Urological Disorders and Ayurveda Treatment
The urinary tract is your body’s drainage system for removing urine.The urinary tract includes kidneys, ureters and bladder. A healthy, non-infectious urinary tract, which is working in the correct order as per the body’s control mechanism is needed to excrete the wastes normally.Normally, the urine contains the by-products of our body’s metabolism,salt, toxins and water. Any metabolic abnormality in the body can be reflected in the form of changes in the urine appearance or chemical properties. For example, in case of an injury, infection or inflammation,the urine can contain blood, protein or white blood cells. Glucose present in the urine may help in confirming the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus.
Urological disorders or diseases include urinary tract infections, kidney stones, bladder control problems and prostate problems, among others. Some urological conditions last for a short time while others are long lasting.
Burning Or Pain in Urination:
Aggravated Pitta can cause the burning sensation while passing urine.The underlying cause can be a urinary tract infection (UTI), stones in the kidney, ureter or bladder, enlarged prostate (in men) or poor hygiene.
Urinary Incontinence:
Involuntary urine leakage usually happens because of loss of urinary bladder control, which may happen because of weak bladder muscles,weak sphincter muscles, overactive bladder, infections or neurological diseases like Parkinson’s disease.
Haematuria:
As per Ayurveda, blood in urine is a form of adhoga raktapitta. The underlying cause can be renal stones, infection in the genital tract or other pathologies like kidney or bladder cancer, inflammation in any part of the urinary tract, bleeding disorders, sickle cell disease,tuberculosis or strenuous exercise.
Prostatitis:
Prostate is a gland below the bladder and in front of the rectum in men.Inflammation of the prostate gland results in urinary frequency and urgency, burning and painful urination and pain in the lower genital areas. It is commonly caused by bacterial infection.
Nephritis:
Nephritis is inflammation of the kidneys. In Ayurveda, it is called vrikka shotha. It can be acute or chronic based on the duration of disease. It can be of different types depending on the specific conditions like glomerulo, primary glomerulo, autoimmune, lupus, pyelo and interstitial.Symptoms are usually edema around the face, abdominal pain, headache, diarrhea, nausea and increased blood pressure in the morning.
Aging Changes In The Kidneys And Bladder:
With age, many degenerative changes start happening in our body including the urinary tract system. Amount of kidney tissues and function start diminishing, bladder wall may becomes more stiff and less stretchy, thus losing the control gradually while urethra may become partially or totally blocked causing urine retention. Common problems faced by elderly are:
- Bladder control issues such as leakage of urinary incontinence(not being able to hold your urine), or urinary retention (not being able to completely empty your bladder),
- Bladder and other urinary tract infections(UTIs),
- Chronic Kidney disease
Approach of Ayurveda In Urinary Tract Diseases:
Conditions affecting the urinary tract and kidneys are broadly termed Mutravahasrota Roga in Ayurveda. Generally, the diseases creating obstruction in the bladder and urethra are known as Mutraghata.Metabolic diseases that are characterized by excessive urination are known as Prameha, which are of 20 types including Diabetes Mellitus.Ayurveda focuses on treating the disease not just symptomatically but also from its root cause, with following approaches:
Panchakarma:
Panchakarma therapy is the holistic method of elimination of the toxins and root causes of the disease. It includes detoxification of the body by flushing out the infection, cleansing the blockage of the urinary tract and administering herbs that tone the kidneys and normalize the function of the Vata. It includes treatments such as Snehapana (oral administration of medicated ghee or oil) , Abhyanga (Massage),Swedana (Steam), Medicated Enema, Virechana (Purgation with herbs)and uttar Vasti.
Ayurvedic Medication:
Herbal medicinal plants like Guduchi, Punarnava, Haritaki, Daruharidra etc act as urinary antiseptic and anti-adhesion. Your physician will prescribe the best combination as per your symptoms and diagnosis.
Ayurvedic Lifestyle For Urinary Problems:
- Avoid holding the urge to urinate as it retains the toxins in the system
- Avoid dehydration by limiting exposure to extreme heat and sun
- Avoid dampness and moisture that can cause urinary infection
- Starting your day with a soothing coriander drink will nourish and cool your urinary tract and help flush out toxins
- Eat seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables to strengthen body’s defence mechanism
- Bladder and other urinary tract infections(UTIs),
- Do yoga asanas to strengthen the pelvic floor and urinary system.Few of the asanas which can help are Tadasana (mountain pose),Utkatasana (chair pose), Virbhadrasana (warrior pose), Malaasana (Garland pose), Supta Baddha Konaasana, Setu Bandhaasana(Bridge pose), Salabhaasana (Locust pose),Mula bandha (root lock)