Preventing Diabetes

Preventing Diabetes

Diabetes is a grave metabolic disorder and damages small (microangiopathic damage) and large (macroangiopathic damage) blood vessels.

It damages multiple organs, causing musculoskeletal and movement disorders, microangiopathic complications like diabetic neuropathy, retinopathy, nephropathy, macroangiopathic complications like ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and peripheral vascular disease.

Loss of vision, renal failure, heart attacks, strokes, foot disease including gangrene are common complications of diabetes.

In short, it is a fatal disease that we can ill afford to ignore whether we are already diabetic or are predisposed to it or lead a sedentary lifestyle, eat bad and are overweight. Prolonged stress and prolonged intake of some medications too predispose us to diabetes.

And the longer the duration of the disease, graver are the complications. So you must be particularly watchful if you have caught the disease in young age.

Young ladies who suffer from diabetes during pregnancy and the illnesses doesn’t reverse post pregnancy are at a higher risk of developing complications in later life.

Diabetes is one disease that one must leave no stone unturned, to prevent.

No effort should be spared to prevent it’s onset if you are threatened with it.

Once it sets in, you are left fighting it for a lifetime and believe me, it is a no holds barred fight, and often an ugly one.

And there can only be one winner if you don’t take utmost care!

It is also a very expensive fight!

So fight to prevent it all costs!

India is home to the largest population of diabetics. In that sense, we are the world capital of this disease.

The reasons for this are numerous. Being genetically more prone to diabetes and heart disease complicates matters.

Lack of awareness about the predisposing factors of the disease, rising affluence, physical inactivity, fat and sugar rich high calorie food, intense competition, stress, unending ambitions and desires, lack of satisfaction and mental peace and rising obesity are even more important factors.

If you confirm to the above traits, if you have a family history of diabetes, if your waist is over 80 cm (for ladies) or 90 cm (for men), if you are over 35 years of age, you are prone to catch diabetes.

The risk is greater if both of the parents are diabetics if your waist is over 90 cm (women) or 100 cm (men) and you are over 50 years of age.

You must screen yourself by a general check up and check up your blood sugar two hours after consuming 75 gm glucose once every year if you are over 35, if you have the above risk factors, or if you are over 50.

You can protect yourself from diabetes by taking following measures:

Eat healthy, simple, nutritious, low calorie food rich in vegetables and fruits.

Eat fatty and sweet food minimally.

Walk briskly for at least half an hour every day.

Lose weight.

Make room for adequate rest and recreation in your daily routine.

Lead a happy, peaceful and contented life.

Screen yourself for diabetes every year.

Diabetics may not have any symptoms in the early stages. But left unchecked, it can damage various organs including the eyes, the kidneys, and the heart. It is a life-threatening disease. So take care!