Spirituality tells us of our life being a journey of soul through the sea of time, and our body being a mere vehicle which drives us through. In case of our worldly possession of a vehicle like a car, we ensure regular maintenance, regular servicing. Do we care similarly for our body?
Diabetes is fast emerging as an epidemic. Bangalore incidentally, has second highest number of people afflicted with diabetes, according to a recent Indian studies. Hyderabad leads the list.
Every 10 seconds, a person dies of diabetes related illness. Interestingly, 50% of diabetics are unaware of their condition. Also, Type 2 diabetics (also known as Non insulin dependent diabetics), are 85%-95% of total diabetics. 80% of this Type 2 Diabetes can be prevented or managed with nothing more than diet and lifestyle modification.
Similarly, another common problem is that of obesity. With increased dependence on junk food, and increased physical inactivity, more and more young people are being afflicted with overweight /obesity syndrome. Obesity, by itself can lead to Diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke and certain type of cancers. It is pertinent to note that one need not starve to control weight, but only little care to modify what to eat and when.
Heart disease too isn’t confined to old age alone. Contrary to popular perception, more and more young people are suffering from heart diseases. It is possible to identify risk of getting heart attack by simple diagnostic tests like BMI (Body mass index), lipid profile, ECG, blood Sugar, presence or absence of hypertension, smoking and so on
Cancers can be prevented/ or diagnosed at an early and treatable stage by regular physical examinations. Simple information like family history of certain cancers can alert physician to rule out or detect the cancer at an early stage. Breast cancer can be prevented by periodic self examination. Any suspicious nodule or swelling should not be neglected. A simple fine needle aspiration test, where the pathologist puts in a very fine needle in the swelling and can tell whether the swelling is likely to be cancerous or not can give the lead.
In essence, awareness, Attention to family history, periodic examinations, baseline diagnostic test reports, and most importantly diet and exercise can ensure good health, and prevent diseases striking us.⊕