Hydronephrosis is a medical condition that is defined as a halt in the flow of urine downstream which results in urine accumulation and swelling of the kidneys. The bulge or swelling can be seen in the renal pelvis and calyces. What would be the signs to know about the condition depends totally upon the course of obstruction, whether it is acute, chronic, complete, partial, bilateral, and unilateral. There are many abnormal pathophysiological issues responsible for the occurrence of this abnormality. These reasons could differ in children and adults.
Common causes of hydronephrosis in adults:
- Kidney stones
- Benign prostate hyperplasia
- Intrapelvic neoplasms like prostate cancer
Common causes of hydronephrosis in children:
- Stenosis
- Urethral stricture
- Vesicoureteral reflux
The condition of hydronephrosis can be dangerous and requires prompt and timely treatment. The method of treating hydronephrosis is different in Ayurveda and allopathy with distinctive impacts. However, unlike conventional treatment, hydronephrosis treatment in Ayurveda is effective and free from any sort of complications. It is important to understand the pathophysiology of hydronephrosis in order to treat it in the best way possible.
Hydronephrosis pathophysiology
There are times when the urine gets halted from flowing before the renal pelvis. This condition is referred to be as hydronephrosis. When the obstruction happens, the bulging of the tubules of the nephrons takes place. In addition, the lining of these tubules presents inside the kidneys also gets flattened. All these mishappenings together result in the swelling of kidneys. It has been found in the research that the medicines used during Ayurvedic treatment for hydronephrosis have the nephron-corrective quality that restores the loss without any complications.
As mentioned above, hydronephrosis can be of two types, acute and chronic. According to the conventional treatment, when the loss is acute it can be restored completely but when it is chronic then the complete failure of kidneys takes place even after the treatment of hydronephrosis. However, this statement has been contradicted by Ayurveda with the help of eminent results it offers.
Obstruction in the upper part of the urinary tract tends to induce pressure on the kidneys when they become unable to transport urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. On the other hand, when the obstruction is in the lower part of the urinary tract, the pressure is still made on the kidneys but this time it is due to the reflux of urine.
Conventional treatment for hydronephrosis
Treatment of hydronephrosis aims for the betterment of kidneys and the restoration of urinal issues. The treatment depends upon the type of hydronephrosis. If the reason for hydronephrosis is acute, then a nephrostomy tube is used to drain out the excess urine. When the reason behind the condition of hydronephrosis is something like stones of ureters and kidneys then the treatment might be conducted with the help of shock wave therapy, ureteroscopy, and surgeries. These treatments can be full of complications like infections and clotting along with some concerns like the affordability and availability of treatment. There are certain medicines such as analgesics and antibiotics that can be used to treat infections and relieve pain.
Hydronephrosis treatment in Ayurveda
As discussed above, it is important to understand the type and pathophysiology of the condition before providing any treatment. Hydronephrosis Ayurvedic treatment considers many factors before treating the condition in an herbal manner. For the execution of the treatment, all the surfacing symptoms are considered along with the health history of the patient and then the urinal issue along with the body type (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha) is considered to make the best out of the herbal medicines. The medicines thus provided under the hydronephrosis treatment in Ayurveda works on the pacification of doshas and all the imbalances are restored.
The active principle of the herbal medicines used for Ayurvedic treatment for hydronephrosis helps in the reduction of nephrons’ inflammation and improves the urinal functions. Moreover, with the Ayurvedic medicines, the cells are reproduced so that the damage of tissue can be repaired. It also helps in the better circulation of blood in the body during such time. Ayurveda treats the body with a holistic approach that doesn’t mean the betterment of kidneys only but it also improves the integral balance of the entire body.
In addition, symptoms like poor sleep, high blood pressure, hematuria, and fatigue can also be altered with the help of hydronephrosis treatment in Ayurveda.
