Correlating Ayurveda and Diabetes
Diabetes is considered a disease of rich people- the concept came from the fact that as per the notion, diabetes is a result of over consumption of sugar and sweetened products. On a contrary, there are various other factors that might be the root cause for diabetes. Regular exercise, dietary changes and monitoring blood sugar levels etc. can considerably help in getting rid of the diabetes forever. There are hereditary factors too associated with the diseases, but that is controllable if one keeps a check on his/her health from the beginning.
Diabetes and Ayurveda
Diabetes in Ayurveda is known as prameha or madhumeha. Every human body has 3 prominent dosha-vata, pita and kapha, and a proper balance between 3 is vital for proper functioning of the body. Imbalance of kapha dosha results in diabetes condition. A mere dominant kapha does not imply diabetes, but without proper ayurvedic intervention, the condition may lead to a situation of diabetes. Ayurveda explains 2 ways of diabetes:
- Avarana – obstruction of channels in the body
- Dhatukshaya – depletion of tissues leading to juvenile diabetes
Whether it is inherent or acquired, one needs to follow a strict regime of Ayurvedic Medicine for Diabetes in order to create a balance of the doshas. Ayurvedic doctors and medical practitioners emphasise on taking regular medicines which will help in creating a dosha balance as well as improve digestive health.
Symptoms of Diabetes
Before starting
Ayurvedic Treatment of Diabetes, one must be aware of the presence of the disease by noticing few symptoms as follows:
- Frequent urge of urinating
- Sweetness in urine and all over the body (madhu is used for sweet and meha is urine, madhumeha implies sweet urine)
- Increased feeling of thirst and hunger
- Vision changes
- Sores that heal slow
- Numbness of hands and feet
- Sudden weight loss among others
Symptoms for type 1 diabetes occur fast, while for type 2, people experience mild or no symptoms at all. It is important to understand and analyse symptoms of diabetes, which will help in early diagnosis of the disease to prevent complications ahead. Type 1 is more common in children and young, and their symptoms include nausea, vomiting, loss of consciousness etc.
Causes of Diabetes
The most common form of diabetes in type 2 and some of the causes for the same are:
- Unhealthy lifestyle and obesity
- Age factor
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Pregnancy or a disease condition may also trigger type 2 diabetes
Type is basically an autoimmune reaction, where the body is attacking itself. Here the immune system is responsible for attacking the cells making insulin which reduces the amount of insulin in the body. As such there are no specific causes for the same, but in most of the case, the reasons are hereditary. An infection (bacterial or viral) may trigger the disease. The food we eat may have presence of toxins or chemicals that may be the cause of various diseases including diabetes. Often the symptoms are left unnoticed in case of diabetes, until we do a blood test. Changing the lifestyle and monitoring food habits may help in improving your health condition considerably.