Tag: herbs for ulcerative colitis

How does Pitta Balance Works in Ulcerative Colitis Treatment?

Overview

What actually is Ulcerative Colitis? In fact, it is a chronic disease that occurs in the large intestine also known as the colon. The lining of the colon gets inflamed and gets scared by some open pores also called ulcers, which produces mucous & pus. This very combination of ulceration and inflammation can cause abdominal area uncomfortable and you feel the urge to visit the toilet more frequently.

When the immune system begins to working abnormally, it starts affecting the harmless particles that are needed by the body to function properly. It gets perplexed and starts killing these invaders so that they don’t create any infection in the body.

It gets confused and can’t differentiate between the good bacteria and bad bacteria and starts killing both. Its duty is to protect the body from harmful  and toxic substances  but it is unable to distinguish the body’s own healthy cells and the foreign substances which leads to various disorders and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) are one of them.

That’s when the bowel system begins irregular movements and causes inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). When such a situation gets created, the body transports the white blood cells to the lining of the intestines, where they get busy with producing chronic inflammation and ulcerations.

Mostly this disease begins in the rectal area, but with the passage of time, it might involve the whole of the large intestine. As this disease is concerned with the large intestine, the symptoms develop gradually rather than suddenly.

Ulcerative colitis is spreading its wings globally. It can happen to anyone at any age, but it  peaks within the age group between 15 – 30 years and then again at the age of 50 – 70 years. Males & females are equally affected. Such a classical disease is called grahani in Ayurveda. The main symptoms of grahani are loose motions along with bleeding and mucous also coming with the stools and this thing gives a ghastly smell.

Grahani affects the Agni (the digestive fire) and makes Pitta dosha to get aggravated and also imbalances the Vata dosha. In such a situation the wastage gets accumulated and forms Ama, which begins coming out with stools and indigestion takes place. This often harms the rakta dhatu (blood tissue) and mamsa dhatu (muscle tissue). All these disturb the normal functioning of the intestines.

Ulcerative colitis Symptoms and causes

Its symptoms that surface gradually can be;

  • Diarrhea.
  • Bloody diarrhea.
  • Abdominal pain, often in the lower left section.
  • Nausea.
  • Vomiting.
  • Unintentional weight loss.
  • Loss of appetite.
  • Low-grade fever.
  • Rectal pain.
  • Rectal bleeding.
  • Skin lesions.
  • Sounds from the abdomen.
  • Rumbling sounds from the stomach.
  • Mouth ulcers.
  • Distended abdomen.
  • Nasty body odor.

Causes of Ulcerative Colitis

There are many causes  that are responsible for creating such an environment that gives birth to Ulcerative Colitis, such as:

  • One of the main culprits that cause Ulcerative Colitis is chronic constipation and the use of drugs that empty your bowels. All these drugs have some kinds of side effects. Constipation is responsible for causing an accumulation of hard fecal matter which is never evacuated properly. The drugs to eradicate constipation are the ones that result in irritation. ‘Why cry over the spilled milk,’ now better be ready to face the consequences.
  • Usually, Ulcerative Colitis results from poorly digested or undigested roughage, which belongs to the cereals (often low quality) and refined carbohydrates, which often causes bowel irritation and they begin functioning irregularly.
  • There are some other causes of this disease such as an allergic sensitivity to some foods, consumption of antibiotics, an illness that restricts that flow of blood to the colon gets stretched for a long time and severe stress arises (which compromises the whole of the immune system).
  • A gluten allergy can also cause Ulcerative Colitis.

Colitis, if ignored may manifest as a symptom for more serious diseases like cancer or TB.

According to Ayurveda

  • According to Ayurveda the treatment should be focused on rekindling the Agni by pacifying the doshas involved in creating such a grim situation. It also reduces the Ama and this disease is thought to be cured only when the Agni remains stable without the use of any medicines.
  • Such a disease can be detected by various different tests like stool test, blood test, colonoscopy,Sigmoidoscopy, CT scan, MRI, ultrasound etc. Once confirmed, Ayurveda has its own rules to eradicate it with natural treatments.
  • It is popularly known as Pittaj Grahani as this disease gets created when Pitta dosha gets aggravated and creates an imbalance between the different doshas. Initially Vata dosha is also involved in some cases, but mostly it has links with Pitta dosha.
  • The accumulation of Pitta aggravated foods and the current lifestyle lead to the creation of Ama that resides in the villi of the large intestine, creating a smooth coating on its walls that impairs the normal functioning and also disturbs the immunity of all intestines. Vata dosha which is present in the lower colon also gets disturbed and hinders the Pitta and Kapha channels, thus  causing inflammation, mucous collection and edema.

