Liver cirrhosis is characterized by the replacement of normal liver tissue with fibrous tissue. This condition occurs when the liver has been exposed to certain causative factors for a prolonged period of time. Liver cirrhosis can be compared to  Kumbhakaamla  as stated in Ayurveda.

In Ayurvedic terms, liver cirrhosis is through to result due to an extreme aggravation of the pitta dosha. The liver is considered as the seat of pitta and therefore, an aggravated pitta dosha affects the functioning of this vital organ that helps eliminate toxins from the body. It can lead to problems such as anemia, jaundice, hemorrhage, ascites, and liver and spleen enlargement. This may end up aggravating and dis-balancing other doshas as well.

Because of aggravation of the pitta dosha, all the functions of the pitta such clarity of skin complexion, hunger, digestion, and production of blood are seriously affected. Because of the aggravation, the rasa and rakta dhatus are severely affected followed by other dhatus.

Ayurvedic treatment for liver ailments is highly recommended as it is completely natural and does not result in any side effects. It helps reverse all of the symptoms of liver cirrhosis and other diseases while restoring the normal functioning of the liver. There are several Ayurvedic remedies that you can practice to relieve the symptoms of liver cirrhosis.



The following are some of the most common Ayurvedic tips for liver cirrhosis:

Patient must take expert opinion of an Ayurveda for the right treatment of liver cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is a complicated and serious situation thus, home remedies or any single herb treatment is not recommended.
Quit alcohol
Eat a well balanced and nutritious diet that contains a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables
Opt for sources of good fats such as nuts, seeds, avocado, soy and olives
Avoid packaged food items with added preservatives, including pickles
Ayurvedic treatment varies from person to person and therefore one must consult an expert and not try any home remedies.

Liver Cirrhosis Treatment With Ayurvedic Remedies 

Miscarriage is a spontaneous abortion that occurs around the first to second trimester of pregnancy; wherein the foetus is automatically expelled from the uterus due to its inability to survive because of environmental influences or chromosomal abnormalities.

Unless the miscarriage occurs due to a severe health issue, the fertility of the woman may not necessarily be compromised. Studies show that one miscarriage doesn t predict the possibility of a future one. Once the bleeding and pain subside, it is the emotional trauma that must be addressed to begin with which poses a greater threat than the physical one.

The fertility of the woman remains unaltered and the body can be ready after the menstrual cycle returns to normal. However, it still requires some time for the woman to be physically and emotionally prepared to go through another pregnancy. The medical history and reasons behind miscarriage must be evaluated before the couple decides to try again.

Complications after miscarriage only occur if the woman is above 35 years of age or has a rather unhealthy lifestyle. The concept of fertility varies from person to person and it isn t possible to pass a common judgement about fertility in this scenario.

The gynaecologist mostly suggests couple therapy after the trauma of the miscarriage. The psychological loss is given more importance before considering another attempt by most doctors. The fertility loss only occurs with age and unhealthy lifestyle and it is widely accepted and proven that a miscarriage has little or nothing to do with it.

Ways to Increase Fertility

If a couple is certain they are ready to conceive again, there are a few things a woman can do to help her chances of becoming pregnant-

The first thing to do is to stop any unhealthy habits. These include smoking, drug use, or alcohol abuse. It s reported that high consumption levels of caffeine are detrimental to conception so that should also be limited.
Eliminating stress can also help. Eliminating stress is one of the most important factors in having a successful pregnancy. So, it makes sense that getting over-stressed can reduce fertility levels.
Eat healthy. If depression was experienced due to the miscarriage, it s possible that the woman s diet has not been the healthiest. It s common for women who have experienced a miscarriage to have a loss of appetite and not eat enough or to eat out of sorrow, eating too much. More attention should be paid to the diet and more healthy foods added to meals.
Talk to a Doctor

If a couple is having issues with fertility after early miscarriage, they should talk to a doctor. There are many options available. More than likely, the first thing the doctor will do is to test fertility levels of both the man and the woman. If you don't want to visit a doctor for this, there is a new at-home kit available called Fertell. This test, retailing for approximately $100, measures fertility levels for both a man and a woman.

If it is found that there is a loss of fertility after early miscarriage, fertility drugs or therapies may be prescribed for a period of time.

The doctor may report that there are no issues with fertility. At this point, it would be a good idea to use an ovulation predictor in order to time effective intercourse. This isn't the most romantic idea, but it may well be one of the most logical ways for a couple to conceive.

Bottom Line

Fertility is not normally decreased after miscarriage. A woman's fertility levels return to normal as soon as her menstrual cycle returns. Fertility may be decreased due to emotional issues as a result of the miscarriage. However, if a couple is ready, both physically and emotionally, there should be no physiological hindrances to conception.

The decision to try again is not an easy one. However, fertility won't typically be an issue.

