Kidney Transplant vs. Ayurvedic Treatment: Making an Informed Choice

A kidney transplant is a surgical process where doctors put kidneys from a healthy or a deceased donor into a person with severely damaged kidneys. Kidneys are bean-shaped organs located on each side of the spine, just below the rib cage. Kidneys filter the blood, eliminate waste from it, and ensure a balance between minerals, salt, and other fluids in the body. When our kidneys lose filtering abilities due to some medical issues, waste materials start to accumulate in the body. This results in other complications and, eventually, kidney failure. Some of the major causes of end-stage kidney disease include diabetes, chronic high blood pressure, glomerulonephritis, polycystic kidney disease, etc.

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Kidney Transplant: The Need

When there is a severe damage to your kidneys or when your kidneys have lost more than 90% of their functioning abilities, doctors often recommend a transplant, as it allows the patient to live longer with a better quality of life as compared to dialysis. However, not everyone eligible for a transplant can opt for a kidney transplant, as factors such as an advanced age, presence of a severe heart disease, dementia, drug abuse, etc. come into play.

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Risks Associated with Kidney Transplant:

If a compatible living donor isn't available, you may have to wait for some time before you can go for the transplant. The waiting period can be in months or in years.

Kidney transplantation has shown good results in treating advanced-stage kidney diseases; however, there is no guarantee that your kidneys will remain disease-free forever. In fact, a lot of transplant patients are often affected by kidney diseases.

Sometimes, our bodies reject the donor organ, also known as transplant rejection. In such cases, the recipient body’s immune system attacks the transplanted organ, deeming it to be a foreign object.

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Complications Associated with the Procedure:

Multiple complications can arise during the transplant surgery itself, including:

• Blood clots and bleeding
• Blockage of the tube that links the kidneys to the bladder (ureter)
• Infection
• Transplant rejection
• Death, heart attack, and stroke
• Anti-rejection medication side effects

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Post-Transplant Complications

Post-transplant, doctors often prescribe medications so that your body does not reject the transplanted kidney. However, some of these medicines result in side effects such as:

• Bone thinning and bone damage
• Diabetes
• Excessive hair growth or hair loss
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• A higher chance of developing cancer, particularly skin cancer and lymphoma
• Infection
• Puffiness
• Weight gain
• Acne

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Ayurvedic Approach

The Ayurvedic approach relies heavily on therapies and herbal medicines to address the root cause of kidney diseases so that the functioning of the kidneys improves and you don’t have to go for a transplant. There are ayurvedic herbs that improve renal functions, rejuvenate kidney tissues and slow down the worsening of kidney functions. Some of the best ayurvedic herbs for improving the functioning of the kidneys are:

• Punarnava: Punarnava is one of the most potent herbs for kidney-related diseases in Ayurveda. It rejuvenates the kidney tissues and aids their healthy functioning. The diuretic properties aid in maintaining the cells' fluid levels, resulting in a healthy urine flow in our bodies.
• Kaasni: The anti-inflammatory properties of Kaasni help in avoiding and treating kidney irritation.
• Varun: Varun helps in reducing the body's production of oxalate, and its diuretic properties ensure that toxins are flushed out of your body smoothly. This contributes significantly to good renal health.
• Gokshur: The cooling properties of this herb heal chronic kidney illness and inflammation. This herb also strengthens our immunity and improves our overall kidney functioning.
• Pashanbheda: This ayurvedic herb has diuretic properties, and it also has anti-diabetic properties that help reduce blood sugar levels. Pashanbheda also regulates blood sugar levels. It is one of the best herbs for improving renal health. However, always consult your doctor before you consume any herb or medicine.

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Apart from the herbs discussed above, Ayurveda also advocates dietary modifications to ensure your kidney functions improve to the extent that you don’t have to opt for a transplant. The following dietary changes are particularly effective for kidney patients:

• Moderate your intake of spicy foods and caffeinated products, as they can irritate your bladder lining.
• Stay well-hydrated. Drink at least 10 glasses of water every day.
• Eat fruits such as apples, grapes, peaches, berries, pomegranates, figs, and plums.
• Probiotics such as curd and yogurt promote the proliferation of good bacteria in the body. This helps our bodies fight bacterial infections, reducing our chances of contracting UTIs.
• Cumin works pretty well as a diuretic, as it cleanses the urinary tract effectively.
• Include more fiber in your daily diet.
• In addition to this, there are asanas such as Pranayama, Chair Pose, Triangle Pose (Trikonasana), Squat Pose (Malasana), etc. that promote good renal health. Always do yoga asanas under the guidance of a certified instructor, though.

Both kidney transplants and ayurvedic treatments have their pros and cons. If your kidney damage has reached dangerous levels, a kidney transplant will be the wiser choice. However, if the damage is on the lower side, ayurvedic treatment therapies work pretty well at containing the damage, reversing it, and improving renal functions. It is better that you weigh the pros and cons of each treatment method before arriving at a conclusion.

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