| Nephrotic Syndrome is a disease seen more in | | | | Diseases caused by disturbed kapha dosha present |
| children aged 18 months to 8 years and also in adults, | | | | gradually, and the response to treatment is also slow. |
| and is characterized by high levels of protein in the | | | | Hence, such disorders, incuding kidney-related |
| urine, low levels of protein in the blood, and high | | | | diseases, need long-term treatment. |
| cholesterol. This results from damage to the blood | | | | Ayurvedic formulations useful in kidney disease are: |
| vessels in the kidneys, usually due to disease, | | | | Gomutra Haritaki, Chandraprabha, Arogya Vardhini, |
| infection, some cancers, medicines, or unknown | | | | Punarnavadi Qadha, Gokshuradi Guggulu, Punarnavadi |
| causes. Treatment outcome is usually more favorable | | | | Guggulu, and Saarivadyasava. Herbal medicines used |
| in younger children. | | | | are: Punarnava (Boerhaavia diffusa), Shunthi (Zinziber |
| Nephritic Syndrome, also known as Rapidly | | | | officinalis), Deodar (Cedrus deodara) and Haritaki |
| Progressive Glomerulonephritis, is seen more in adults. | | | | (Terminalia chebula). |
| This is characterized by reduced urine output, | | | | A special combination of jaggery and ginger in equal |
| presence of blood and protein in the urine, and | | | | proportion, called as "Gudardrak Yoga" is used in all |
| swelling in the body. This disease also results from | | | | kidney-related swelling with very good results. The |
| damage to the filtering mechanism in the kidneys. | | | | dose is first increased gradually for the first ten days, |
| Mostly the cause is unknown, but it is also believed | | | | and then gradually reduced for the next ten days till |
| to result from a malfunction of the immune system | | | | the starting dose is reached. A gap of a few days |
| of the body, resulting from viral infection or | | | | (usually a week) is given, after which the medicine is |
| autoimmune disease. The treatment outcome in this | | | | restarted. Several such courses are given. |
| disease may not be so favorable. | | | | In refractory patients, special medicines are used |
| It is important to note that symptoms for both the | | | | which act on the tissues which make up the kidneys, |
| above syndromes may overlap with each other and | | | | with the aim of trying to repair the damage caused |
| with other diseases of the kidneys. | | | | due to disease. Medicines like Amalaki (Emblica |
| The commonest physical manifestation of | | | | officinalis), Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), |
| kidney-related disease is swelling in the body, more | | | | Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) and Punarnava are |
| so below the eyes and in the feet and ankles. This | | | | used to bring the immune system to normal. |
| swelling is known as "Kaphaj Shoth" in Ayurveda. | | | | |