Ayurvedic treatment of Amyloidosis

What is Amyloidosis?

Ayurvedic treatment of Amyloidosis starts with a brief understanding of the disease amyloid causes, symptoms, and diagnosis.

Amyloidosis is a rare disease when amyloid proteins are deposited in tissues and organs. Amyloid proteins are abnormal proteins that the body cannot break down and recycle as it does with standard proteins. When amyloid proteins clump together, they form amyloid deposits. The buildup of these deposits damages a person’s organs and tissues; there is no treatment for Amyloidosis, but the ayurvedic treatment of Amyloidosis is effective along with yoga, changes in diet, lifestyle, and breathing exercises.

Amyloidosis can affect different organs and tissues in other people and can affect more than one organ simultaneously. It most frequently affects the kidneys, heart, nervous system, liver, and digestive tract. The symptoms and severity of Amyloidosis depend on the organs and tissues affected.

Types of Amyloidosis-

 Two types of Amyloidosis

1. Primary Amyloidosis — unknown Causes

2. Dialysis-related Amyloidosis— dialysis-related Amyloidosis happens to people who have kidney failure and have been on dialysis for a long time.

Amyloidosis Sign and Symptoms –

The most common sign of primary Amyloidosis is nephrotic syndrome, which is a group of symptoms that includes:

1. Albuminuria—an increased amount of albumin, a protein, in the urine.
2. Hyperlipidemia—is a condition in which a person’s blood has more-than-normal amounts of fats and cholesterol.
3. Edema—swelling, typically in a person’s legs, feet, or ankles and less often in the hands or face.
4. Hypoalbuminemia—a condition in which a person’s blood has less-than-normal amounts of albumin
5. Fatigue
6. Shortness of breath
7. Low blood pressure
8. Numbness, tingling, or a burning sensation in the hands or feet
9. Weight loss

The most common symptoms of dialysis-related Amyloidosis are:

1. Dialysis-related Amyloidosis most often affects bones, joints, and the tissues that connect muscle to bone, called tendons. The disease may also affect the digestive tract and organs such as the heart and lungs.
2. Joint pain and stiffness
3. Swelling of ankles, joints, and legs
4. Cysts (fluid-filled sacs) in bones lead to bone fractures.
5. Numbness or tingling in hands and fingers.
6. Purpura around the eyes.
7. Enlarged tongue.
8. Severe fatigue and weakness.
9. Shortness of breath with minimal exertion.
10. Unable to lie flat in bed due to shortness of breath.
11. Diarrhea, possibly with blood or constipation.
12. Unintentional weight loss of more than 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms).
13. Skin changes include thickening or easy bruising and purplish patches around the eyes.
14. An irregular heartbeat.
15. Difficulty swallowing.

Risk factors of Amyloidosis

Before talking about the ayurvedic treatment of Amyloidosis, let’s discuss some of the factors that increase your risk of Amyloidosis:

• Age
  Most people diagnosed with Amyloidosis are between ages 60 and 70, although earlier onset occurs.
• Sex
  Amyloidosis occurs more commonly in men.
• Other diseases
  Having a chronic infectious or inflammatory disease increases your risk of Amyloidosis.
• Family history
  Some types of Amyloidosis are hereditary.
• Kidney dialysis
  Dialysis can’t permanently remove large proteins from the blood. On dialysis, abnormal proteins can build up in your blood and eventually be deposited in tissue. This condition is less common with more modern dialysis techniques.
• Race
  People of African descent appear to be at higher risk of carrying a genetic mutation associated with a type of Amyloidosis that can harm the heart.

Complications of Amyloidosis-

The potential complications of Amyloidosis depend on which organs the amyloid deposits–

Heart –Amyloid reduces the heart’s ability to fill with blood between heartbeats. Less blood is pumped with each beat, and you may experience shortness of breath. If Amyloidosis affects your heart’s electrical system, your heart rhythm may be disturbed. Amyloid-related heart problems can become life-threatening.

Kidneys— Amyloid can harm the kidneys’ filtering system, causing the protein to leak from the blood into the urine, leading to kidney failure and the need for dialysis.

Nervous system — pain, numbness or tingling of your fingers or numbness, lack feeling, or a burning sensation in your toes or the soles of your feet. If Amyloid affects the nerves that control your bowel function, you may experience periods of alternating constipation and diarrhea. If it affects the nerves that control blood pressure, you may feel faint after standing up too quickly.

