Disease and health, two states through which we are constantly oscillating, are often our greatest obsessions. Health is a natural state of being whereas disease is an intrusion on our privacy. Disease, as the name implies, is the absence of ease or comfort. On the other hand "health" (meaning derived from "whole" again) is a state of mental, physical, emotional and spritual wholeness and well being.
Unfortunately in modern times with our fast-paced lifestyle, we often fail prey to minor ailments like common cold, acidity, constipation, tiredness, cough, upper respiratory infections, dental problems that cause a great deal of discomfort. And major maladies like heart attacks, diabetes, hypertension, high cholestrol and triglycerides derail our lives completely.
Can we not do something to prevent them? Apart from general hygiene, good nutrition, regular exercise, rest, regulated lifestyle measures, there have been several breakthroughs in the field of medicine, which actually help prevent diseases. Many diseases now are treatable and their incidence has significantly reduced with the help of effective vaccines.
D I A B E T E SThis isn't someone else's problem:India has 41 million diabetics. It could rise to 70 million by 2025. While doctors search for better treatments, my articles arms you with the facts
TEH EPIDEMIC* It's the fasted-growing disease in the world, with 230 million people already affected.
* Diabetes is the world's leading cause of heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease and lower limb amputation.
* The incidence of diabetes is five times higher among Asians than it is in white populations.
* By 2025, every fifth diabetic in the world would be an Indian.
THE WARNING SIGNSHere is what should ring alarm bell:
TYPE IExtreme thirst * Frequent urination * Constant hunger * Blurred vision Sudden weight loss * Nausea vomitting * Infections * Extreme tiredness
TYPE 2Excessive thirst * Frequent urination * Feeling tired and lethargic Slow-healing wounds * Itching and skin infections * Blurred vision Mood swings
GESTATIONALPregnant and over 30 years of age. Family history of type 2 diabetes overweight certain ethnic groups including Indian, vietnamese, chinese, Middle Eastern, Polynesian/Melanesian, indegenous, Australians gestational diabetes in previous pregnency. Previous problems carrying a pregnancy to term.
COMMON MYTHSMyth 1: sugar causes diabetesWrong. Type 1 diabetes is thought to be caused by genetic factors combined with environmental triggers. Type 2 diabetes is caused by a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors. People with diabetes do need to limit foods that are concentrated sources of sugars, but they can eat small amounts of sugar.
Myth 2: People with diabetes can't eat chocolates or sweetsSmall quantities of chocolates and sweets are ocassionally OK as part of a healthy eating and physical activity plan.
Myth 3: People with diabetes have to eat special foods
Like everyone, people with diabetes have to eat healthly. That means a diet low in saturated fat and high in fibre and whole-grain foods.
Myth 4: You can catch diabetes
Diabetes is not contagious.
Myth 5: People can have a "touch of diabetes"You can't have mild or borderline diabetes. All diabetes is serious and, if not managed properly, can lead to serious complications.
I f you have diabetes, the problem is basically this: you have too much glucose in your blood. Glucose is our main source of energy, derived from eating carbohydrates, and is absorbed into our cells with the help of the harmones insulin. If our body has a problem with insulin, the glucose isn't absorbed.
There's range of reasons for this. In some people, their pancreas fails to produce insulin,THAT'S
TYPE 1. A small number of people become diabetic when their pancreas is destroyed, for example in an accident or during surgery. But for most people with diabetes, the body has problems processing the insulin the pancreas does produces
TYPE 2. Actually, within the term "diabetes" doctors are discovering dozens and dozens of conditions. "The lines are getting fuzzy," says Dr Sreemukesh Dutta of the Hyderabad-based Research Society for the study of diabetes in India, "Earlier, only Type 1 diabetes was insulin-dependent but in the past decade Type 2 diabetes has become insulin-dependent too," In Type 2 That's where a complicated metabolic process means not enough insulin is produced, or the insulin that is produced doesn't work effectively. Type 2 comprises 70 to 80% of total diabetes cases in India, and its incidence is increasing rapidly-so much so that India is often described as the "Diabetes Capital of the World."
Link to obesity, the most worrying trend is that it's being diagnosed in younger and younger Indians. Previously, the onset of diabetes was generally among those above 35. Since the past decade,
Type 1 is getting to be increasingly seen among children, while youngsters even in their 220s are developing
Type 2. That's a major problem, since the longer you live with diabetes, the more likely you are to develop complications.
Diabetes is the scourge of the 21st century, and it has found itself a significant place in the annals of medical history. Man has ultimately paid a heavy price of a fast life, poor diet and lifestyle habits, smoking and chewing tobacco and the abuse of alcohol and drugs.
Diabetes is characterized by excessive urination, excessive thirst and excessive hunger associated with weakness, diminshed immunity and weight loss.
If diabetes is left untreated, the patient gradually deteriotes and succumbs to infection. But, it treated properly, the patient can lead a normal life.
The treatment of diabetes is based on main three modalities:a) Dietb) Exercisec) Medications-Oral Medications insulin injections
As for as possible patient must follow these guidlines:
a) The patient should learn more about diabetes management, which includes proper diet, exercise and medications.
b) Adjust diet and exercise to compensate for indulgences rather than altering medications. Patients must take medications regularly and alter them only with the help of their physician. Constantly altering the drugs is laying the foundation for drug failure and chronic complications of diabetes.
c) Patients must go for regular blood/urine tests to monitor and maintain good control. Vigilence in preventing the chronic complications.
d) Visit physician regularly for check-ups and adhere to the lifestyle measures necessary for controlling diabetes.