Ayurvedic treatment of Ulcerative Colitis

Ayurvedic treatment of Ulcerative Colitis

  • Ayurvedic treatment of Ulcerative Colitis generally involves gently eliminating the Ama, rekindling digestive fire and creating  healthy bacteria in the  gut. After the strength of the immune system of the body is restored, the treatment just focuses on the natural healing of the ulcers, which can be done by buying Pitta balance made by Planet Ayurveda.

How does Pitta Balance Works in Ulcerative Colitis Treatment?

  • Pitta balance has a cool effect on your body because it is made from classical Ayurvedic calcium compounds. It halts the bleeding only after a few doses. It fulfills the dosage of calcium that the body lacks by getting the calcium extracted from pearls and corals.
  • In Ayurveda world  Mukta pishti is prepared after getting the authentic powder of pearls and then sprinkle this powder with rose water under  moonlight and let it stay as it is for 30 nights continuously. It becomes so strong that it restores the balance which was disturbed by Pitta dosha.
  • The inflammation is minimized, and the cure is inevitable.
  • Other ingredients of Pitta Balance Capsules are: Praval Pishti (Coral Calcium), Akik Pishti (Agate Calcium), Jawar Mohra Pishti (An Ayurvedic Calcium Compound), Kamdudha Ras (An Ayurvedic Calcium Compound) and Tinospora cordifolia stem extract.

Herbal Remedies for ulcerative Colitis

  • There are certain herbal remedies that can be found and used at home to pacify the colitis like Coconut water, Marigold flower (Genda), juice of Doob grass (DurvaCynodon dactylon), Olive oil,  Rose, Drumstick (Moringa), Pomegranate, fennel, and some Spices mixed powder with equal quantities of, green cardamom and nutmeg powder.

How to Take

  • Have 1 teaspoon of this powder twice a day with filtered water.

Note

  • All the above-mentioned remedies are there to prevent and treat your Ulcerative Colitis, but before you proceed, seek the advice of an Ayurvedic expert. He/she can guide you in a better way.

How to Treat and Prevent Ulcerative Colitis Flares Naturally

OVERVIEW

It is inflammatory disease which includes colon, rectum along with a small part of small intestine. Ulcerative colitis comes under the category of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Crohn’s disease comes under the second category of inflammatory bowel diseases. It can sometimes results in serious problems, as it is a chronic disease.

Due to changing eating habits as well as changing lifestyle, abdominal problems like- gastritis, bloating, constipation are becoming most common. These issues looks quite simple to handle but if not diagnosed or treated early may results into a disease called as “Ulcerative Colitis”. From the past few years, there is a rise in number of patients suffering from ulcerative colitis. Unfortunately, according to modern medicine, it is considered as incurable disease.

It is also known as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) which is regarded as a chronic ailment of colon. According to modern medicine, it is believed that food allergy, intake of certain medicines for a long duration, intake of antibiotics for a longer time, incompatible food, eating late nights can result in developing this disease.

Ulcerative colitis treatment in ayurveda

According to Ayurveda

  • As Ayurveda believes in curing the disease from the root, this problem has a proper solution. According to Ayurveda, it initiates with mild diarrhea then leads to stools with Ama [toxic substances] then results in constipation.
  • In Ayurveda, it is also known as pittaj grahani.