Pregnancy - Understanding Fertility After Early Miscarriage!

It s been long known about the numerous health benefits of beetroot. Surprisingly though, beetroot has some not-so-known qualities such as increasing stamina, removing skin blemishes and increasing the glow of the face. Apart from this, it can fetch benefits to the skin, hair and the overall health. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of beetroot consumption in vivid detail.

Reduces the impact of aging: Beetroot being a great antioxidant successfully blocks free radicals and helps to fight the symptoms of aging. All it requires is a medium slice beetroot. The juice should be extracted from it and the pulp needs to be removed. The juice then could be applied to the face using cotton balls. Applying this simple solution once in a week can fetch dramatic results.
Reduces blemish and pigmentation: Beetroot is one of the few vegetables that have a large amount of vitamin C embedded in it. It helps the skin to retain its original color, reduces blemishes and pigmentation. 3-4 cubes of beetroot serving twice a week should do the trick.
Hair loss: Beetroot is a great source of food to stay away from hair loss. Being a good source of potassium, beetroot can prevent hair loss and enhance hair growth. A weekly serving of 3-4 cube of beetroot over a span of few months will show visible results.
Improves liver function: Beetroot contains glutathione that is known to be a great agent for the liver. It acts as a detox diet and helps in functioning of the liver. This liver, in turn, helps the body to detox. Beetroot also helps in the regeneration of cells of the liver.
Boost hemoglobin: Beetroot is an excellent source of iron and folate. These are the nutrients that are required for the body to maintain an adequate amount of hemoglobin in the body. A deficiency in the hemoglobin level can lead to anemia. Regular consumption of beetroot can ensure that a person refrains from deadly diseases such as anemia.
Fight inflammation: Some typical symptoms of inflammation include infection, trauma etc. This is a sign of the immune system not acting efficiently against sudden panic. Some typical symptoms include pain, redness, swelling etc. Beetroot in known to have a super-efficient anti-inflammatory response. Injection of beetroot is often suggested by medical practitioners.
Cancer prevention: Beetroot can elevate the level of oxygen in the blood. Since cancer cells are acidic in nature, beetroot can successfully neutralize them due to its alkaline nature. Owing to this anti-cancer properties, oncologists often suggests the intake of beetroot juice on a regular basis to patients suffering from liver, rectal, colon and various other types of cancer. 2 glasses of beetroot juice are often recommended for cancer patients.

Beetroot (Chukundar) - 7 Reasons Why You Must Eat Them!

The liver is the engine of the human body. It is basically composed of 2 types of cells (a cell is the basic building block of the human body)   hepatocytes (liver cells) and cholangiocytes (bile duct cells). It also has other supporting tissue and their respective cells. The hepatocytes are by far the most numerous cell type, not surprisingly tumours (otherwise called mass or lump.  Tumor  means lump in Latin), of this cell form the majority of abnormal growths in the liver. Abnormal growths can be benign (that is, they do not grow rapidly, spread to other parts of the organ or to other parts of the body) or malignant (grow rapidly, spread to other parts of the organ and to other parts of the body, i.e. cancer). These abnormal growths from liver cells are Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH), Adenomas (the benign variety) and hepatocellular cancer (otherwise called Hepatoma/HCC, the cancerous type). What we need to recognize is that certain adenomas can turn into HCC, over a period of time. The other type of growths in the liver are those that have originated elsewhere in the body and spread to the liver, for example a growth of the breast spreading to the liver. These are in fact the commonest tumours of the liver. I will discuss these at a later date.

Benign growths of the liver

Common benign growths are Haemangiomas, FNH and Adenoma. Most of these are identified when a scan is performed as investigation for some other problem. Accurate diagnosis of the nature of these lumps is important to determine the type of treatment needed. This can be ascertained by a carefully selected scan like an Ultrasound, CT scan or an MRI. The technology of these scans is continuing to evolve and get better year on year. There are different types of Ultrasound, CT and MRI scans with different applications, based on whether contrast is used or not, the different phases of scanning, the type of MRI scanning sequence etc. Therefore, these scans although commonly available and used very frequently, need to be performed under the supervision of a team involving Liver doctors and radiologist who is well versed in the diagnosis of liver lumps, for accurate diagnosis without the need for unnecessary tests (Box 1).

Haemangiomas are by far the commonest. It is estimated that 5% of the adult population harbor this lump in their livers! They occur in both sexes and at all ages but are commonest between 30 to 50 years in women. Most of them are small, less than 4-5 cms in diameter and are are identified on Ultrasound. MRI and its various applications is the scan of choice for accurate diagnosis. This is crucial as most of them do not need treatment.

