Diabetes is one of the common metabolic and is one of the chronic diseases. According to Ayurveda Diabetes is called Prameha or Madhumeha. Diabetes is classified as a Maha Rog (major disease) in Ayurveda. This is because it is a chronic metabolic disorder that can affect the entire body if not treated in time.

It is also one of the diseases that develops over a period of time. This means that the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus would take at least 3-5 years to manifest completely. It is extremely uncommon for it to see marked symptoms between 1-6 months; the only time you can see immediate evidence is in exceptional cases like pregnancy, injury, surgery, psychological conditions, infections, etc.

Types of Diabetes

According to Ayurveda there are 20 Types of Diabetes. Types mentioned in different text can be classified as below

According to Dosha

• Kaphaja – 10 Types
• Pittaja – 6 Types
• Vataja – 4 Types

According to Prognosis

• Sadhya (Kaphaja) – Easy to treat
• Yapya (Pittaja) – Difficult to treat
• Asadhya (Vataja) – Non Treatable

According to Body Constitution

• Sthula (obese)
• Krisha (thin)

According to Nidana

• Sahaja(Diabetes type 1)
• Apathayanimittaja
• Prakarutiprabhava (by default nature of the person)
• Swakrit (lifestyle originated)

Causes of Diabetes

• Ayusukham (Addiction to the pleasure of sedantary habits)
• Day sleep
• Consuming heavy food like curds
• Overeating and consequent obesity
• Excessive intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates
• Overloading of proteins and fats which get converted into sugar if taken in excess
• Excessive tension, worry, anxiety and grief
• Hereditary factors
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Pregnancy
• Another major cause of diabetes mellitus is impaired digestion. When digestive toxins start to accumulate in the system due to poor digestion, they might start to damage pancreatic cells and hamper the production of insulin. Therefore, the body is not able to use glucose correctly resulting in high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and sugar in urine (glycosuria).

Common Symptoms of Diabetes Mellitus (Prameha)

• Constant feeling of hunger and thirst
• Weight loss
• Quick exhaustion and drowsiness
• Low sexual urge
• Possible anemia
• Constipation
• Itching around genital organs
• Palpitation
• Slow healing of wounds
• Blurry vision
• Frequent urination, in large amounts and recurring UTIs
• Sweet taste in the mouth
• Bad body odour

Complications of Daibetes

• Diabetic Retinopathy
• Diabetes is among the leading causes of kidney failure
• Heart disease accounts for approximately 50% of all deaths among people with diabetes in industrialized countries
• Diabetic Neuropathy
• Diabetic foot disease, due to changes in blood vessels and nerves, often leads to ulceration and subsequent limb amputation.
• Skin ailments etc etc

Diabetes Treatment in Ayurveda

Ayurvedic treatment of diabetes is based on the fact that it is a metabolic disorder and hence, merely controlling sugar levels is just correcting a symptom.

This is where Ayurveda differs from conventional medicine in its treatment as it does not concentrate on solely balancing sugar level, but also ensuring that no further complications arise. So can be treated very well compared to any other medicines.

Therefore, the Ayurvedic approach to treating diabetes by improving metabolism asks for a change in the lifestyle of the person. With few medication and diet, the patient is also advised an active and healthy lifestyle bring out total reversal of disease.