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Herbal preparations in the management of hypothyroidism in Unani medicine

  • Md Anzar Alam ORCID logo EMAIL logo and Mohd Aleemuddin Quamri ORCID logo
Published/Copyright: July 21, 2020

Abstract

Hypothyroidism is the most common thyroid disorder, affects women more frequently, and incidence increases with age. The prevalence of hypothyroidism in developed countries is around 4–5%, whereas, in India, it is about 11%. The common symptoms of hypothyroidism in adults are weight gain, fatigue, lethargy, cold intolerance, constipation, change in voice, and dry skin. It can affect all systems of the body. Diagnosis is mainly based on clinical history and laboratory investigations. Untreated hypothyroidism increases morbidity and mortality. In conventional medicine, the treatment of choice is Levothyroxine, whereas in Unani System of Medicine, pharmacotherapy consists of single and compound drugs. Single drugs are selected as per the constitution (Mizaj) of drugs as opposed to the abnormal constitution (Su-e-Mizaj) of disease and its pathology. Some drugs increase the basal metabolic rate whereas some evacuate the morbid material from the body by the action of purgation. The drugs are used either in a single form or as a prescription of more than one drug in the form of decoction (Joshandah), infusion (Kheshandah), or powder (Safoof). This review aims at providing comprehensive information regarding various drugs used in Unani system of medicine that is used in the management of thyroid dysfunction.


Corresponding author: Md Anzar Alam, MD, PhD, Department of Moalajat, National Institute of Unani Medicine, Bangalore, 560091, India, Phone: +91 9916164662, E-mail:

  1. Research funding: None declared.

  2. Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.

  3. Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.

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Received: 2020-05-21
Accepted: 2020-06-01
Published Online: 2020-07-21

© 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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