Abstract 

Liver Cirrhosis is an alarming medical condition. The most common cause of this disease is excess consumption of alcohol. This condition also affects other organs like the heart, kidneys and spleen. Ayurvedic correlation of Liver Cirrhosis is ‘Kumbhakamala’ on the basis of its etiology, symptoms and line of treatment. Ayurvedic medications are also effective in reducing liver cirrhosis complications like ascites, splenomegaly, fulminant hepatitis, liver cancer etc. This article will discuss the role of Ayurveda in liver cirrhosis and the miraculous results it gives.

Etiopathogenesis Of Liver Cirrhosis

Liver being the largest metabolic organ in the body when faced with:

  • An overload of unfavorable factors such as long-term consumption of alcohol, fatty, processed foods. 
  • Infections like hepatitis B, C, Syphilis etc.
  • Conditions like cystic fibrosis, Wilson’s disease, hemochromatosis etc.

can cause injury to the liver. Liver is a regenerative organ. After being injured it tries to repair itself. As a result of repair, a scar forms on the surface of the organ. Repeated process of injury and repair fills the liver with scarring. This is called cirrhosis. It is the last stage of liver damage.

Signs & Symptoms

  • Weight loss
  • Fatigue
  • Pitting oedema in legs and feet
  • Itching
  • Dark yellow urine
  • Clubbing of fingers

Ayurvedic Management Of Liver Cirrhosis

  • Ayurveda manages this condition by improving metabolism, removing toxins from the body, stimulating liver function and rejuvenating herbs like amrita for restoring liver health.
  • Daily purgation is intended as part of the treatment. Purgative drugs like kutki and haritaki are given.
  • Herbal drugs are also used in the complications of cirrhosis eg. Diuretic herbs like punarnava and gokshura for ascites.
  • Some other herbs used widely in treating liver cirrhosis:

-- Makoya

-- Bhumi Amla

-- Kalmegh

-- Bhringraj

-- Nimba

-- Daruharidra

Why Choose Ayurveda?

  • There are more than 300 herbo-mineral preparations available for the treatment of chronic liver diseases in Ayurveda that provide a fast and safe recovery from liver diseases. Safety here is stressed because contemporary drugs have certain toxic effects on the liver which herbal drugs don’t possess. Due to this, Ayurveda has become popular in treating liver diseases.
  • Ayurveda drugs are capable of reversing liver damage and restoring normal liver functioning. Studies have shown the reduction of lab values like SGOT, SGPT and complete clearance of HBSAg within a matter of weeks.
  • Liver transplant is a curative treatment but is not cost effective or easily accessible to all. With the help of herbal medicines, restoration of the liver to such an extent is possible so that surgery can be avoided.

Conclusion

Prevalence of liver diseases has been increasing day by day. Liver cirrhosis is the most dangerous among them. Ayurveda is the ancient Indian system of medicine which is ideally skilled in treating liver diseases with effectiveness and safety. That is why more than 50% people in India trust Ayurveda for treatment of liver diseases. It gives promising results in managing liver cirrhosis without the need for invasive and costly treatments like surgery.