mythsnov2005

Myth - You can catch diabetes from someone else.
No. It is not known for sure why some people get diabetes, but it is
definitely not contagious. Type 2 diabetes seems to have a genetic link, but
environmental factors are also a part of that.

Myth - Eating too much sugar causes diabetes.
No. Diabetes is a combination of environmental and genetic factors. Being
overweight does increase your risk if you have a family history of diabetes.
Regular exercise and a healthy diet are a good habit to incorporate into
your life for everyone, not just diabetics and those with a risk of diabetes.

Myth - Type 2 diabetes is a mild form of diabetes.
No. There isn’t any form of mild diabetes. All forms of diabetes are serious
and need to be treated as such. If not properly controlled, serious
complications can occur.

Myth - It's possible to have just a touch of diabetes.
Either you have it or you don’t. Pre-diabetes is just a warning sign that you
need to make changes to help hold off the inevitable. You will most likely
end up with diabetes, but the more lifestyle changes you make early, the
better off you will be. If you are 30 with pre-diabetes, you may be able to
hold off Type 2 diabetes until you are 60+ with some healthy changes in
your lifestyle. Even if you aren’t on insulin, Type 2 diabetes can be treated
with medications but it still demands medical attention and a change in
lifestyle choices.

Myth - All types of diabetes are the same.
There are 2 major types of diabetes mellitus; Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 is
also known as Juvenile Diabetes or insulin dependent diabetes. This type
the person’s pancreas essentially doesn’t release any insulin at all and
they need to inject insulin medication for survival. It tends to occur in
young, lean individuals before the age of 30. The cause is most often to an
autoimmune destruction of beta cells in the pancreas. Approximately 10% of
diabetics are Type 1. Type 2 is also known as adult on-set or non-insulin
dependent diabetes. These people can still produce insulin but not enough
for their body’s demands. Most of these people have insulin resistance
and require larger than normal insulin levels to keep their blood sugars in
a normal range. It occurs in most individuals over 40 years of age.
Incidence of type 2 increase with age. This age is decreasing due to the
number of obese people. The majority of type 2 diabetics are obese or
overweight, but NOT all type 2's are overweight!!! Type 2 diabetes also has
a genetic tendency but it may also be due to passing down bad lifestyle
choices as well. 90% of all diabetics are Type 2 and over 80% of those are
either overweight or obese.

Myth - By drinking water, I can wash away the sugar in my
blood and cure my diabetes.
You can not wash away high blood glucose by drinking water. However, you
can control diabetes by eating a healthy diet, being physically active,
controlling or lowering your weight, seeing your health providers regularly,
taking your prescribed medications, and monitoring your blood glucose
levels with your meter often.

Myth - I have diabetes and I've seen the effects on family
members, I know there is nothing I can do about it.
Diabetes is controllable. There are many things you can do to keep it in
check so that you can live a full life. Eat a healthy diet, exercise and/or stay
active, lose weight if needed, take your prescribed medications, test your
blood glucose levels, and see your healthcare team on a regular basis.

Myth - You can catch diabetes from someone else.
Although the exact reason some people get diabetes is unknown, it is
known that you can not catch it from others like the common cold.