The rising number of dengue cases across the country has prompted people to use papaya leaf juice as a home remedy for it.
Senior health experts in Karachi, including infectious diseases experts and gastroenterologists, have warned against its use, saying that the extract has “absolutely no role” in increasing platelet count. They added that all it does is cause severe diarrhea which can be fatal for patients who need adequate fluids to avoid dengue shock syndrome.
Dr. Saqib Ansari, a senior clinician, disclosed on Sunday that a young, severely ill dengue patient had almost died after her attendants gave her papaya leaf juice without consulting her doctors, the News reported. Papaya leaf juice resulted in severe diarrhea and vomiting as her platelets continued to drop every day.
Several other medical professionals have also affirmed the idea that papaya leaf extract causes more harm than good. Renowned infectious diseases expert and former Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM), Dr. Faisal Sultan, denied that the extract has any medicinal benefits against dengue.
The head of Infectious Diseases at Indus Hospital Karachi, Dr. Naseem Salahuddin, also advised patients against using home remedies against dengue as medical professionals know how to treat the disease well now. He said that papaya leaf extract has nothing to do with dengue treatment and that the only way is to consume plenty of fluids and bring the fever down with antipyretic analgesics.
Dr. Salahuddin explained that it is natural for the platelets count to drop before increasing without any pharmaceutical intervention in the viral fever.
Furthermore, Dr. Tasneem Ahsan, a well-known endocrinologist and the former Executive Director at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC) also concurred there is no scientific evidence to support the theory that papaya leaf juice is beneficial for dengue hemorrhagic fever patients.
On the other hand, Dr. Junaid Patel remarked that said while he does not recommend home remedies like papaya leaf extract, he allows their use as long as proper hygiene is maintained during their preparation.
is baat me koi jhol hy. pehly to sab doctors keh rahy thy papaya leaf extract pio
neem hakeem khatra-e-jaan
Lets use some common sense. I have an algorithm.
1. ek sehat mand insaan lein
2. uska platelet count note kar lein
2. usko papeetay ka pani dein achi tarah
3. thora aur dein
4. ab platelet count dobara check karian
5. apko pata chalay ga k platelet count ka kuch nahi bigraa.
6. common sense, isnt that common these days