Natural Dropsy Treatments

Dropsy, technically known as oedema, refers to the abnormal accumulation of fluids in the body. It causes a type of swelling called oedema. It is a typical 'impurities' disease caused by an accumulation of waste products in the blood. This swelling may be localized, as with ascites (the distended abdomen that develops in cases of liver disease and some types of cancer), or generalised, occurring throughout the body, as with progressive kidney failure. It is a feature of many diseases, specially those relating to heart and kidneys.

Symptoms of Dropsy

In case of kidney disease, dropsy is first noticed beneath the eyes and face and is worse in the morning. In case of heart disease, the swelling tends to be worse in the evening and begins in the lower parts of the body such as the ankles. In liver disease, the swelling is in the legs and abdomen.

Causes of Dropsy

The main cause of this disease is the obstruction to the free circulation of blood and lymph and consequent impaired elimination. The localized oedema with pain may be due to interference with the circulation. When it is associated with itching, allergy is likely to be the cause.

Hormonal factors can also produce oedema. This is evident from two examples of swelling that occurs during pregnancy and the pre-menstrual phase of a woman's monthly cycle. Other causes include heart failure, advanced kidney disease, malnutrition, and thyroid disorders.

The real cause of dropsy, however, is abnormal accumulation of morbid matter in the system. This accumulation is so great that the kidneys and liver become overloaded and unable to perform their purifying tasks properly. The stagnation of unhealthy fluid in the tissues can also be aggravated by the heart muscle being too weak to pump the blood with sufficient force through the veins and arteries to carry the necessary oxygen and nourishment to the cells of the vital organs. This can result in the poisoning of the whole system.

Natural Treatment for Dropsy

To begin with, the patient should adopt an exclusive diet of fresh fruits for five days. In this regimen, he should take three meals a day of juice fruits, such as apple, pear, peach, grapes, pineapple and papaya, at five-hourly intervals. He should take warm water enema during this period to cleanse the bowels. Thereafter, he may adopt a restricted diet. In this regimen, the breakfast may consist of a glass of fresh juice of lemon or apple or grapes, and the lunch may comprise one or two potatoes cooked with their skins, French beans as often as possible, a mixed salad of raw vegetable with lemon juice and olive oil dressing, one or two whole wheat bread or chappatis, and a little cottage cheese. The dinner may be repetition of the lunch meal.

After the restricted diet, the patient may gradually embark upon a well-balanced diet, with emphasis on fresh fruits and raw vegetables. A hot water bath taken daily will be beneficial in the treatment of dropsy.

Certain home remedies have been found beneficial in the treatment of dropsy. Of these, the use of pineapple is very effective. It contains sufficient chlorine which stimulates the activity of the kidneys and helps remove much of the waste products from the body. It also relieves the body of a water-logged condition.

The use of Garlic is another effective remedy for this disease. Two or three cloves of this vegetable should be chewed early in the morning. This will bring good results. The juice of bitter gourd (karela) can also be taken, with beneficial results.

The leaves of margosa (neem) are considered useful in dropsy. A tea made from these leaves can be taken with advantage. The leaves of bael (bel) tree are also valuable in dropsy. The juice of these can be taken for treating this condition.

Another useful remedy of dropsy is the use of the herb arjuna (Kahu). This herb has been employed successfully by practitioners of indigenous system of medicine in the treatment of this condition. It can be used in the form of decoction of the thick bark, made with milk, every morning on an empty stomach.