Like most Nepalese, she didn’t go to a doctor, and instead went straight to an Ayurvedic practitioner to get medicine, believing jaundice was a disease.
She abstained from eating her usual food and tortured herself with plain, boiled food for over six months following the advice of friends and relatives.
Anjana took a mixture of four different types of Ayurvedic powder every morning and evening, which often left her feeling nauseated.
The treatment course Rai chose is common for Nepalese people, owing to the prevailing misconception that jaundice is a disease and Ayurveda its cure.
But an expert on the disease says Ayurvedic medicine is useless for jaundice, and the strict diet people tend to adopt is usually unnecessary. As jaundice is a symptom rather than a disease, it is the underlying condition which needs to be treated.
Dr Sudhamshu KC,a liver specialist, says he himself has been living with jaundice for the past 29 years, suffering from a condition known as Gilbert’s syndrome in which the body consistently has increased bilirubin (yellow pigment) level that is harmless.
Dr KC dispelled several mythical beliefs related to jaundice.
Myth 1: Jaundice is a disease
People generally believe jaundice is a disease. According to Dr KC, the reality is jaundice is simply a symptom of various diseases related to blood, liver and bile duct obstruction from stones or even cancer.
Therefore, the right treatment for jaundice should be investigated through proper examination of the cause behind the symptom, rather than trying to treat it with the help of Ayurveda.
Myth 2: Jaundiced people should refrain from a normal diet
On the contrary, Dr KC recommends jaundiced people keep a normal diet. If the underlying disease requires the person to refrain from certain foods, this is a different scenario. But if a person’s jaundice is a symptom of an underlying condition, such as cancer, a normal diet is even more important as the patient’s energy levels needs to be maintained.
Myth 3: A jaundiced person should drink excessive amounts of water
It is believed the intake of plenty of water helps a jaundiced person recover fast. The doctor gave this popular belief another thumbs down.
A jaundiced person should maintain a regular amount of water. Sometimes, excessive intake of water can even be dangerous. If a person who has jaundice due to liver disease drinks excessive amounts of water, the water can be retained in the abdomen and cause swelling of the legs, the doctor said.
Myth 4: Repetition of jaundice leads to Hepatitis
This is also not true. According to the doctor, Hepatitis is a disease of the liver, whereas jaundice is a symptom of various diseases. Therefore, a jaundiced person may or may not have Hepatitis.
There are some types of Hepatitis which do not require treatment, such as A, B and E.
Myth 5: Sugarcane juice aids recovery
The doctor also said that though fluid helps in recovery, the popular belief that sugarcane juice is the best is not true. Other fluids can substitute sugarcane juice, and if the patient has other conditions, such as diabetes, sugarcane juice should not be taken.
Myth 6: No intercourse
It is generally believed that a person with jaundice should abstain from sex, however the doctor said total abstinence is unnecessary. But he did stress that safe sex must be maintained if one has Hepatitis B or C, as these forms of the disease that can be transferred through body fluids.
So what’s the bottom-line? If you have jaundice, enlist the help of a doctor to identify and treat the cause rather than relying on an Ayurveda practitioner’s help to treat the symptom.
Related story
Beware of myths
