Jaundice, also known as icterus, is a disease caused due to the dysfunction of the liver. During jaundice, the liver produces a high level of the pigment bilirubin, which causes the skin, eyes and nails to become yellowed.
The main cause of the production of jaundice is the obstruction of the liver ducts that produce the bile juice. Due to this, bile is not available for the proper digestion of food in the body. Hence, during jaundice, there is an over-secretion of bilirubin and an under-secretion of bile.
Some of the common symptoms of jaundice are as follows:-
(i) The first and most prominent symptom is the yellowing of the skin and other parts of the body such as the eyes, nails, etc.
(ii) There is a continuous fever in the person.
(iii) The person feels continuously tired and ill at ease.
(iv) There is loss of appetite.
(v) The person may suffer from nausea and vomiting.
(vi) There may be constant muscle aches.
(vii) The person may suffer from diarrhea.
(viii) Itching may occur all over the body.
(ix) There is constant bad taste in the mouth and there is bad breath.
(x) The urine becomes dark yellow in color, and the stools are light clay colored.
Home Remedies for Jaundice
Jaundice is a serious condition which could in fact be a precursor to the more deadly and fatal condition, hepatitis. Hence, the cure for jaundice should be sought immediately from a medical professional. However, there are certain things that can be done at the household level in order to control the symptoms of jaundice, and to help in speedy recovery from the disease. The following is a list of some of those home remedies, which are not treatment methods in themselves, but they are rather supplementary to the treatment provided by medical science:-
Take the bark of a banyan tree (Ficus religiosa). Grind it to a powder of a fine consistency. Then put about one gram of this powder into buttermilk. Drink one or two glasses of this buttermilk daily. This will reduce the yellowness of the skin and will hasten the recovery from jaundice. This is one of the useful home remedies for jaundice.
Roast some gram and crush it coarsely. Put this in a glassful of sugarcane juice. Drink one glassful of this once every day. This will not only treat the jaundice, but it will also cause a permanent remedy for the condition.
Take fifteen leaves of the bael tree (Aegle marmelos) and grind them thoroughly. Drink these once every day. This remedy is effective in treating even the most severe cases of jaundice.
Take ten grams of the powder of ginger. Mix this powder in some jaggery. Put this in a glassful of lukewarm water. Drinking this once every day for a whole week helps in permanent treatment of jaundice.
Take ten grams of finely powdered turmeric powder. Mix this in fifty to hundred grams of curds. Eat this mixture once every day. It will give effective relief from jaundice. This is a good jaundice home remedies.
Prepare a decoction of chicory (Chichorium intybus). All parts of the chicory – the flowers, seeds and roots – are effective in treatment. About 30 to 60 milliliters of this decoction must be taken on a daily basis. It helps in the stoppage of bile and hence, brings about treatment of jaundice.
Another good home remedy for jaundice is sugarcane which is considered to be the best treatment for jaundice. Drinking the juice of sugarcane, or better still, biting a cane helps a lot in the treatment of jaundice.
The gokulakanta (Hygrophila spinosa) herb provides a very valuable remedy for the treatment of jaundice. The root of the gokulakanta is taken in a quantity of about 60 grams. This root is boiled in about half a liter of water very strongly, for about 20 to 30 minutes. 30 to 60 milliliters of this preparation must be taken twice or thrice per day. This provides immense benefits in the treatment of jaundice.
Take a single leaf of the Indian aloe (Aloe barbadensis). Grind it to a pulp. Mix a requisite amount of black salt and ginger to this leaf. Taking this treatment once a day for ten continuous days helps in the proper treatment of jaundice.
Jaundice remedy - The jaundice berry (Berberis vulgaris) is so named for its effects in the treatment of jaundice. Its bark is the most important part. The juice of this bark is extracted and is meant to be taken in amounts of no more than quarter teaspoonfuls four to five times a day. This bitter tonic is very effective in the treatment of jaundice.
Picrorrhiza (Picrorrhiza kurroa) and turpeth (Operculina turpethum) are both very effective herbs in the treatment of jaundice. The powders of any one of these herbs must be taken in dosages of one or two teaspoons per day with hot water. There is special mention of these two herbs in the Ayurvedic form of medicine, in which these herbs are known as kutki and nisoth respectively.
