World Health Day: An estimated 1.4 million people died of the infectious bacterial disease tuberculosis in 2019. It is one of the top 10 causes of death globally. Tuberculosis, which is caused by the bacterial species Mycobacterium, mostly affects the lungs, but can also damage the spine, intestines, and brain. With 26.9 lakh cases in 2019, India has the highest number of tuberculosis cases in the world.
What is tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that can cause infection in your lungs or other tissues. Although it most commonly affects the lungs, it can also damage other organs, including the spine, brain or kidneys.
Tuberculosis is also known as TB. If you are infected, develop symptoms and are contagious, you have active tuberculosis or tuberculosis disease.
There are three stages of TB:
– primary infection
– latent TB infection
– Active TB disease
Tuberculosis Treatment and Recovery: Signs and Symptoms
Those with active TB may show any of the following symptoms:
Bad cough (lasting more than two weeks)
– pain in your chest
– Coughing up blood or sputum (mucus)
– fatigue or weakness
– loss of appetite
– weight loss
– chills
– Fever
– night sweats
Dr. Shrikant H.S., Senior Naturopath at Jindal Naturecure Institute. WebMD shares facts and information about more natural and drug-free tuberculosis treatment and its benefits in recovering from severe disease.
Multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis has become a serious concern and is slowing efforts to eliminate the disease, even as the world struggles to ensure that everyone is treated.
The basic method of treating tuberculosis involves giving antibiotics for 6-9 months, which cures patients in most cases. The potential of naturopathy and other alternative systems of medicine to enable better treatment of tuberculosis and pave the way for improved patient recovery has recently attracted the attention of medical professionals, researchers and the general public.
Naturopathy in Tuberculosis Treatment: Can It Help?
Naturopathy is a form of natural medicine that enhances the body’s ability to heal through a wide range of methods such as herbs, diet control, yoga and lifestyle changes. Naturopathy, a drug-free method of medicine, is extremely safe and even helps the body deal with the negative effects of some modern drugs.
Many herbal remedies have been found to have anti-tuberculosis benefits and when used with anti-TB drugs, may help the body recover more quickly. Most notably, herbal products significantly reduce liver damage, a common adverse effect of long-term antibiotic use.
The environment in India is affected by tuberculosis microorganisms. In fact, many people have latent microbes in their bodies. When a person’s immune system is weak due to various reasons, such as lack of nutrition or other diseases, germs can easily attack. Naturopathy is important in boosting immunity and strengthening the body’s defenses against germs and viruses. Thus, the widespread use of naturopathic techniques and herbal remedies may also serve as a defense mechanism against tuberculosis.
Natural Medicines and Herbal Interventions for Tuberculosis
Some people experience major adverse effects with anti-TB drugs, such as kidney and liver damage, both of which have the potential to be fatal. Hepatotoxicity actually forces many patients to stop receiving therapy. Even more challenging, multiple treatment cycles are recommended for tuberculosis that is multi-drug resistant, which has more harmful toxic effects on the body.
Plant extracts of certain plants have been discovered to greatly reduce the harmful effects of anti-TB drugs. Plant extracts contain components called phytochemicals, flavonoids and glycosides that act as antioxidants to protect cells from free radical damage and restore normal liver enzymes, helping patients recover more quickly Is. In addition, they help reduce blood enzyme, protein and total bilirubin levels.
Another study that was published in the Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge in 2004 found that patients who were receiving anti-TB drugs who took extracts of aloe vera, such as Berberis aristata root, Solanum nigrum and Phyllanthus fraternus, at the end of 12 weeks Herbal supplements were also taken. Testing presented normal liver enzyme activity. On the other hand, patients in the placebo group showed an increase in ALT and AST values, which are indicators of hepatotoxicity.
Fumaria indica (Pitapara), Apium graveolens (Ajmora), and A. Several Ayurveda medicinal herbs including indica (neem) have also been discovered to have antibacterial action against TB pathogens.
Despite the availability of antibiotic treatment, tuberculosis still has a significant impact on global healthcare. With the rise of multi-drug-resistant TB, there is a greater need than ever for adjuvant therapies and herbal remedies that can accelerate patient recovery while minimizing the harmful side effects of chemical-based drugs.
In such a situation, devising an integrated strategy for TB that includes both conventional medicine and naturopathy can help provide considerable therapeutic benefit to patients.