Diabetes - A Silent Killer!

Sedentary lifestyle has made lives comfortable but simultaneously it is a silent killer. It has increased the risk of many deadly diseases and one of them is diabetes. Diabetes has taken lives of people more than aids. 

There are 3 types of diabetes:-

1. Type 1 diabetes- When uncontrolled blood sugar level is diagnosed under 25 years of age then it is said to be type 1 diabetes. It is often seen in childhood age.

Sugar that we consume is used for energy production in our body and this happens with the help of insulin hormone produced by pancrease. In this type of daibetes, pancrease fails to produce insulin and sugar in blood is not used for fuel production, as a result sugar level in the blood is on higher level.

2. Type 2 diabetes- This type of diabets occur above 25 years of age. In this type, insulin secretion is there in the body but cell doesn't use it to produce energy.
This is called insulin resistance. As a result blood sugar level increase beyond normal.

3. Gestational diabetes- During pregnancy due to additional demand of baby, body becomes resistant to insulin and blood sugar level increases. 
Pancrease increases secretion of insulin to control blood sugar level but when it is unable to meet the demand, sugar level increases and it leads to gestational diabetes.

There are more chances of gestational diabetes if:-

1. You are obese before pregnanacy.
2. There is family history of diabetes. 
3. Blood sugar level is on higher side before pregnanacy period but not as high as in diabetes.

Ayurveda that is our tradional health system has termed diabetes as'prameha'.

Types of prameha

Depending upon different types of aggravating factors, there are different types of prameha, like if kapha aggravating factors are more then it will lead to kaphaj prameha, similarly pittaj and vataj aggravating factors leads to their respective type of pramehas.

1. Vataj prameha-vasa meha, majja meha, hasti meha and madhu meha.

2. Pittaj-kshara meha, kala meha, neela meha, rakta meha, manjishtha meha and haridra meha. 

3. Kaphaj meha-udaka meha, ikshu meha, sandra meha, sura meha, pista meha,
Shukra meha, sikatra meha, sheera meha, shanai meha and lala meha. 

Pathogenesis according to ayurveda.

Samprapti (pathogenesis)

As per ayurveda, prameha is a'kleda pradhana vyadhi. Kleda is one of the dooshya where water (jala mahabhoot)
Is predominant. Both kapha and pitta regulate kleda.

Indulgence in the nidana leads to vatiation of kapha and pitta and as a result kleda is imbalanced. These imbalanced doshas move towards medo dhatu and further leads to imbalance of kleda.

How our body manages kleda?

मूत्रस्य क्लेदवाहनम्, स्वेदस्य क्लेद विधृतिः ।

When the moisture of body increases, it eliminates it through urine and sweat. But in diabetic patients due to sedentary life style there is not secretion of sweat and all kleda moves towards urinary system and increases production of urine, gradually leading to prameha. 

At this stage there will be poorva roopa (initial symptoms) like accumulation of impurities on the teeth, burning sensation in palm and feet.

If not treated on time then there will be a condition called'bahu abaddha medas'
That is accumulation of fatty tissues that has lost its firmness. Gradually excess kleda moves into deep tissues and affects all body tissues except asthi dhatu and cause'dhatu shaithilyata.

As per my experience diabetes was a disease that occur at the age of 50 or above and moslty to obese people leading sedentary life style. But since last few years it is being seen in our youth moslty at 28 or 29 years of age. Moreover it has no link with obesity as it has stepped in farmers even who are born hard workers.
All this is due to stress factor. In this modern world person is under stress, whether young or adult. Stress is more observed in teenagers when they have to decide what to do after high school, where to get in good college etc.
In adults workplace has been found as one of the main cause of stress when the job demands are more and their control over meeting the demands is less.
More working hours and less authorities, not able to give time to the family etc.

Symptoms due to diabetes:

1. Feeling of thirst
2. Burning sensation in hands and feet
3. Lethargy
4. Sexual weekness
5. Polyuria
6. Weight loss
7. Blurred vision
8. Gastric-nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain.

How stress affects our blood sugar level?

Under stress our blood sugar level tends to rise as body releases some hormones such as adrenalin and cortison. These hormones tend to raise blood sugar level so that it is processed into energy to prepare body to fight. This is calles fight and flight reaction. In diabetics, due to insulin deficiency or insulin resistance blood sugar level gets high and produce symptoms such as ataxia, giddiness, difficulty in breathing etc.

Now every second memeber of the family is suffering from diabetes. Especially you will see it in younger members. In my pracrtice of pure ayurveda I have observed diabetes either in youth of age 28 or 29 years or children of age 4.

Maximum detrioration of body tissues occur in this type disease thats why it affects vital organs of the body deeply and slowly drag you towards death. 

Today sweetness in the relations have decreased which ultimately left you alone and as a result your body increases sweetness inside it (diabetes) in response to that loneliness (stress. This article is to create awareness among people for diabetes as it is like a slow poison that is killing you slowly without your acknowledgement because usually it attacks you without causing any symptoms and you get alert when it has already affected your vital organs.

So get your blood sugar levels checked regularly especially if you have family history of diabetes and if you are obese.

Type diabetes