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Don't Fall For These 7 Diabetes Myths

V

vic's

Member
Myth #1: Taking Insulin Means You Have The "Bad" Diabetes
Truth: Bad diabetes is uncontrolled diabetes, whether someone takes insulin or diabetes pills. It is the high blood sugars over time that leads to the diabetic complications such as blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, strokes, etc. Whether you are taking pills, insulin or a combination of the two, but your blood sugar levels are consistently high, talk to your diabetes doctor or healthcare provider to develop strategies to reduce your blood sugar levels, and your chances of complications.
Myth #2: Being Overweight Means You Have Or Will Have diabetes
Truth: Extra weight does not cause diabetes, however extra weight can increase the chances of developing diabetes. There are many people that are overweight and do not have diabetes.
Myth #3: If You Have Diabetes, Then You Cannot Eat Sugary Foods
Truth: Research has shown that when grams of carbohydrate are equal, the source of carbohydrate, sugar versus starch, is not the major factor in determining the effect of the food on blood glucose levels. When consumed in a mixed meal, sugar does not produce a more rapid rise or higher peak in blood glucose levels than other starches or carbohydrates.
Myth #4: People With Diabetes Are More Likely To Get Colds And Other Illnesses
Truth: You are no more likely to get a cold or another illness if you have diabetes. However, people with diabetes are advised to get flu shots. This is because any illness can make diabetes more difficult to control, and people with diabetes who do get the flu are more likely than others to go on to develop serious complications.
Myth #5: Diabetes Is Not That Serious Of A Disease
Truth: Diabetes causes more deaths a year than breast cancer and AIDS combined. Having diabetes nearly doubles your chance of having a heart attack. The good news is that good diabetes control can reduce your risk of complications.
Myth #6: Diabetes Is Always Easy To Control
Truth: Diabetes is a complex disease due to disturbed stable blood sugar. Stable blood sugar levels are related to much more than just what and when someone eats. A person with diabetes that is trying to take care of the diabetes cannot always control factors such as stress or illness.
Myth #7: If You Have Type 2 Diabetes And Your Doctor Says You Need To Start Using Insulin, You're Not Taking Care Of Your Diabetes Properly
Truth: Often type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease. Over time the pancreas makes less and less insulin and the diabetes medications alone can no longer keep the blood sugars at a good level. Taking insulin to keep the blood sugars levels healthy is a good thing, not a bad thing.

what are the other myths you have heard so far?
 
I'd be interested in knowing your expertise or experience. Don't know that I agree with them all. Happy to read what ever source you obtained these 'facts' from but in addition would like to know your experience. Are you saying this is true of all types of diabetes? There is enough misinformation and prejudice around without spreading more. Myth 7= where do you get the idea that type 2 is necessarily a progressive illness? There is more but not sure whether you actually believe what you have written or trying to wind us up.
 
vic's said:
Myth #1: Taking Insulin Means You Have The "Bad" Diabetes
Truth: Bad diabetes is uncontrolled diabetes, whether someone takes insulin or diabetes pills. It is the high blood sugars over time that leads to the diabetic complications such as blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, strokes, etc. Whether you are taking pills, insulin or a combination of the two, but your blood sugar levels are consistently high, talk to your diabetes doctor or healthcare provider to develop strategies to reduce your blood sugar levels, and your chances of complications.
Myth #2: Being Overweight Means You Have Or Will Have diabetes
Truth: Extra weight does not cause diabetes, however extra weight can increase the chances of developing diabetes. There are many people that are overweight and do not have diabetes.
Myth #3: If You Have Diabetes, Then You Cannot Eat Sugary Foods
Truth: Research has shown that when grams of carbohydrate are equal, the source of carbohydrate, sugar versus starch, is not the major factor in determining the effect of the food on blood glucose levels. When consumed in a mixed meal, sugar does not produce a more rapid rise or higher peak in blood glucose levels than other starches or carbohydrates.
Myth #4: People With Diabetes Are More Likely To Get Colds And Other Illnesses
Truth: You are no more likely to get a cold or another illness if you have diabetes. However, people with diabetes are advised to get flu shots. This is because any illness can make diabetes more difficult to control, and people with diabetes who do get the flu are more likely than others to go on to develop serious complications.
Myth #5: Diabetes Is Not That Serious Of A Disease
Truth: Diabetes causes more deaths a year than breast cancer and AIDS combined. Having diabetes nearly doubles your chance of having a heart attack. The good news is that good diabetes control can reduce your risk of complications.
Myth #6: Diabetes Is Always Easy To Control
Truth: Diabetes is a complex disease due to disturbed stable blood sugar. Stable blood sugar levels are related to much more than just what and when someone eats. A person with diabetes that is trying to take care of the diabetes cannot always control factors such as stress or illness.
Myth #7: If You Have Type 2 Diabetes And Your Doctor Says You Need To Start Using Insulin, You're Not Taking Care Of Your Diabetes Properly
Truth: Often type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease. Over time the pancreas makes less and less insulin and the diabetes medications alone can no longer keep the blood sugars at a good level. Taking insulin to keep the blood sugars levels healthy is a good thing, not a bad thing.

what are the other myths you have heard so far?
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Honey, there's so much wrong in here, I don't even know where to start. But hope you're well and enjoying the forum!
 
JoKalsbeek said:
Honey, there's so much wrong in here, I don't even know where to start. But hope you're well and enjoying the forum!
Click to expand...

And of course there is so much right in there many of those statements I would agree with and not dispute but some points I would be less inclined to subscribe to.
 
VashtiB said:
I'd be interested in knowing your expertise or experience. Don't know that I agree with them all. Happy to read what ever source you obtained these 'facts' from but in addition would like to know your experience. Are you saying this is true of all types of diabetes? There is enough misinformation and prejudice around without spreading more. Myth 7= where do you get the idea that type 2 is necessarily a progressive illness? There is more but not sure whether you actually believe what you have written or trying to wind us up.
Click to expand...
I got this from the net and so i thought i should share it. a lot of misleading information occur on the internet...here we break it down to right conclusions. isnt it?
 
I’ve heard a lot of these myths in the 50 odd years since I was diagnosed with T1, and yes, a lot of them need exploding.
I used to get very fed up when people didn’t realise that carbohydrate came in many shapes and forms; I often wonder which is the ‘bad’ diabetes people talked about; I used to ignore those who told me ‘you can’t eat that’, and I’d calmly inject what I hoped was the appropriate amount of insulin, and I’m still fed up with people who think that bringing a cold with them when they visit is ok because ‘it’s only a cold’ - they won’t be spending the time juggling insulin for infection-raised blood sugars!
I think the main problem is that the term ‘diabetes’ is used for two conditions that are not, fundamentally, the same thing. This isn’t the fault of the poster: it’s a historical problem.
And folk, be kind! Please!
 
bulkbiker said:
Can I ask why you thought it a good idea to post that as a non diabetic new joiner to a forum?
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Have you ever thought of discussing the myths and come up with right conclusions? i am sure you have friends also who are non diabetic and come up with things such as my post. Do you ask them the same as you did to me?
 
Hello @vic's It would be helpful if you could explain your interest in diabetes please so we can understand more about what your looking to get from your membership here on the forum ?
 
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