Pancreatitis is an inflammation of pancreas. Pancreas regulates the digestion process through its enzymes and regulates blood sugar level by producing insulin hormone.
Acute pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis are two types of pancreatitis. Generally, acute pancreatitis occurs suddenly and its symptoms can last for a week or more. Chronic pancreatitis lasts for several months to several years.
Signs and symptoms of pancreatitis
|Acute pancreatitis||Chronic pancreatitis|
|Upper abdominal pain||Upper abdominal pain|
|Abdominal pain||Losing weight without trying|
|Nausea and vomiting||Steatorrhea (Smelly and Oily Stools)|
|Abdominal Tenderness||Fatigue and excessive thirst|
Alcoholism, cigarette smoking, infections, gallstones and medications are common causes of pancreatitis. Other causes include cystic fibrosis, hypercalcemia, hyperparathyroidism, high triglyceride levels, etc.
Acute pancreatitis may require hospitalization and treatment of underlying cause of inflammation. Fasting is a good remedy for acute pancreatitis, which is also an important part of acute pancreatitis management in the hospital.
Here are some home remedies effective in chronic pancreatitis.
Nut grass water
It reduces abdominal pain and increases appetite. It is also beneficial in reducing fats in the stools.
How to Use
- Take two glasses of water and add 3 grams nut grass powder.
- Boil the water with nut grass powder and simmer it until the water remains half.
- Now, add a pinch of black pepper and Kala Namak.
Drink this water once every day for a month. Sipping nut grass water frequently in a day can also help tremendously in chronic pancreatitis.
If you have symptoms like bloating, intestinal gas and abdominal distention, then add a slice of ginger along with nut grass powder. Nut grass powder may cause bloating when taken in excess dosage.
Giloy and Ginger
Giloy is digestive stimulant, detoxifier, adaptogenic, anti-inflammatory, immuno-modulator and anti-oxidant. Therefore, it is also effective in reducing chronic inflammation of the pancreas.
Ginger also has anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and digestive stimulant properties.
The combination of Giloy and ginger helps reducing inflammation, pain, steatorrhea and excessive thirst that occurs in the pancreatitis.
How to Use
- Take 3 grams Giloy powder (or 500 mg Giloy Satva) and 500 mg dried ginger powder and mix them.
- Take this mixture twice a day with warm water.
- Alternatively, you can also use Giloy juice and ginger juice. For this, take 20 ml Fresh Giloy juice and add a half teaspoon of fresh ginger juice. Drink it 30 to 60 minutes before meal.
Bitter Gourd (Karela) Juice
Bitter Gourd is also effective in pancreatitis. It reduces inflammation, rectifies pancreas functions and prevents gallbladder stone formation. It is also used as adjuvant for some ayurvedic medicines used in gall bladder stones.
How to Use
- Take fresh Bitter gourd and extract its juice.
- Take 20 ml bitter gourd juice for a few days and then increase its dosage to 50 ml per day in divided doses.
However, some people may feel difficulty to drink bitter gourd juice. People with pancreatitis may experience loss of appetite after taking this juice. However, it is uncommon and in fact, bitter gourd improves appetite. If you feel loss of appetite or indigestion after taking it, then it may occur due to bitter taste of bitter gourd. You should start drinking 5-10 ml juice from first day, and then you can increase its dosage as per your comfort to 50 ml a day (in divided doses).