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Often referred to as diabetes mellitus. Describes a group of metabolic diseases in which the person has high blood glucose (blood sugar)

Types of Diabetes

1) Type 1 Diabetes

An autoimmune disease where the pancreas produces very little insulin or no insulin at all.
Also known as insulin-dependent diabetes, juvenile diabetes, or early-onset diabetes.
Patients with type 1 diabetes will need to take insulin injections for the rest of their life.

Causes

It happens due to permanent damage to Beta cells of the pancreas which produce Insulin.
Why Beta cells get damaged is unknown.
In most people with type 1 diabetes, the body’s own immune system — which normally fights harmful bacteria and viruses — mistakenly destroys the insulin-producing (islet) cells in the pancreas.
Genetics may play a role in this process, and exposure to certain environmental factors, such as viruses, may trigger the disease.

2) Type 2 Diabetes

The pancreas does not produce enough insulin or the body does not properly use it.
Sometimes considered a lifestyle disease because it is normally triggered by living a fairly sedentary life, being overweight and not participating in the exercise.

Causes

Caused by a combination of lifestyle and genetic factors.
Insulin resistance is found in type II patients. At first, your pancreas makes extra insulin to make up for it. But, over time it is not able to keep up and can’t make enough insulin to keep your blood glucose at normal levels.

3) Gestational Diabetes

A condition that women can get when they are in the second trimester of pregnancy.
It will disappear after the baby is born. In some cases, the patient does have a risk of developing diabetes in the future.

Symptoms

• Frequent Urination(Polyuria)
• Increased thirst (Polydipsia)
• Increased hunger (Polyphagia)
• Blurry vision.
• Fatigue.
• Weight loss.

Investigations

1) FBS

A fasting blood glucose level is a measure of how much glucose is in your blood when you have not eaten anything for at least 10 hours
A fasting blood glucose level of 110 mg/dL or greater, 7mmol/L or greater is indicative of diabetes.

2) PPBS

Blood glucose test that determines the amount of sugar in the blood after a meal.
Normal range is 120-180mg/dl. Glucose levels higher than this indicates diabetes.

3) HbA1c

Measures average blood glucose over the past 4 to 6 weeks (possibly longer). It measures how much glucose is stuck onto your red blood cells.
An HbA1c value above 7% means diabetes is poorly controlled.

4) Urine Routine Test

Check the presence of protein and sugar in the urine.

Complications

1) Diabetic ketoacidosis – accumulation of ketone bodies and acidity in the blood.
2) Cardiovascular disease, stroke (Cardiac Myopathy)
3) Kidney Failure (Diabetic Nephropathy)
4) Damage to the eyes (Retinopathy)
5) Damage to the Nervous System (Neuropathy)
6) Foot complications – neuropathy, ulcers, and sometimes gangrene which may require that the foot be amputated

Ayurvedic Treatment for Diabetes helps to control blood sugar levels. It also helps to combat the complications associated with uncontrolled diabetes like Diabetic Nephropathy. Insulin dependency is also reduced and completely removed as the patient responds to the treatment.