Diagnosis of Amyloidosis-

Before coming to the Ayurvedic treatment of Amyloidosis, a confirmed diagnosis of Amyloidosis has to be made.

• CBC
• S.Albumin
• T3, T4, TSH
• LFT
• Lipid Profile
• Urine C/E
• Biopsy- A tissue sample may be taken and checked for signs of Amyloidosis. The biopsy may be taken from the fat under the skin on your abdomen (fat aspirate), bone marrow, or an affected organ — such as your liver or kidney.

• Imaging tests
• ECG
• Ultrasonography
• MRI

Treatment of Renal Amyloidosis-

There’s no cure for Amyloidosis. But the ayurvedic treatment of Amyloidosis can help manage signs and symptoms and limit further production of amyloid protein. If the Amyloidosis has been triggered by another condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis or tuberculosis, treating the underlying disease can be helpful.

Medications for Amyloidosis

Other than the Ayurvedic treatment of Amyloidosis, there are also some treatment strategies in modern medicines.

Chemotherapy— Cancer medicines are used in Amyloidosis to stop the growth of abnormal cells that produce the protein leading to the formation of Amyloid.

Heart medications— In case of heart involvement, anti-coagulant and heart medicines are given to reduce the risk of clots and arrhythmia.

Organ transplant— Your doctor might suggest surgery to replace your heart or kidneys if amyloid deposits have severely damaged those organs. Some types of Amyloid are formed in the liver, so a liver transplant could halt that production.

Dialysis-related Amyloidosis has no cure; however, a successful kidney transplant may stop the disease from progressing.

Diet and Lifestyle Changes for Amyloidosis-

Though researchers have not found that eating, diet, and nutrition play a significant role in causing or preventing Amyloidosis, Ayurvedic treatment of Amyloidosis includes dietary and lifestyle changes for a better prognosis.

People with nephrotic syndrome may make dietary changes such as limiting dietary sodium, often from salt, to help reduce edema and lower blood pressure and decreasing liquid intake to help reduce edema and lower blood pressure.

Eat a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol to control excess fats and cholesterol in the blood.

Health care providers may recommend that people with kidney disease eat moderate or reduced amounts of protein. Proteins break down into waste products that the kidneys filter from the blood. Eating more protein than the body needs may burden the kidneys and cause kidney function to decline faster. However, protein intake that is too low may lead to malnutrition, a condition that occurs when the body does not get enough nutrients.

Natural ways to control Renal Amyloidosis-

Ayurvedic treatment of Amyloidosis is based on herbs and classical medicines. But there are ways to ease your symptoms and improve your well-being with natural and complementary therapies as-.

1. Movement–

Do regular light exercises like Walking, Jogging, stretching, Running, or anything that helps keep you moving without being too strenuous. You can help fight pain and fatigue related to Amyloidosis by exercising regularly.

2. Sleep therapy–

Daytime fatigue can make it difficult to sleep at night, especially if you take a lot of naps. Then, insomnia can make fatigue during the day worse. This vicious cycle can be made worse by pain and discomfort in the middle of the night.

Do Meditation and deep breathing exercises for a sound sleep.

3. Reduced-salt diet–

With Amyloidosis, kidneys may not retain protein efficiently, and the heart’s ability to pump blood may also be impaired. This can cause swelling, especially in lower extremities like the legs and feet. Too much salt can exacerbate such issues. Reducing the amount of salt in your diet can reduce swelling in the body.

4. Meal replacements-

People living with Amyloidosis often don’t receive adequate nutrients from food. This may be due to tongue swelling, difficulty swallowing, loss of appetite, or intestinal dysfunction. So, so take a Tasty, digestive, easily swallowable balanced diet. Like fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables, foods rich in fibers e.g.-bananas, pineapples, papayas, oranges, spinach, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes, are all great additions to your diet.

Foods rich in omega3 fatty acids are beneficial. Avoid excessive intake of coffee, alcohol, junk foods, and spices. This way, you can get the nutrients for the body to maintain vital functions.

5. Fluid adjustments

Don’t take excessive fluid. This helps to reduce symptoms of leg swelling and shortness of breath.

6. Foot massage

It can increase blood flow to alleviate your symptoms. Foot massage at bedtime helps in sound sleep.

