 |
|
 |
| |
|
|
Topic of the Month
Urinary Problems
The urinary tract is made up of the kidneys,
ureters, bladder, and urethra. These organs work together to
produce, transport, store, and excrete urine, the yellowish
fluid that contains waste products removed from the blood. Urine
contains the by-products of our body's metabolism, salts,
toxins, and water. For instance, blood, protein, or white blood
cells in the urine may indicate injury, infection, or
inflammation of the kidneys. Glucose in the urine may be an
indication of diabetes.
Problems in the urinary system can be caused
by ageing, illness, or injury. As you get older, changes in the
kidneys' structure cause them to lose some of their ability to
remove wastes from the blood. Also, the muscles in your ureters,
bladder, and urethra tend to lose some of their strength. You
may have more urinary infections because the bladder muscles do
not tighten enough to empty your bladder completely. A decrease
in strength of muscles of the sphincters and the pelvis can also
cause incontinence, the unwanted leakage of urine. Illness or
injury can also prevent the kidneys from filtering the blood
completely or block the passage of urine.
Symptoms :
Some urinary tract disorders rarely cause symptoms until the
problem is very advanced; these include kidney failure, tumors
and stones that do not block urine flow, and some low-grade
infections. Sometimes, symptoms occur but are very general and
difficult for the doctor to connect to the kidney. For example,
a general feeling of illness (malaise), loss of appetite,
nausea, or generalized itching may be the only symptoms of
chronic kidney failure. In older people, mental confusion may be
the first recognized symptom of infection or kidney failure.
Symptoms that are more suggestive of a kidney or urinary problem
include pain in the side (flank), swelling of the lower
extremities, and problems with urination.
Some Diseases of the Urinary Systems :
Burning or Pain with
Urination (dysuria) :
While passing urine some people feel burning
sensation in the urinary passage. An infection in the urinary
tract caused by diseases like gonorrhoea, enlargement of
prostate, a stone in the urinary bladder or concentrated urine,
as it happens in summer might be responsible for this type of
complaint. Burning sensation may occur along with the passage of
urine or may occur even after that. It may subside by taking
some alkaline drinks or few glasses of water.
Hematuria :
Presence of blood in the urine is called
hematuria. According to Ayurveda it is a form of Adhoga Rakta
Pitta. It is commonly caused by stones or infection in the
genito-urinary tract and some other haemorrhagic conditions.
Nephritis :
This refers to the inflammation of the
kidney. It is of several types and in different stages of the
disease it produces different types of symptoms. In Ayurveda it
is called vrikka shotha.
Depending upon the variety of the nephritis, the signs and
symptoms differ. Usually there is oedema in the face, which is
more prominent in the morning and slowly subsides as the day
passes on. The blood pressure may increase and the patient may
suffer from biliousness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain,
headache and diarrhoea.
Bed wetting :
It is the involuntary urination at night.
Children after the age of 3 or 4 years normally possess
sufficient control over their urinary sphincters in as much as
they pass urine only when they want. Because of certain reasons,
this control does not manifest because of which they continue to
pass urine in bed at night. This continues in some cases, even
up to the age of 15. Both boys and girls suffer from this
ailment.
Kidney Stones :
Urinary stones are gen erally formed by
calcium, phosphates or oxalates. The main parts of the urinary
tract are the kidney, ureter, bladder and urethra. The stones
are formed primarily in the kidney and sometimes remain there
without being noticed for a long time. In certain circumstances
they are slowly dissolved or dislodged and come down, and during
this process, they become lodged in a narrow part of the tract,
giving rise to excruciating pain.
Stones are formed in the body because of vayu. It creates a type
of dryness I the body because of which the chemicals start
accumulating over the nucleus, that ultimately takes the shape
of a stone. At times the entire kidney is filled with these
stones and it becomes calcified and stops functioning. If urine
is not excreted through the kidneys or excreted in small
quantities, uremia sets in and causes many complications. The
same phenomenon takes place if a piece of stone gets lodged in
ureter or bladder.
