Liver Cirrhosis Treatment
The liver is our largest glandular organ in the body; it plays many important roles in digesting, metabolizing, & manufacturing essential compounds. The liver produces & secretes bile, which helps in to break down and digest fatty acids; it produces blood clotting factors & at the same time creates protective elements that keep blood clot from blocking circulatory system. Like that, it also contributes in glycogenesis, synthesizes proteins & cholesterol. The liver is a place of the body which stores valuable elements such as iron, copper, vit. A, D, & vit. B 12 etc. In short, it acts like a chemical factory & body’s almost all metabolic processes depending on its normal functioning.
Liver cirrhosis – when due to variety of causes & several pathologies, normal liver cells replaces with fibrous tissue (fibrosis) this condition is known as liver cirrhosis. These causes are:
- Infections due to viral hepatitis (Hepatitis. B, & C)
- Alcohol consumption
- Non alcoholic fatty liver disease
- Autoimmune hepatitis, Primary billiary cirrhosis, Wilson’s disease, Gall bladder stones, Cystic fibrosis, Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC),primary sclerosing cholingitis etc.
- Liver scaring due to certain medications like NSAIDs, Steroids etc.
- Chronic diseases like DM, HTN, Carcinoma, Koch’s etc.
- Bad dietary & life style habits etc.
Signs & Symptoms:
- Jaundice, Anaemia, Ascites, etc.
- Changes in bowel habits, flatulence, etc.
- Changes in liver sizes means enlarged or shrunken
- Portal hypertension, splenomegaly, esophageal varices, etc.
After prolonged damage to liver it cuases:
- Nail changes, clubbing etc.
- Bruising over skin, spider naevus, unusual bleeding etc.
- Hepatic encephalopathy as a most fatal complication of cirrohsis.
Liver is the only organ inside the body get regenerate itself but once this body engine get affected after prolonged damage to it and leads to the liver cirrhosis; we recognised that as so many vital bodily functions resting on this vital organ, it’s highly important to look over this to avoid further complications & life threatening conditions.
Ayurvedic View:
According ayurveda, The Liver is main source for ‘agni’ (digestive fire) that we have discussed earlier in brief; which is responsible for converting clear plasma (rasa dhatu) into the blood (rakta dhatu). It is liver’s job to scan or identify toxins in the ‘Rasa dhatu’ and store them; so they do not enters in the blood and in further preceding dhatus. Means, it directly maintains the purity of blood by keeping toxins or other impurities (aama) outside.
On other hand, Liver is the seat of ‘pitta’ dosha as it reflects extreme aggravation of ‘pitta’ for the purpose of digestion or metabolism inside the body. This excess aggravation of ‘pitta’ affects liver functioning itself and later on vitiates with other doshas as well, so almost all functions of pitta like digestion, feeling of hunger, blood production, & skin complexion etc. are also hampering with that. As per ayurveda we can better compare liver cirrhosis to the condition of ‘Kumbha kamala’ or ‘yakrut shotha/vriddhi’ also, and in ayurveda there are several of herbs & drug formulations are mentioned for caring of such a vital organ.
Treatment:
- Restoration of normal metabolism to maintain adequate state of digestive fire (agni).
- Detoxification at the level of liver & other bodily systems (esp. Rasa & Rakta dhatu).
- Stimulation to the liver for its proper functioning by means of regulating the levels of its vital enzymes & wastes e.g. SGPT (ALT), SGOT (AST), Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Bilirubin, & Albumin protein etc.
- Application of ‘ART’ to rejuvenates liver from damaged hepatocytes.
- Dietary advice & lifestyle changes as per the condition of individuals.
