Whether in our body or in the environment, disease mostly does not announce itself in the beginning.
It was just a subtle “click” in my right knee a few years back. Since then, the knee has repeatedly attracted my attention, with a faint “creak”, like a hinge without grease. Sometimes, it sends a sharp pain, lest I forget its presence. Subtle reminders make sure I take care when climbing the stairs and exercise regularly to strengthen the muscles in my limbs. My parents had a similar knee problem and learned to live with it in the eighties and nineties. Osteoarthritis was subtly penetrating and persisted with constant reminders.
Another common chronic disease, diabetes has different manifestations. It is often “silent” and symptoms, if any, are vague. Many patients consider their high blood sugar levels to be “normal” for them and become complacent about diet and medications. Unfortunately, the seriousness only sinks when there are complications. Heart attack, stroke and kidney failure are the extreme end of the spectrum of diabetes that goes undiagnosed for many years. Raising awareness before the disease strikes is a challenge for proponents of preventive medicine.
It is imperative to regularly check blood sugar, blood pressure and body weight and be aware of a healthy lifestyle. The observance of such a rule and the responsibility of personal health rest with the individuals.
Subtlety not only takes a toll on our health but also the health of the environment. During my morning walk, I realized that I had not seen weaver birds and pied kingfishers in the city park in a long time. Twenty years ago, I marveled at the intricately woven nests of weaver birds and the soaring flight of pied kingfishers over a lake. where have they gone? When did they disappear? Unlike humans, birds do not complain about the loss of their habitat. If lucky, they move quietly to a more favorable environment. If not, they can only be counted as “threatened” or “extinct” species. Recently, I noticed an unintended consequence of a common “responsible behavior” on biodiversity. With the help of monsoon, grass and wild flowers occupied a large field in the middle of a housing colony. Butterflies of many colors and sizes were fluttering everywhere. The very next day, I found that the place was “clean” and there were no butterflies. There was a lone blue pansy fluttering and perhaps asking, “Who did this and why? Can’t you leave a little piece of forest for us?” The little pansy’s questions were lost in the minds of residents who saw the ground as full of weeds and not as full of feeder plants. In this case, it was easy to find the cause. There must be many subtle indicators for ecological disruptions. Climate change, floods, landslides and species loss are at the extreme ends of the spectrum of an unhealthy environment.
The pandemic has brought many people closer to nature. Before it is too late, it is necessary for everyone to go one step further and look at the subtle indicators of danger to the environment as well as to their own health. Now is the time to take action.
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