The patient experiences pain in the lumber region of the kidneys
at the back of the body.
Urinary tract infections
:
It is caused by bacteria in the urinary
tract. Women get UTIs more often than men. Drinking lots of
fluids also helps by flushing out the bacteria.
The name of the UTI depends on its location in the urinary
tract. An infection in the bladder is called cystitis. If the
infection is in one or both of the kidneys, the infection is
called pyelonephritis. 
Prostatitis :
It is inflammation of the prostate gland that
results in urinary frequency and urgency, burning or painful
urination (dysuria), and pain in the lower back and genital
area, among other symptoms. In some cases, prostatitis is caused
by bacterial infection. But the more common forms of prostatitis
are not associated with any known infecting organism
Proteinuria :
It is the presence of abnormal amounts of
protein in the urine. Healthy kidneys take wastes out of the
blood but leave in protein. Protein in the urine does not cause
a problem by itself. But it may be a sign that your kidneys are
not working properly.
Herbs which is useful :
Chandan (Santalum album):
 When
Sandalwood is used for urinary problems, it is usually flush out or disinfect
the urinary system.
Actions : Antiphlogistic, antiseptic, antispasmodic,
expectorant, astringent, bactericidal (aureus pyogenes), and
carminative properties have found which use with a number of
digestive and genito-urinary problems.
It is used for purifying of bladder infections, cystitis,
kidney or bladder inflammation or congestion, pelvic and
prostrate congestion.
Sandalwood is also used for abdominal pain,
burning sensation, difficulty in swallowing, stomach pain,
headache, abnormal thirst, and vomiting. Folk uses include
treatment of heat and sunstroke, gonorrhea, and excessive sex
drive.
Gokshura (Tribulus terrestris):
Action: Diuretic, analgesic, aphrodisiac, lithotriptic,
nervine, rejuvenative, tonic
This herb is used in the treatment of urinary disorders,
impotency, Kidney diseases, gravel diseases of the genito-urinary
system, calculus affections, gout etc. It is also useful for
uterine disorders, diseases of the heart, and many other
conditions.
Ayurveda practitioners consider this herb to be very valuable
in improving vitality. It revitalizes the emaciated human
system. It strengthens the postpartum woman.
Punarnava (Boerrhavia diffusa):
 It
works very well on the urinary system and it targets directly
the damaged nephrons(kidney’s basic functional unit) which
get damaged specially in cases of high blood sugar level i.e
in diabetic people. Punarnava speeds up the filtration process
of kidneys and flushes out the excessive fluids and other
waste products. The herb is a diuretic
that acts on the glomeruli of the kidney through increasing
the heart-beats and strengthening and raising the blood
pressure as a result.
Action: It is bitter, diaphoretic, diuretic, emetic,
expectorant, laxative, rejuvenative, stomachic.
Root- anthelmintic, febrifuge, purgative.
Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia):
Action: Diuretic, alterative, antiperiodic, bitter tonic,
febrifuge
This herb is used in seminal weakness and urinary affections.
Other applications of this herb
include: fever, gout, jaundice, torpidity of the liver, skin
diseases, secondary syphilis, rheumatism, constipation,
tuberculosis, and leprosy.
It is a blood purifier and is
useful in the treatment of immune diseases. It is also being
proposed for cancer patients before and after chemotherapy.
Diet :
Hot spices are to be strictly avoided. The
patient should be given as much water as possible to drink.
Fresh lemon juice, fresh coconut water, orange juice,
sugarcane juice and pineapple juice are extremely useful in
this condition. The patient should be given fruits like apple,
grapes, peaches and plums in good quantity.
Life Style :
The patient should not
expose himself to sun or heat. Excessive perspiration takes
away lot of water from the body and the urine thus becomes
concentrated. Passage of this concentrated urine through the
urinary tract causes irritation and gives rise to burning
sensation.
Yoga for Uninary Disorder :
Gomukhasana (Cow's face pose)
Pawanmuktasana (The knee to
chest)
Ardha Matsendra Asana
(Half spinal twist)
Ayurvedic Supplements :
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
