Patients suffering from ascites, a condition in which fluid gets collected in spaces within the abdomen, need no longer have to undergo painful invasive surgery to treat the disease.

A new study has found Ayurveda significantly effective in treating the medical condition, affecting around 60 percent of people with cirrhosis within 10 years of their diagnosis.

The researchers from the JSS Ayurveda Medical College and Hospital, Mysuru, said in their latest finding that a range of Ayurvedic formulations along with the herbal drug Neeri KFT has yielded positive outcomes when administered to ascites patients undergoing treatment in hospital.

The herbal drug not only aided in saving kidneys from further damage due to ascites but also helped in excreting the collected fluid from the abdomen, the study published in the latest issue of ‘Journal of Ayurveda and Integrated Medical Sciences’ said.

A dose of 20 ml of the ayurvedic formulation was given to the patients daily—morning and evening— for 30 days. The herbal formulation resulted in flushing out of the fluid from the patients’ abdomen through the urinary tract, the researchers, including Professor Siddesh Aradhyamath and Assistant Professor Komala A observed.

Neeri KFT is composed of herbs such as Punarnava, Varun, Sigru, Sariva, Makoi and Sirish. Ascites usually occurs when the liver stops working properly or it malfunctions, leading to a build-up of fluid in the space between the abdominal lining and the organs. Patients with ascites exhibit symptoms like painless swelling in the abdomen, abdominal discomfort; weight gain; feeling full after eating a little, and shortness of breath among others.