Jaundice remedy - Chamomile tea is effective in improving the functions of the liver. The chamomile tea must be taken once daily for seeking quick treatment from jaundice.
Prepare an infusion of the leaves of the snake gourd. Put in some coriander leaves when preparing the infusion. Take this infusion in quantities of 30 to 60 grams each time. This infusion must be taken at least thrice a day till there is complete recovery from jaundice. One of the useful home remedies for jaundice.
Take daily three doses of the Triphala choorna (the herbal mixture of the Indian Gooseberry, Bellerica Myrobalan and Chebula Myrobalan). This stimulates the functioning of the liver and increases the flow of bile in the bile duct.
Natural remedy for jaundice - Consume lots of fluids when suffering from jaundice. Drink several glasses of hydrating fluids such as lemon juice and coconut water. You must also consume several fruits that have high fluid content in them, such as watermelons, grapes, oranges, papayas, etc.
Have several glasses of carrot juice in a day.
Take about five grams of powder of the amalaki (Indian Gooseberry, Emblica officinalis) mixed in a glass of water thrice a day. This helps in improving the functions of the liver.
Extract a glass of juice of fresh tomatoes in the blender. Add a pinch of salt in it. Blend it properly. Have this juice early morning everyday on an empty stomach. This is considered to be a very good and simple remedy for speeding up the treatment of jaundice. This is one of the best natural remedy for jaundice.
Add a pinch of alum that has been slightly roasted to buttermilk. Drink this in glassful amounts twice or thrice a day. This is good treatment for jaundice.
Jaundice cure - Another remedy involving buttermilk is this: Add a pinch of black pepper to buttermilk and blend it properly. Have two or three glassfuls of this buttermilk everyday till the jaundice lasts. It will help in improving the liver functions and in preventing complications.
Take a ripe banana and crush it to a good pulp. Then add a teaspoonful of honey to it. Eat this twice in a day. This is a very good household remedy for jaundice. This is one of the effective jaundice treatment.
Take some leaves of the radish. Grind these leaves thoroughly and then squeeze them through a thin cloth. Apply pressure on the cloth so that the juices squeeze out from the cloth. Collect the juices. Drink one pound of these juices each day, split into various intervals.
Add half a teaspoonful of turmeric powder in a glassful of warm water. Drink this about three to four times each day.
Take about ten papaya leaves and make them into a fine paste. In this paste, add a teaspoonful quantity of honey. This paste should be had about four times a day in quantities of half a teaspoonful each time. This is one of the best jaundice home remedies.
Home remedy for jaundice - Take a cup of water and bring it to a boil. When it comes to a boil, add about ten leaves of the lemon tree in the water. Keep the water covered so as not to let the steam escape. Drink about four cups of such lemon water in a day. This will normalize the liver functions and promote the production of bile.
Prepare a mixture of the following juices: Half a teaspoonful of ginger juice, and one teaspoonful each of lime juice and mint juice. Blend them thoroughly and drink them at least four times in a day. This is a very beneficial home remedy to help in the treatment of jaundice. This is one of the effective jaundice treatment.
Keep the bitter luffa vegetable in a cloth and pound it with a heavy object. The bitter luffa will be crushed to a pulp and its juices will be extracted. Then squeeze some of the juice of the bitter luffa out of the cloth and take it on the palm of the hand. Draw the juice in through the nostrils. This is a very effective remedy for the treatment of jaundice, but it is a bit severe, so it must be done with care.
How to get rid of Jaundice
Jaundice can be avoided if a person is careful about certain risk factors. The following are some guidelines which can help in the prevention of jaundice:-
(i) A person should be very particular about hygiene at all times. Hygiene does not only mean personal hygiene; community hygiene is also very important.
(ii) There should be safe and hygienic toilet habits put into practice.
(iii) Milk should never be drunk without pasteurization. Similarly, one should be wary about the source from where seafood such as shellfish, oysters, clams, mussels, etc. are obtained.
(iv) Water should always be boiled before drinking.
(v) Do not drink any fluid outside that may contain unhygienic water. This applies to fruit juices as well, as the water used in their preparation could be contaminated. However, drinks for which the water needs to be boiled, such as tea and coffee are safe.