7. Eat less at a time and avoid taking 2 to 3 heavy meals daily. One can have cauliflower, ash gourd, radish, bottle gourd, bell peppers, apples, papaya, pears, etc. Limit the intake of dried beans, mushrooms, potatoes, spinach, mushrooms, apricots, etc.

Limit the intake of all dairy products. Avoid or limit the intake of protein and potassium-rich fruits and other foods, so exclude all citrus fruits.

Coconut water and aloe vera are good to have to detoxify the body. Basil or Tulsi is good for enhancing the immune system. Chew fresh leaves of basil every morning on an empty stomach.

Say no to smoking and chewing tobacco.

Even if you take medications or undergo other treatments for Amyloidosis, complementary therapies can help. When used in conjunction with conventional medicine, these therapies can make dealing with your symptoms and medication side effects easier.

Herbs for Renal Amyloidosis-

In Ayurvedic treatment of Amyloidosis, first comes the herbs. Ayurveda recommends many herbal remedies for kidney failure. Although there is no satisfactory treatment in allopathic science other than dialysis and kidney transplant, Ayurveda has a lot of herbs for kidney failure which works quite well, e.g.-

1. Punarnava (Boerhavia diffusa)

Punarnava helps maintain fluids level in the cells and aid in the healthy flow of urine. Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, Punarnava reduces swelling in the feet and joints. Regular use of this ayurvedic herb treats symptoms of kidney failure and revitalizes the whole body.

2. Kaasni (Cichorium intybus)

 Kaasni is the best remedy for all kinds of kidney disorders. It is highly beneficial in respiratory problems. Kaasni works best for kidney failure complications caused due to respiratory system. It acts as an anti-inflammatory.

3. Varuna(Crataeva nurvala)

Varuna is effective in kidney failure as it works from its root. It fights against kidney stones by decreasing the body’s construction of oxalate and deactivating the glycolate oxidase enzyme. It provides strength to the urinary tract and prostate function. This herb is effective in treating chronic migraines, kidney stones, intestinal worms, intestinal bleeding, renal calculi, and more.

4. Gokshur (Tribulus terrestris)

This ayurvedic herb effectively manages urinary problems caused by renal infection, urinary discharge, and kidney failure. It enhances a person’s immunity, power, and capability to fight against foreign bodies effectively.

5. Palash (Butea monosperma)

Palash is the best Ayurvedic herb for the functioning of kidneys and eradicates symptoms of kidney failure.

It boosts liver and kidney functions. It acts as an antiseptic and helps one get rid of intestinal infections, worm infestations, intestinal parasites, etc. Thus, it is beneficial in eradicating symptoms of kidney failure. It efficiently controls diabetes by reducing blood sugar. It is an excellent remedy for bones and fractures.

Ayurvedic treatment of Amyloidosis using medicines–

Ayurvedic medicines which can be helpful in Amyloidosis are–

Arogyavardini vati

Punarnava Mandur

Gokashuradi Guggul

Chander Prabha Vati

Ras raj ras

Varihad Vat Chintamani Ras

Kumariasava

Punarnavarishta

Abhaya arishta

Dashmularishta

Prabhakar Vati

Haridyavaran Ras

Yoga asana For Renal Amyloidosis-

Ayurvedic treatment of Amyloidosis is incomplete without including yoga. Yoga, along with Breathing exercises, keeps the mind and body in a sound state. It normalizes the body’s hormones and balances the tridosha (Vata, Pitta, Kapha).

Yoga keeps the internal organs healthy, balances the various systems in the body, and effectively controls the stress on the body and mind. It detoxifies the body and cleanses the internal organs. Yoga also ensures that blood flows to various body parts, keeping them fresh and energetic. Yoga poses stimulate and massage different organs that help bring the body to an optimal condition.

Start with these simple yoga asana to ensure the health of your kidneys. These poses affect other parts of the body as well. So in your practice of yoga for kidney health, you are helping the entire body. Good health starts here.

Yoga asanas bring a state of relaxation to the body. They help to maintain water balance in the body. This enables sound sleep schedules and hence better rest. A well-rested body is better able to perform functions such as regulating water in the body and stabilizing the heartbeat. Some important yoga asana for renal Amyloidosis is as-.

Vajra asana

PawanMukat asana

Manduk asana

Anulom vilom

Kapalbhaati

Shishank asana

Bhujang asana

Shalabh asana

Shavasana

Ardha Matsyendrasana

Paschimottanasana (Two-Legged Forward Bend)

Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)

Naukasana (Boat Pose)