Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that affects a considerable part of the global population. As a sedentary lifestyle, over-consumption of junk food, and a stressful lifestyle is becoming a normal part of our lives, so are diseases like diabetes. Though it is not as fatal as cancer or heart attack, it can still affect the quality of life by increasing the risk of several other diseases. It is best to work on diabetes control and prevention through the best possible methods.
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that affects the way our body consumes blood sugar or glucose. Glucose is a prime source of energy and plays a key role in the generation, repair, and growth of cells and tissues. It is also the fuel for our brain. It increases the sugar level in blood triggering several other serious health problems. Diabetes cannot be reversed which is why it is essential to keep it under check through the healthiest possible methods. Ayurvedic treatment for diabetes offers the most promising results through herbal medications, therapies, and a naturally healthy lifestyle.
Types of Diabetes
Diabetes has been classified into a few categories:
- Type 1 Diabetes: It is an autoimmune disease that attacks and destroys pancreatic cells, the producers of insulin. The exact causes of these attacks are yet unknown.
- Type 2 Diabetes: When our body resists insulin and sugar levels start rising in the blood it is type 2 diabetes.
- Prediabetes: When the blood sugar level rises over the normal levels, it is classified as prediabetes.
- Gestational Diabetes: It is a temporary condition that occurs during pregnancy. The placenta products insulin-blocking hormones that increase the blood sugar level of the mother.
Causes of Diabetes
- Type 1 Diabetes: The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is yet to be found. But it leads to malfunctioning of the immune system that destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
- Type 2 Diabetes: The disease is rooted in genetic issues and lifestyle factors. Overweight people including those with extra belly fat have a higher tendency of getting type 2 diabetes. It is a heredity problem that is shared by family members.
- Gestational Diabetes - Overweight women or those who gain too much weight during pregnancy are more vulnerable to gestational diabetes.
Both environmental and genetic factors have an important role in triggering diabetes.
Symptoms of Diabetes
- General Symptoms: Increased thirst and hunger, weight loss, blurry vision, extreme fatigue, wounds or sores that wouldn’t heal, and frequent urination.
- Type 1 Diabetes: Extreme hunger, tiredness, blurry vision, frequent urination, and weight loss.
- Type 2 Diabetes: Same as diabetes 1 along with sores that heal very slowly.
- Gestational Diabetes: Women suffering from gestational diabetes have no symptoms. High blood sugar levels are identified after regular tests and proper medication is given to the lady till it gets back to normal.
Risks Factors in Diabetes
- Heart diseases, stroke, and heart attack.
- Nephropathy
- Neuropathy
- Hearing loss
- Dementia
- Skin problems like fungal and bacterial infections
- Sores
- Retinopathy or vision loss
- Foot damage like sores and infections
- Jaundice
- Stillbirth
- Low blood sugar
- Premature birth
Diagnosis and Ayurvedic Treatment For Diabetes
When the above-given symptoms are noted in a patient, blood tests are done to check the blood sugar levels. Ayurvedic texts describe Diabetes as Prameha and Madhumeha and classify it into 20 categories. Herbal medicines and detoxifying Panchakarma therapies like Vasti, Vamana, and Virechana are used to manage diabetes and improve the metabolism of the patient. Ayurvedic treatment for diabetes increases insulin sensitivity and decreases insulin resistance in the patient’s body. Regular exercises like Yoga and Pranayama further improve the metabolism and blood circulation that slowly improves overall health and immunity of the human body.
Diet and Lifestyle Changes
Diabetes patients need to be extra careful about their diet. They need to stay away from sugar, fried, over-spicy, and junk food. Along with medication, they must exercise regularly to consume the sugar generated by their regular simple meals. Fibre-rich food, fruits, and salads essentially need to be a part of the diet.
Diabetes Prevention
- Cut down to refined carbs and sugar from your regular diet.
- Get in the habit of working out regularly.
- Stay away from smoking and over-consumption of alcohol.
- Try to avoid sedentary behaviours.
- Learn to drink more water and avoid carbonated drinks and sugary beverages.
- If you are overweight, work out ways to bring it down under a manageable margin.
- If you are planning to start a family then you must bring your weight under control.
- Watch the portion size while eating to reduce the risk for high blood sugar.
- Vitamin D is considered very important in controlling blood sugar level.
Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes
Unexpected Weight Loss
Frequent Urination
Extreme Hunger & Thirst
Cut Sores Slow Healing
Why To Choose Ayurveda?
Looks for the Root Cause
The ayurvedic approach of disease looks for the root cause and not merely the symptoms. Ayurveda offers two ways of treatment; One is Shodhan, and the other is Shaman. Shodhan is complete detoxification of the body by Panchakarma therapies. Shaman is balancing the doshas by Ayurveda medicines, diet, and lifestyle changes. Ayurveda medicines always work better in a patient detoxified with Panchakarma.
Safe Medicines
Ayurveda medicines are processed most naturally and not in the synthetic and chemical form. For this reason, the herbs are soft on the body, and there is no risk of side effects even if the patient requires to take them for longer durations. The complete eradication of the root cause ensures the cure and prevents future health complications.
Holistic Approach
Ayurveda is not merely a medical science. Instead, it is a philosophical science too. The basic principles of Ayurveda consider an individual human a specific identity and hence his treatment. Ayurveda gives importance to the treatment of the patient rather than the treatment of the disease. Two patients of the same disease can have different treatments because of the difference in their body constitution.