Say no to diabetes

Dr Rama Mishra, Diabetologist and General Physician, WellBeeing Lifestyle Health Centre, Bangalore, elaborates more on various treatment methods to curb the menace of diabetes

Diabetes, like any other disease can be curbed by either prevention or controlling. The main causes of this widely spread disease are poor diet patterns, deteriorating fitness levels, shooting stress which immediately need to be worked upon.

The word DIABETES, in itself constitutes all the factors which help cause it. DI (Diet –Improper), ABE (Absence of Basic Exercise) and TES (Tension-Emotion-Stress).

Recently, there has been a shift which shows that the lifestyle diseases are slowly progressing and proving to be more fatal than the communicable diseases. These disorders are driven by negative effects of globalisation, cultural influence and consumption of unhealthy food products. Social concerns, such as ignorance, negligence, low concern on preventive care, low levels of education and also lack of finance, are associated with high risk factors of the most common problems. These include cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes which account for 80 per cent of Non-communicable diseases(NCD) deaths.

These NCDs are largely preventable and the most common modifiable risk behaviours are tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, excess consumption of alcohol and stress.

Controlling or reversing diabetes is a multi-pronged approach which involves several steps:

• Scientifically treating and addressing the root cause of the problem
• Creating awareness to improve the food-fitness habits
• Influencing behavioral changes
• Symptomatic relief and reducing long-term risk.
• Monitoring the changes and improvements constantly

Thus a need for synergetic effect arises, which involves a combination of more than one system of medicine. While modern system of medicine focusses on the symptomatic relief, many traditional systems worldwide focus on addressing the root cause of the problem. Hence, combining the benefits of old and new, can provide the best of both systems to an individual who is interested in evidence based, proven, risk free solution.

By combining modern medicine with proven and evidence-based practices from other traditional science, integrative approach evolves. This approach helps relieve suffering, reduce risk and stress and maintain the well-being. Integrative medicine makes use of appropriate therapeutic approaches, healthcare professionals and evidence-based disciplines to achieve optimal health and wellness.

Holistic medical treatment with a combined and complimenting practice of both proven-scientific Eastern and Western medical treatments seem to tackle the growing menace of diabetes.

Integrative medicine can be seen in various main stream treatments in western countries and is already becoming popular. This system neither rejects conventional medicine nor accepts alternative therapies uncritically. Effective interventions that are natural and less invasive are used wherever and whenever possible during the treatment.

Among the various treatment options and newer molecule entries in the healthcare industry, integrative medicine has emerged as a safe choice. The fundamental principle of integrative medicine is that, it integrates the strength of all systems of medicine and reduces the ill effects of excessive medication.

Interventions under an integrated approach for diabetes should ideally include screening, diet corrections, fitness specific to influence causative factors (insulin secretion or resistance), treatments to stimulate pancreas, insulin secretions, evaluation and gradually reducing the dosage of medication in those who are already on medication. In fact, in those who have not started on medication, the sugar levels can be controlled to normalcy without starting any medication. The cost of diabetes reversal is much lesser when compared to the life-long treatment with various drugs and treatment.