Liver cirrhosis

Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, is a condition in which the liver does not function properly due to long-term damage. This damage is characterized by the replacement of normal liver tissue by scar tissue. Typically, the disease develops slowly over months or years and immunity becomes low as a result he or she also becomes more susceptible to other diseases.

Cirrhosis often has no signs or symptoms until liver damage is extensive. When signs and symptoms do occur, they may include:

• Fatigue
• Easily bleeding or bruising
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Swelling in your legs, feet or ankles (edema)
• Weight loss
• Itchy skin
• Yellow discoloration in the skin and eyes (jaundice)
• Fluid accumulation in abdomen (ascites)
• Spider Like blood vessels on your skin
• Redness in the palms of the hands
• For women, absent or loss of periods not related to menopause
• For men, loss of sex drive, breast enlargement (gynecomastia) or testicular atrophy
• Confusion, drowsiness and slurred speech (hepatic encephalopathy).

• Chronic alcohol abuse
• Chronic viral hepatitis (hepatitis B, C and D)
• Fat accumulating in the liver (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease)
• Iron buildup in the body (hemochromatosis)
• Cystic fibrosis
• Copper accumulated in the liver (Wilson's disease)
• Poorly formed bile ducts (biliary atresia)
• Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
• Inherited disorders of sugar metabolism (galactosemia or glycogen storage disease)
• Genetic digestive disorder (Alagille syndrome)
• Liver disease caused by your body's immune system (autoimmune hepatitis)
• Destruction of the bile ducts (primary biliary cirrhosis)
• Hardening and scarring of the bile ducts (primary sclerosing cholangitis.
• Infection, such as syphilis or brucellosis.
• Medications, including methotrexate or isoniazid.

     It may also be caused by          

• Due to excessive intake of spicy,sour,alkaline food unwholesome food.
• Sleeping during day time and exercise as well as sexual intercouse when food is not digested properly .
• Improper administration of panchakarma therapy.
• Suppression of natural urges.

Liver Cirrhosis is compared with Kumbhakaamla in Ayurveda. According to Ayurveda there are three elements present in our body: vata, pitta and kapha. Because of the above said causes  Pitta gets aggravated and enters channels of the body with the help of vata, resulting  in discolorations of the body. If it is not treated properly and again the patient is involved in pitta aggravating spicy, salty, alkaline food it will lead to the condition called kumbhakamala.

Treatment protocol aims at:

1. Achieve proper liver function and  heals the damaged cells.
2. Improving immunity 
3. Rejuvenating  the liver cells and preventing liver damage (Hepatoprotective).

The first line of treatment should always be avoiding the causative factors. If the problem persists then consider the following treatment protocol.

• Fatigue, weight loss, nausea and loss of appetite - Liver is a part of the digestive system improper functioning of the liver leads to poor appetite and weight loss resulting in fatigue/weakness - Haritaki, Amalaki, Bibhitaki will stimulate and cleanse the digestive system. It rejuvenates the whole body.
• Easily bleeding or bruising - Blood doesn't clot properly due to slow production of proteins needed for blood clotting resulting in bruising and bleeding. Manage this condition Bhrngaraja, Kutaki, Kumari. It will help to prevent liver damage (hepatoprotective)  and improve sexual health.
• Swelling in legs, feet and ankles- Cirrhosis slows the normal flow of blood through the liver, thus increasing pressure in the blood vessel. The increased pressure in the blood vessels can cause fluid to accumulate in the legs (edema) and in the abdomen (ascites).Punarnava Mandura, Punarnava are effective in  treating swelling and improving the function of the liver.
• Yellowing of skin and eyes (jaundice), itching - Jaundice forms when there is too much bilirubin in your system. Bilirubin is formed by the breakdown of red blood cells in the body. The liver helps to excrete it. If the liver is not working properly excretion will not happen and leads to high bilirubin level. Due to bile products being deposited in the skin it will cause itching, Arogyavardhini vati and Bhrngaraja help to check the bilirubin mechanism in blood.

           (The above mentioned Ayurvedic drugs are Herbs and Herbomineral preparations)

Other Therapies:  Virechana/Purgation therapy (cleaning digestive tract and purifies blood).

Haritaki, Amalaki, Bibhitaki , Bhrngaraja, Kutaki, Kumari, Punarnava Mandura, Punarnava, Arogyavardhini vati .