What is Aesculus hippocastanum used for?
Abstract. Aesculus hippocastanum (horse chestnut) has been used for centuries as a treatment for dysentery, bronchitis, hemorrhoids, and venous problems in folk medicine. Clinical studies support its use in chronic venous insufficiency, hemorrhoids, and postoperative edema. Aesculus indica, commonly known as the Indian horse-chestnut or Himalayan horse chestnut, is a species of deciduous broad-leaved tree in the family Sapindaceae. Wall. Cambess.Horse chestnut is a tree native to parts of southeastern Europe. Its fruits contain seeds that resemble sweet chestnuts but have a bitter taste. Traditionally, horse chestnut seed extract was used for arthritis, pain and swelling, menstrual cramps, hemorrhoids, and other conditions.Horse chestnuts are toxic if consumed raw or improperly processed and can trigger some reactions. One of the most common Aesculus hippocastanum side effects is gastrointestinal discomfort, including vomiting, stomach pain, nausea, diarrhoea, and even paralysis in severe cases.Aesculus indica Linn. Indian horse chestnut belongs to family hippocastanaceae. It is extensively used in folk medicine. The whole plant is proved to possess beneficial therapeutic activities like anti-tumour, anti-diabetic and anti-oxidant etc.The seed of the horse chestnut is a small brown nut. Unprocessed horse chestnut seeds contain a toxin called esculin (also spelled aesculin). This toxin may increase the risk of bleeding due to its ability to prevent blood clots from forming.
What is the common name for Aesculus hippocastanum?
Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) Chestnuts may cause allergic reactions (hives, itching, swelling), digestive issues from high fiber content (gas, bloating), and serious toxicity if horse chestnuts are consumed raw. Horse chestnut extracts used for varicose veins may cause dizziness, headaches, and gastrointestinal upset.Liver injury attributed to horse chestnut use has been relatively mild and self-limited. There have been no instances of acute liver failure, death, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis or vanishing bile duct syndrome attributed to its use.There are also some reports of severe symptoms occurring in adults. Over a 29-year period in Switzerland, there were three cases of horse chestnut poisoning that resulted in severe symptoms within 15–30 minutes after the swallowing of 1–4 seeds.Horse chestnut is a tree native to parts of southeastern Europe. Its fruits contain seeds that resemble sweet chestnuts but have a bitter taste. Traditionally, horse chestnut seed extract was used for arthritis, pain and swelling, menstrual cramps, hemorrhoids, and other conditions.Sweet chestnuts are edible, but horse chestnuts are poisonous. If eaten, they can cause digestive problems such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and throat irritation. More than one in 10 cases of poisonous plants being mistaken for edible plants involve horse and sweet chestnuts.
Is Aesculus hippocastanum toxic?
All parts of the horse chestnut tree are toxic, but the greatest concern is for horse chestnut seeds. These can be easily mistaken for edible chestnuts. Horse chestnut seed pods usually contain only one seed, while edible chestnut pods contain multiple seeds. Eating horse chestnuts can result in serious stomach upset. Horse chestnut seed extracts are generally well tolerated but may cause side effects such as dizziness, digestive upsets, headache, and itching in some people. Little is known about whether it’s safe to use horse chestnut seed extract during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
Can Aesculus hippocastanum help with hemorrhoids?
Medical remedies containing components such as flavonoids, diosmin, calcium dobesilate, oxerutin, and horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum, Hippocastanaceae family) are commonly used in the medical management of hemorrhoidal disease. Herbs such as butcher’s broom, horse chestnut, and psyllium husk contain compounds that can help strengthen blood vessels, reduce inflammation, and improve bowel function, making them potentially beneficial for individuals with hemorrhoids.White flour, dairy products, processed meat, and spicy foods can make it harder for hemorrhoids to heal. Foods high in fiber like beans, whole-grain cereals, green vegetables, and fruits can help heal hemorrhoids and prevent flares.As iron deficiency is more likely to develop with untreated hemorrhoids, receiving treatment for hemorrhoids as early as possible may help. Steps you can take to prevent hemorrhoids include: consuming enough fiber.White flour, dairy products, processed meat, and spicy foods can make it harder for hemorrhoids to heal. Foods high in fiber like beans, whole-grain cereals, green vegetables, and fruits can help heal hemorrhoids and prevent flares.
How to use horse chestnut for hemorrhoids?
More. Some doctors recommend taking horse chestnut seed extracts standardized for aescin (also known as escin) content (16–21%), or an isolated aescin preparation, providing 90 to 150 mg of aescin per day. In a placebo-controlled study including 80 patients, those treated with 40 mg aescin (horse chestnut extract) 3 times a day showed improvement in hemorrhoid symptoms and endoscopic findings; bleeding was reduced by 94% after two weeks of treatment, while 81% of patients had a marked decrease in symptoms within 6 days.Dosing. Horse chestnut extract has most often been used by adults in doses of 300-600 mg by mouth daily for 8-12 weeks. Most horse chestnut extract products contain 16% to 20% triterpene glycosides (saponins), which is referred to as aescin on product labels.Saponins, such as escin, also reduce capillary fragility, and therefore help to prevent leakage of fluids into surrounding tissues, which can cause swelling. An extract of horse chestnut has recently been shown to have one of the highest ‘active-oxygen’ scavenging abilities of 65 different plant extracts tested.
What is the strongest treatment for hemorrhoids?
Hemorrhoidectomy is the most effective and complete way to treat severe or recurring hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoid ligation is a medical procedure used to treat hemorrhoids, often recommended to patients whose problem does not resolve with at-home treatments. The procedure is minimally invasive, requires no anesthesia, and is considered a permanent cure for hemorrhoids.The treatment mainly includes clearing heat and draining dampness, cooling blood to stop bleeding, activating blood to expel wind, and nourishing the middle to replenish qi (Cheng, 2012). This article discusses the mechanism of TCM in the treatment of hemorrhoids.With sclerotherapy, a health professional injects a chemical solution into the hemorrhoid tissue to shrink it. While the injection causes little or no pain, it might be less effective than rubber band ligation. Coagulation. Coagulation techniques use laser or infrared light or heat.The treatment mainly includes clearing heat and draining dampness, cooling blood to stop bleeding, activating blood to expel wind, and nourishing the middle to replenish qi (Cheng, 2012). This article discusses the mechanism of TCM in the treatment of hemorrhoids.