Focal Nodular Hyperplasia (FNH) are the second most common liver lumps. They are usually single and small (less than 4 cms) and occur in women between 35   50 years of age. About 2.5-3% of population harbor this lump in their livers. Special MRI techniques using special contrast agents is diagnostic and the findings are quite distinct from haemangiomas. Again treatment is not recommended apart from selected circumstances. Assessment in a dedicated Liver team is recommended for accurate diagnosis and a proper management plan to be formulated.

Hepatic adenomas (Hepatocellular adenoma, HCA) are rare lumps and occur in 0.2 to 0.3% of the population, again occurring mostly in young women during their reproductive period. They are again solitary and most usually 3-4 ms in diameter.

There are a couple characteristics which make this lump different from the previous 2, there is a strong relation between hormones the development of HCA and some of these HCA can turn into the malignant Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, accurate characterization and diagnosis of these HCA is essential. Sometimes biopsy of the lump, molecular and genetic tests maybe necessary to determine if the HCA has a high chance of progressing to HCC. Imaging tests are generally adequate, contrast MRI Liver and its different techniques is accurate in diagnosing HCA and sub-typing it, however CT and contrast-enhanced Ultrasound is sometimes necessary along with MRI.

Generally, a HCA in a male is recommended for surgical resection. While in women, discontinuation of the OCP pill/ any other such hormone is recommended for a period of 6 months, if the HCA does not have any worrying features and size is less than 5 cms. IF HCA is larger than 5 cms and has features suggestive of a high risk for change to HCC, surgery is advised. Again these decisions have to be made as a part of a Multi-disciplinary team (Box 1)

Malignant growths beginning within the Liver

As mentioned earlier, usually malignant growths which are seen in the liver spread to it from elsewhere in the body. Hepatocellular cancer/Hepatoma (HCC) is the commonest malignant tumour beginning within the liver, as apposed to those that spread to the liver from elsewhere. It occurs between 40-70 years of age and occurs commonly in men. It is estimated that 17000 new patients develop this tumour every year in India. The vast majority (> 80%) of these develop in patients who have chronic liver disease (cirrhosis). Importantly the number of HCC cases is increasing year on year as cirrhosis due to fatty liver disease, Hepatitis B (3% of Indian population carry this virus, ie nearly 40 million individuals) and alcohol are continuing to increase in India. Nearly overall it is the 4th or 5th most common cause of cancer and the second most common cause of cancer-related death. This is continuing to increase too. We do not have a national policy in India to screen and diagnose these lumps in the liver at an early stage. Most patients present at a late stage when effective treatment is not possible.

Hepatitis B is a vaccine-preventable disease, there are good drugs to treat it and decrease the risk of cirrhosis and HCC in HBV patients, therefore it is important to test for this virus infection. The fatty liver disease can cause chronic liver damage and HCC, regular exercise and consuming a balanced diet can reduce the risk of fatty liver disease.

The usual mode of detection of these growths is when a scan is done for some other reason. Occasionally patients can develop pain in the abdomen or jaundice which leads to an investigation. The treatment of HCC depends on the extent of tumour, the extent of the chronic liver disease (the stage of cirrhosis) and the overall condition of the patient. These patients are best seen, assessed and treated in a team (Box 1) which specializes in the treatment of Liver disease.

The best treatment for HCC is surgery. However, this is suitable only for certain carefully selected patients. This can take the form of liver resection (where a portion of the liver with tumour is removed) or liver transplantation (where the whole liver is removed and a donated liver (full or partial) is replaced into the patient. Indeed surgical has excellent survival rates; more than 75% of patients survive for more than 5 years after resection or transplantation making treatment for these cancers one of the most satisfactory.

Other treatments which can be combined with surgery in selected patients or can be combined with patients not suitable for surgery are different types of Interventional radiological therapy   chemotherapy or radiotherapy delivered through fine catheters introduced into the blood vessels of the liver (TACE: Transarterial chemotherapy, TARE: Transarterial radiotherapy) and or heat energy delivered to the tumour area by means of carefully placed needles/probes (RFA: radiofrequency ablation, MWA: microwave ablation).

HCC is unique cancer as its treatment should be tailored to the patient, the treatments are varied and range from catheter-based non-invasive treatment to major surgery and transplantation. This necessitates that HCC patients are best managed in a multidisciplinary team which is highly skilled in and specializes in the management of liver diseases.

Box 1: A liver tumour multidisciplinary team   Integrated Liver Care team

The team should be one with expertise in the management of benign liver lesions and should include a Hepatologist, a Hepatobiliary & Transplant surgeon, Diagnostic and Interventional radiologists, Medical oncologist and a Pathologist.

Each member of the team must hold specific and relevant training, expertise and experience relevant to the management of benign liver lesions.

The team should be one with the skills required not only to appropriately manage these patients but also to manage the rare but known complications of diagnostic or therapeutic interventions.

The Increasing Problem Of Liver Tumours In India!

