Alternative / Complementary Treatment of Keshan's Disease - Health Conditions

Alternative/Complementary Treatment of
Keshan's Disease

Alternative/complementary treatment of Keshan's disease

Never try to self-treat or self-diagnose Keshan's disease or selenium deficiency, as it could be potentially fatal, especially in infants or people with any other health conditions.

Always seek medical attention if you think you have any of the symptoms of Keshan's disease or if you think you are deficient in selenium. If you have Keshan's disease, do not try any alternative treatments unless they have been approved by your doctor (and selenium supplementation will be advised but at a very specific level and it needs to be monitored).

Herbs

There are no herbs which are recommended to help treat Keshan's disease.

Vitamins

There are no vitamins which are recommended to help treat Keshan's disease.

Minerals

There are only one mineral which is recommended to help treat Keshan's disease

Selenium - if you have been diagnosed with Keshan's disease your doctor will recommend you take a selenium supplement, either intravenously or in a supplement (usually selenomethionine as that is better tolerated and better absorbed by the body) at a very specific dosage and your health will be closely monitored. If you have lowered selenium blood levels, but do not have Keshan's disease, your doctor will recommend a a selenium supplement (usually selenomethionine as that is better tolerated and absorbed by the body) at a very specific dosage and your blood levels of selenium will be again monitored after a week of treatment

Other nutrients

There are no other nutrients which are recommended to help treat Keshan's disease.

Dietary modifications

There are a number of dietary modification strategies which are recommended to help treat Keshan's disease:

Eat foods rich in selenium - in addition to the selenium supplements (intravenously or in tablet form), your doctor will also recommend you eat more foods rich in selenium to help increase levels of selenium in your body. Foods rich in selenium are: Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, eggs, onion, garlic
Reduce fat intake - if your heart is not functioning properly, then excessive fat intake will only increase the burden on it, so reduce intake of foods high in fat, such as: full fat dairy, high fat red meats, junk foods, processed (packaged) foods

Lifestyle modifications

There are no lifestyle modifications which are recommended to help treat Keshan's disease.

Alternative treatments

There are no other alternative treatments which are recommended to help treat Keshan's disease.

Always ensure that you notify your medical practitioner of any supplements that you want to take - it may interfere with other medication or conditions you have. Confirm with your doctor it is safe to take BEFORE you try it.

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Last reviewed: 29 January 2009 || Last updated: 29 December 2009

Arrhythmia (glossary)
Arrhythmia (health conditions)
Fever (conditions)
Fever (glossary)
Immune system (glossary)
Selenium (minerals)

NOTE: Mega doses of any type of vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal supplement cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of complementary supplements.

Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.

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