If diabetes is not adequately controlled the and lower limbs suffer because their blood supply is diminished due to long-standing diabetes and patient can suffer from complicatins like vasculopathy or, in simpler words thickening and narrowing of the arteries. When the arteries of the brain are affected, it can lead to strokes, paralysis, memory lapses and other neuroligical syndromes. When the arteries in the eyes are affected, it can lead to premature cataracts, retinal damage, increased ocular pressure and in extreme cases, blindness. Occlusion of the cardiac arteries leads to heart attacks and enlargement of the heart. Other chronic complications of diabetes are neuropathy (affecting the long nerve of the limbs) and neuphropathy.
Neuropathy has some very serious repercussions on the patient's qualityof life. When the nerves of the upper and lower limbs suffer because their blood supply is diminished due to long standing diabetes, the patient starts getting symptoms of nerve disease. These include persistent tingling in the hands and feet, a burning sensation, a pricking sensation or currents of pain. As the disease progresses the nerve may die due to lack of blood supply, and the foot/hand becomes numb and insensitive corns, calluses, cuts, bruises, cracked feet, small in-growing toenails can all be the harbingers of major disaster like amputation of the limb due to gangrene and severe infection.
Some very basic steps for diabetic foot care are:
a) Clean the feet twice a day with hands using soap and water.
b) Dry the feet throughly after washing.
c) Wear good fitting shoes.
d) Cotton socks should be worn along with shoes, socks should be changed everyday.
Nephropathy is the term used to denote damage to the kidneys. It is a common complication of uncontrolled diabetes. The initial signs are swelling of the face and feet. Gradually the swelling spreads all over the body. The urinalysis shows proteins in significant amounts. Kidney disease, once set in, gradually deteriotes the overall health of the patient. He soon requires dialysis or a kidney transplant in order to save his life.
Along with diabetes if the patient has hypertension and raised triglycerides and cholestrol levels may be prone to heart attacks. The incidents of heart attacks has risen alarmingly in the past decade and one of the common causes for this is the increase in the incidence of diabetes. It is claimed that one out of two deaths is due to heart attacks. The main point of conceren is that even young people are dying of heart attacks. The reasons are increased intake of junk food, sedentary lifestyle, increased use of alcohol and tobacco.
Wrong eating habits not only cause diabetes but also cause HYPERTRIGLYCERIDEMIA and HYPERCHOLESTROLEMIA, both of which cause gradual narrowing of arteries.
Both cholestrol and triglycerides are vital substances in the human body. Cholestrol is an important constitue of every cell wall in the trillions of cells in the body. Integrity of the cell wall determines the life and function of the cell. A poor cell wall leads to early death of the cell. Cholestrol plays a major role in metabolism. However if, owing to some vitamin or mineral deficiency, cholestrol metabolism cannot be carried to it's logical end then cholestrol piles up in the blood and deposits on the insides of arteries
The normal cholestrol level in the blood is any value less than 200mg%.
To lower the cholestrol levels in the blood one must have a balanced diet with more fruits, vegetables and fibre keeping the fat as low as possible. It is advised to avoid excessive ghee, butter, oil, fried food, milk and red meats (e.g. beef, pork, and mutton). A normal healthy adult can make do with two to three teaspoons of oil/butter, per day.
Triglycerides are substances that belong to the family of fat but originate in the carbohydrate food. The normal level is less than 160mg% in the blood. Triglyceride elevation in the blood is also due to some vitamin or mineral deficiency. In order to normalize the levels, it is important to eliminate milk, refined wheat and rice, white sugar, tea cofee and alcohol from the diet. Elevated triglycerides in the blood also lead to the hardening of arteries.
Hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia are partially hereditary and partially acquired by wrong dietery habits, lack of exercise and some medical drugs. If correction of lifestyle measures doesn't optimize the control of these two maladies then there are medications which lower the level of these substances in the blood. The medications MUST be used with caution-intermittent use is considered to be safer than daily use.
Interestingly, a balanced diet and optimum exercise can control diabetes, blood pressure, high cholestrol and triglyceride. If a good diet and exercise programme is instituted, one can regulate all the above maladies easily. And if all four are well controlled the ncidence of heart attacks will go down too.
Eating studies have shown that substances present in our food can be invaluable in keeping us young and forever healthy. These are simple day-today substances like vitamin A, C, BI, B6, B12, selenium, chromium, chlorine, Folic Acid and a host of other factors. These vitamins and minerals have found their way into the treatment schedules of patients suffering from as wide range of problems like common cold to cancer, paralytic stroke to Alzheimer's.
Eating fresh fruits at a separate time and not eating along with other food would help to get many nutrients. Sprouted beans either boiled sauted or steamed, should be consumed regularly. Include fresh cooked vegetables, whole grains, and milk products like curds, buttermilk, cottage cheese and salads in your diet. One must eat often but in small quantities. These measures always help to maintain good health and happiness, Mental balance, physical strenght and stamina, and an unshakeable faith in the Almighty is a basic philosophy to remain well and enjoy life.