Common Diabetes Myths

Here are some common myths about the disabling condition of diabetes:

1. All diabetes is inherited. Not every person who suffers from the disabling condition of diabetes inherited it. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes tends to have a higher likelihood of inheritance than type 1. If any first-degree relatives have diabetes, you are considered to be at risk of developing type 2.

2. If you do have diabetes, you cannot have any sugar, it must be sugar-free. This is a myth. Truthfully, our bodies only recognize sugar, but they know how to use it. One recommended safe sugar substitute is vegetable glycerin.

3. People with diabetes can't eat sweets or chocolate. People who suffer from the disabling condition of diabetes can consume sweets and desserts if they are eaten as a part of a healthy meal plan or along with proper exercise.

4. Insulin causes impotence. While some men who suffer from the disabling condition of diabetes could become impotent, it is not because they take insulin. Rather, impotence or erectile dysfunction is the result of nerve damage caused by a number of years of high blood glucose.

5. There are no early symptoms of diabetes. The early symptoms of untreated diabetes mellitus are related to elevated blood sugar levels, and loss of glucose in the urine. High amounts of glucose in the urine can result in an increase in urine output and lead Dehydration results in an increase in thirst and water consumption. The body’s inability to use glucose energy eventually causes weight loss and an increase in appetite. Fluctuating blood sugar can also cause blurred vision early in the course of diabetes.

6. Type 1 diabetes is more serious than type 2. This is a widespread myth with a historic origin. Before 1922, when insulin was discovered, being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes meant certain death within months. While those who have been diagnosed with type 1 require insulin to live, it is possible for those suffering from type 2 to control it without insulin. But because of that face, many suffer from type 2 diabetes for months or years before receiving a diagnosis and in that time can suffer serious complications, such as eye damage or kidney failure.

7. There are many jobs that people with diabetes can't do. This is completely untrue. Nearly all jobs can be done by sufferers of diabetes. In the past, those who suffered from diabetes may not have been able to perform work at some military positions, as an airplane pilot, or that involved interstate driving. However, many of those professions have changed those requirements.