Herbs Used to Recover From Jaundice

CHENNAI: As summer heat has begun to be felt has started it is time to know about some diseases like jaundice that are common in hot climate. This is a condition where the skin and the whites of the eyes have a yellow tinge. Modern medicine does not consider it a disease but a symptom of liver disorders like liver infection, gallstones and cirrhosis of liver. In Siddha, jaundice is known as kamalai.

Causes

Presence in the blood of excessive bile acid, a digestive acid produced in the liver.

Blockage of bile ducts due to:

•   Gallstones
•   Hepatitis due to infections like hepatitis virus A,B,C,D,E…etc.

Some diseases which block the bile duct include:

•   Haemolytic anaemia
•   Typhoid
•   Malaria
• Yellow fever
•   Tuberculosis
•   Alcoholic hepatitis

Symptoms

•   Yellowing of skin, eyes, tongue and urine
• Headache
• Fever
• Nausea
• Loss of appetite
•   Pain around the liver

Siddha View

It is due to pitta (humor representing fire) aggravation. The aggravated pitta then impairs the blood and the muscle tissue of the liver causing blockage in the channels of the liver. Thus pitta (in the form of bile) is thrown back into the blood leading to discoloration of the eyes and skin. Siddha treatment of jaundice involves pacifying aggravated body energies using herbs that stimulate the function of the liver and increase the flow of bile in the bile duct. Digestion is also restored with the help of a customised diet plan to ensure efficient metabolism

Diet & Lifestyle Advice

• Avoid hot, spicy, oily, and heavy foods.
• Avoid refined flour, polished rice (white rice), mustard oil, canned or preserved foods, cakes, chocolates, alcoholic beverages and aerated drinks.
• Increase intake of whole-wheat flour, brown rice or parboiled rice, bananas, tomatoes, spinach, potatoes, gooseberries (amla), grapes, radishes, lemons, dried dates, raisins and almonds.
•   Avoid unnecessary exercise, stressful conditions.
•   Avoid exposure to the sun.

 — Dr B Thamizhkkani (Government Siddha Physician, Ariyalur)