeck) etc which helps in supporting the health of kidney and also maintains the health of urinary function. It helps in treating oliguria and is very helpful in the management of Minimal Changes Disease.
Dosage:- 1 Teaspoonful twice daily warm with water and for best result Boil 1 Teaspoonful in 400ml water until it remains 50-60ml. Filter the preparation with a regular tea strainer and drink. You should use this once in morning 45min. after breakfast and similarly in evening 45min. after dinner. Prepare fresh every time as per this.
5. Chandanadi Vati
This classical remedy is very beneficial in providing relief from kidney disorders. It provides a calming and soothing effect on the urinary tract system and also provides relief from burning gut. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. It is used in the treatment of burning micturition, kidney disorders, heatstroke, burning gut, piles, fissures, etc. This is a classical Ayurvedic formulation. It contains herbs and minerals like Safed chandan (Santalum album), Kababchini (Piper cubeba), Safed ral (Shorea robusta), Gandhabiroja (Pinus longifolia), Katha (Sanegellia catechu), Amalaki (Emblica officinalis), Daruharidra (Berberis aristata), Gairik (Red ochre), etc.
Dosage:- 2 Tablets, twice daily with warm water after meals.
Conclusion
As described in the article Minimal changes are a very rare disease and can cause a long-lasting effect on the body. In modern science, there is no particular treatment for the disease; instead it causes harmful side effects but Ayurveda provides a treatment that is very effective in minimizing disease. Planet Ayurveda provides their Revive Kidney Pack which will help in removing the root cause and balancing the health of patients.