Interstitial Cystitis is also known as painful bladder syndrome. It is characterized by the inflammation of the bladder wall. It is the chronic inflammation of the bladder. The exact cause has not been identified yet, though some believe that it might be due to the defect in the bladder lining or an autoimmune disorder. Interstitial cystitis is believed to resemble a bacterial infection, but the short term antibiotics have been found to be of no or less use.
The symptoms of interstitial cystitis are:

Frequency of urination during the day and night
Urgency of urinating
Pain associated with urinating or pain in the abdomen, vaginal and urethral area
Ayurvedic Treatment for Interstitial Cystitis

Chanderprabha Vati: This is a blend of 23 natural ingredients. This herbal remedy is useful in patients who are suffering from excess urination problem. This formulation has properties, which are helpful in the urine retention and reduce the inflammation in the pelvic areas. Dosage of this is two tablets twice a day with lukewarm water.
Chandanadhi Vati: This consist natual ingredients like Shweta chandana (Santalum album), Maricha (Piper cubeba), Gandha biroja satva (Pinus longifolia sap), Kattha (Acacia catechu), Amalaki (Emblica officinalis), Rala (Vateria indica extract), Karpura (Cinnamomum camphora), Chandana taila (Sandal wood oil) and Daruharidra (Berberis aristata). The product helps to resolve interstitial cystitis by controlling urination, reduces inflammation and burning sensation. Two tablets twice a day with lukewarm water are taken.
Punarnava Mandur: This is a pack of the herbal remedies and has quite satisfactory results in the patients. This balances the vata and pitta, the major dosha and causes of interstitial cystitis. Two tablets twice a day with lukewarm water is the ideal dosage.
Varunadi Vati: This is a blend of natural products like Varun (Crataeva nurvala), Punarnava (Boerhavia diffusa), Gokshur (Tribulus terrestris) and Shuddha guggulu (Comniphera mukul). The ingredients have the property to treat the symptoms of interstitial cystitis. This is helpful in urine retention and reducing inflammation. Dosage of this is two tablets twice a day with lukewarm water.
Boswellia Curcumin: This is prepared by the extracts of Shallaki (Boswellia serrata) and Curcumin (Curcuma longa). This herbal product has anti-inflammatory properties and provides relief from inflammation in the pelvic area and other symptoms associated of interstitial cystitis. The dosage of this herbal product is one capsule twice a day with plain water. Also, if had after meals then it is very effective.

Interstitial Cystitis - How Ayurveda Can Treat it? 

The human body s ability to manage the fats consumed and the way the liver functions to handle this in the overall metabolism setting are dependent on choline. Choline, which is present mostly in the form of Vitamin B12, is available in plenty in most of the foods consumed by people regularly. The issue arises when the body system fails to absorb choline nutrient from the food consumed. There are also cases where the dietary intake does not possess adequate choline in it.

Natural Difficulty in Absorbing Choline
There are certain conditions in which the system finds it difficult to absorb choline though the diet may contain the nutrient. People who have just undergone a by-pass surgery or those who have had a kidney transplant done or if there is already a liver problem like cirrhosis face this issue. There are other reasons also which can lead to choline deficiency, such as the prolonged intake of anti-convulsant drugs and so on.

How to Detect or What are the Symptoms?
Some apparent symptoms can lead the GP to ask for more tests to establish that the person does have choline deficiency. In normal person, even high blood pressure could be caused due to choline deficiency. Then in many cases, a blood test for any other condition might reveal very low levels of VLDL (Very Low-Density Lipoprotein). This substance in the blood is used by the liver to transport fats and naturally, if VLDL is below a certain threshold the person is bound to be suffering from choline deficiency. High level of cholesterol is another symptom. It has to be understood that choline is also essential for the human brain to be functioning at its active best. Deficiency of choline can lead to an early setting in of dementia. Of course, any patient with liver and kidney related condition reaching the doctor will be checked for choline deficiency since these are closely related.

Where to Get Choline from?
The next obvious question is which foods can get you choline easily and you won t suffer from a deficiency. As mentioned there are plenty of food items of daily consumption which have choline in them. The most frequently recommended are the yolk of the egg. Pastured eggs are recommended and though even one egg can give some 115mgms of choline, you can make a couple of eggs a part of your daily breakfast menu. The other suggestion is raw liver as in beef liver which is quite rich in choline. Those who consume only vegetarian foods can always eat a lot of green vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage and also nuts and legumes (soaked) and milk and yoghurt are all good for choline intake.

Choline is an essential nutrient in the human body and is critical to the growth and development of cognitive functions and its deficiency can lead to many serious conditions, including liver impairment and brain disorders. There are plenty of foods rich in choline and should be consumed regularly.


Choline Deficiency - Signs You Are Suffering From It + Sources Of Choline!! 

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