Dropsy can accompany a variety of diseases, but most often it affects patients with cirrhosis, oncology and heart failure.
Treatment of ascites with cirrhosis of the liver
Due to the fact that the affected liver loses its ability to "filter" the proper volume of blood, its liquid fraction is squeezed out through the walls of the vessels, getting into the abdominal cavity. In particular, the increased pressure in the portal vein, which is characteristic of cirrhosis, contributes to an active outlet of the fluid.
According to the nature of fluid accumulation, dropsy is classified into:
- transient - disappears with the treatment of cirrhosis;
- stationary - despite the treatment, the liquid continues to accumulate;
- tense - treatment does not work, and the volume of fluid inevitably increases.
By the amount of liquid, there is a small dropsy (up to 3 liters), medium and large (20-30 liters).
Ascites of the abdominal cavity involves treatment with drugs aimed primarily at restoring the function of the liver. With small and medium transient water, the fluid is removed as the liver function improves, while the patient is prescribed diuretics, as well as a limited drink and a salt-free diet.
If therapy with cirrhosis does not work, the treatment of ascites is puncture: a thick needle makes a puncture below the navel, so part of the fluid is removed, easing the patient's condition.
In the most severe cases, only liver transplantation can save from ascites caused by cirrhosis. In general, hydrocephalus is an unfavorable sign and worsens the prognosis for cirrhosis.
Treatment of ascites in oncology
A dropsy, as a rule, makes itself felt in primary tumor foci formed in the stomach, breast, pancreas, colon, ovaries or bronchi.
Practice shows that in 65% of patients the fluid is excreted by taking diuretics. In the treatment of ascites often carry abdominal paracentesis (abdominal puncture), which not only facilitates the patient's condition, but also makes it possible to examine the fluid for total protein, white blood cells, infection (Grama method, sowing).
In cancer, treatment of ascites in the abdominal cavity also involves chemotherapy. So the drugs of platinum and paclitaxel are effective in testicular oncology, and 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin are used in colon cancer.
In some cases, intracavitary therapy is prescribed, consisting in removing the liquid from the abdominal cavity and administering the bleomycin preparation.
Treatment of ascites with heart failure
Vodian can be treated in combination with the main disease - heart failure, and the evacuation of accumulated fluid is carried out by two methods:
- Diuretics - the effect of their administration is manifested no earlier than a few weeks. The optimal diuresis is 3 liters, and it is impossible to force the process of removing the liquid, the body can regard this as dehydration.
- Puncture - is performed at the stage when the diuretic does not give a result. After the puncture, the patient may be prescribed preparations containing protein.
Treating ascites with folk remedies
Traditional medicine suggests fighting with dropsy with the help of broths and infusions:
- Mother-and-stepmother and sweet clover are taken evenly, 500 ml of boiling water are needed per 1 spoonful of raw material. The agent insists for half an hour, drink 3 spoons 5 times a day.
- Root angelica in dried form (2 tablespoons) pour boiling water (1 cup), cook for 25 minutes. Drink before a meal of 100 ml four times a day, pre-cooling and straining the remedy.
If you have ascites, treatment with folk methods should be agreed with the doctor and act as a supplement to traditional therapies.