Classification of Ulcerative Colitis

It is the most serious & common disorder and is classified into 3 types on the basis of severity

  1. Mild
  2. Moderate
  3. Severe

MILD– The characteristic features of mild ulcerative colitis are-

  1. Four or less than four stools per day
  2. Stools may with or without blood
  3. No systemic disturbances
  4. No change in the ESR value [erythrocyte sedimentation rate]

MODERATE- The characteristic features of moderate ulcerative colitis are-

  1. More than 4 stools daily
  2. Few systemic disturbances

SEVERE– The characteristic features of severe ulcerative colitis are-

  1. Not less than 6 stools daily
  2. Stools with blood
  3. More systemic disturbances like fever, anemia, tachycardia
  4. Greater changes in the ESR value[ erythrocyte sedimentation rate]

Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis

Commonly the patients have ulcers in their inner lining of the colon who suffers from the ulcerative colitis shows symptoms like:

  • Abdominal Pain
  • Stool in blood
  • Diarrhea
  • Pain in rectal area
  • Increase in bowel sounds
  • Rectal bleeding
  • Weight loss
  • Fever
  • Malnutrition [poor health]

Symptoms vary with the location of ulceration:

  • When inflammation occurs in rectal along with sigmoid region then sufferers have symptoms of urgency, painful feeling during defecation, bleeding in the rectal area.
  • When inflammation occurs in rectum with left part of colon then sufferers have symptoms of pain in left part of abdomen, abdominal cramps, weight loss, watery stools mixed with blood.
  • When inflammation covers whole colon then the individual have symptoms of fatigue, fever, night sweats, abdominal pain and abdominal cramps.

Diagnosis of Ulcerative Colitis

As ulcerative colitis involves only colon and rectum, it is easy to diagnose. Some of the diagnostic tools are as follows-

  1. Flexible sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy– colonoscopy is the preferred choice as it can be uses to see the whole colon.
  2. Biopsies which are collected during the procedure of colonoscopy/sigmoidoscopy
  3. x-ray of abdominal area
  4. Stool analysis
  5. Barium enema
  6. MRI or CT scan
  7. Urine and blood test to check for inflammation, anemia and malnutrition.

Natural Treatment for Ulcerative Colitis with Diet

As a healthy diet which is rich in all vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins and fats prevents in remission of ulcerative colitis, so diet is a crucial factor in the patients having ulcerative colitis. The diet should include various foods:

Low-fat dairy products

  • The dairy products can be consumed in moderate amounts until unless it does not cause any trouble in the digestive tract.
  • A low quantity of milk does not harm stomach.
  • If milk leads to trouble in digestive tract like gas, bloating, or a stomach upset, then start drinking soy milk or lactose free milk.

Fruits and vegetables

  • A diet including variety of different fresh fruits is very much beneficial for patients who are having ulcerative colitis.
  • So fresh fruits which provides greater amount of vitamins, nutrients, water but less fibre are doing wonderful job to prevent pain in abdomen, abdominal cramps and disturbed bowel movements.

Fresh fruits that are easily digested in the patients suffering from ulcerative colitis such as bananas, avocados,cooked apples, seedless grapes, peaches

  • Healthy fats like vegetable oils
  • Fish, Lean meat and poultry
  • Vegetables but without seeds

Soft Bland Foods

  • These kinds of foods are very beneficial in some of the digestive tract problems such as ulcerative colitis. Soft bland foods which can be used in ulcerative colitis are oatmeal, puffed rice, hominy grits, wheat cream, boiled eggs, gelatin, mashed potatoes, cooked vegetables such as asparagus, mushrooms, carrots and spinach and brown rice.

Natural Herbs for Ulcerative Colitis

Aloe Vera:

  • Aloe Vera helps in the treatment of ulcerative colitis due to its anti-inflammatory properties. According to some studies, it is believed that patients having aloe Vera for 4 weeks shows better results rather than people who are not having.

How to Use

Mix aloe Vera gel into a glass of water and then drink it on the daily basis before going to bed.

Andrographis paniculata

  • This herb helps in the treatment of ulcerative colitis. This herb is most commonly used to treat this disease.

Boswellia

  • This herb helps in the treatment of ulcerative colitis due to its anti-inflammatory properties. This herb helps in protecting our body from cells of ulcerative colitis.

Curcumin

  • This herb’s abilities to reduce cytokines and interleukins associated with inflammatory bowel disease, helps in the treatment of ulcerative colitis. According to some studies, it is believed that if patient continue to have curcumin or turmeric on daily basis, will show betterment of symptoms of ulcerative colitis.