Diabetes Treatment in India
Nearly 400 million people across the world suffer from Diabetes. According to IDF (International Diabetes Foundation), India is the Diabetes capital of the world. 7 out of 100 people in India are Diabetic. Experts say that the number is going to increase further and by 2030, India will have 62.6 million diabetics. With this kind of alarming statistics diabetes has become a major health concern globally and especially in India.
Diabetes affects people from all walks of life and all age groups. The number of people suffering from this disease is increasing at a fast pace. So much so that Diabetes is called a lifestyle disease in today's times. It is counted in the category of epidemic diseases affecting people on large scale.
Experts believe that diabetes is increasingly becoming common due to incorrect ways of living and wrong eating habits. Lack of exercise, sedentary lifestyle, eating junk food, excessive sugar intake, obesity, are some of the common causes of Diabetes.
What is Diabetes?
In medical terms, Diabetes is caused due to poor metabolism of body. In this disease the pancreas does not produce enough insulin that is required to mobilize glucose into blood cells, muscles, liver, and other parts of the body which is then converted into fuel that gives energy to the body. Because adequate insulin is not produced the glucose that the body acquires from food remains immobilized and overflows into the urine. As a result the body fails to produce the fuel required to run the system.
Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetes Insipidus are the two main variants of Diabetes. Diabetes Mellitus is caused by inability of the body to produce insulin, or when the body stops responding to the insulin in the blood. Diabetes Mellitus is a more common type of Diabetes that affects the maximum number of patients. Diabetes Insipidus is caused by the lack of vasopressin in the body. The role of vasopressin is to increase the concentration of urine in the body by reducing urine output. Since vasopressin is absent in the body the patient suffers excessive thirst and urination. However Diabetes insipidus is not very common and in many cases caused due to drug side effects or other external factors. This type of diabetes can also be treated by identifying the cause.
Diabetes patients need to take proper care of their diet and lifestyle in order to avoid any serious conditions. High blood-glucose level can lead to stroke, heart attack and other fatal conditions. Apart from the right diet and medications the Diabetes patient also needs to keep a constant check on the blood-glucose level.
There are many home based and portable blood-glucose monitor equipments available in market that helps the patient to monitor the sugar level in blood anytime anywhere. By timely detection of any aberration in the blood glucose level, the fatalities or serious injury can be avoided.
Diabetes management also requires a proper lifestyle and controlled eating habits. It is not possible to completely cure diabetes, but one can definitely control the disease by keeping a check on lifestyle and food. Treatment for diabetes includes injecting insulin in the blood to mobilize glucose. One can also take insulin in form of medicines as prescribed by the doctor.
According to Dr Martin Silink, the President of International Diabetes Association, Diabetes is one of the biggest health catastrophes of the world. It is like an epidemic that is spreading day by day. Proper awareness and elaborate information on Diabetes can help control the disease.
Diabetes in India
With increasing instances of diabetes in India, the medical practitioners, as well as the general public is becoming more and aware about handling the disease. Research shows that the disease is more prevalent in urban India where people have hectic lifestyle, stressed environment, poor eating habits, lack of physical exercise, and dependence on junk food. Urban lifestyle calls for more mental exertion as compared to physical exertion. People stay stressed due to high pressure jobs, in-take high calorie food, and preservatives but do not burn the fat in the same proportion. High stress level and being overweight affects the production of insulin in the body thus causing diabetes. However, this does not mean that diabetes is not a part of rural India. The biggest challenge that rural people face is that the disease is not detected timely thus leading to complications and fatalities in most of the cases.
Growing Awareness for Diabetes in India
There is increasing awareness of diabetes in India. People who are already suffering from the disease are working towards reducing the intensity, and those who are prone to it are taking preventive steps. People all over the major cities in India are adopting regular ways of physical exercise like walking, Yoga, cardio exercises, and various other ways to prevent diabetes and keep the body fit. Yoga is a major way to prevent diabetes as well as reduce the blood glucose level in a diabetic patient. Yogic asanas like Adhomukha Virasana and Halasana are great reducers of blood glucose level. Yoga also helps in stress management and weight reduction.
The latest trend among young people suffering from diabetes is to practice suitable yogic asana either in a yoga class or a personal yoga tutor at home. Yoga also incorporates meditation that reduces stress and stimulates insulin production in the body. In present times all Indian cities are full with yoga classes that are doing wonderful job of controlling diabetes and other lifestyle diseases.
The trend of Morning Walk has also caught up pace in the last few years. Residential areas have good and maintained parks that cater as jogging and walking heavens for residents. Walking is regarded as the best exercise that stimulates all the systems of our body. Forty to 60 minutes of walking everyday helps control diabetes and other diseases like cholesterol, cardiac problems, and so on.
As people are increasingly becoming aware and eager to deal with the problem of diabetes, the demand for Diabetes care devices like Blood glucose monitor that can be used at home is also increasing. Patients want to maintain the required blood glucose level and measure it at regular intervals so that any complications can be controlled. Highly diabetic patients also keep portable Dialysis machine at home that helps them in doing their own dialysis everyday or as suggested by the physician. The modern Indian population and those who are health conscious keep such devices so that Diabetes does not become life threatening.
With growing problem of diabetes in India the county is adopting various ways to cope with it. Diabetes forums and associations are being formed to foster cooperation and spread a helping hand. Associations like Indian Task Force on Diabetes Care in India, and Diabetes Foundation (India) are dedicated to control diabetes and extend helping hand to deal with the problems. These associations also help the financially weaker sections of society who cannot afford the expensive diabetes treatment.
Alternative Diabetes Treatment in India
As the world knows that India is popular for alternative treatments that are different from allopath. Prolonged use of allopathic medicines results in various other ill effects like kidney and liver problems. More and more Indians are resorting to ayurveda, naturopathy, homeopathy, and other means to control diabetes.
India is rich in herbs that can help prevent and fight diabetes. Herbs and spices like Neem, Bhabul, fenugreek, Ginseng, Gooseberry, Bitter Gourd juice and so on help control diabetes without any side effects. These food have to be incorporated in daily food habits along with regular exercise to achieve the desired results. Herbal treatment of Diabetes is gaining popularity in India as foreigners are also coming to this country looking for alternative treatment of diabetes.
Ayuevedic treatment of diabetes is also effective and harmless. World knows about Indian Ayurveda and its magical power of curing complicated health problems. Kerala Ayurvedic Centers with branches all over the country and ANHC (Ayurvedic Natural Health Center) in Goa, are successfully treating Diabetic patients in India.
Homeopathy is another alternative treatment that has proven successful in controlling Diabetes. The results are slow but long lasting and harmless on body.
Any of the alternative treatments are not 100 percent result oriented but a success rate of 99.9 percent is achieved in most of the cases. A major portion of medical tourism in India gets its business from Alternative Treatment specializations.
The future scenario of Diabetes in India looks bleak due to increasing number of cases, but people are taking necessary steps to control and prevent the disease. The Government and Medical authorities are also taking necessary steps to spread awareness about Diabetes. A proper exercise regimen, fat free food, and healthy relaxed mind can help prevent diabetes in long run.