10 diabetes myths
Key Points
- Myth: Diabetes is caused by eating sugar (not true)
- Myth: DM2 only occurs in overweight people (slim people get it too)
- Myth: DM2 patients have no insulin (they have it, but it does not work effectively)
- Myth: People with diabetes should not have babies (they can, and should!)
- Myth: People with diabetes feel unwell (often well, i.e. it can be a silent disease)
Bit of background. There are two main types of diabetes:
- Type 1 (10%) – DM1 – where the pancreas does not produce any insulin. This type is usually diagnosed when you are young
- Type 2 (90%) – DM2 – where the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or the body’s cells don’t react to insulin. This type usually affects older people.
Here are 10 myths about diabetes.
1.Myth: Diabetes is caused by eating sugar.
Fact: Any diet high in calories – from sugar or another source – contributes to weight gain. It does not matter what you eat. And obesity increases your chance of getting type 2 diabetes risk.
2. Myth: If you are overweight, you will develop type 2 diabetes.
Fact: Yes, being overweight is a risk factor for developing diabetes. However, other there are other risks including family history, ethnicity and age. Many people with type 2 diabetes are a normal weight or moderately overweight.
3. Myth: People with diabetes cannot eat chocolate or sweets.
Fact: No foods are off limits to people with diabetes. The key is eating them in small portions and saving them for special occasions. In that way, you can maintain a healthy diet.
4. Myth: People with type 2 diabetes do not make insulin.
Fact: People with type 2 diabetes typically have enough insulin when they are first diagnosed. But the insulin is not working properly, and does not do its job. This is to make cells (the body’s building blocks) absorb glucose (sugar) from food. Later on, their pancreas may eventually stop making enough insulin. Then, they will need injections.
Having insulin or not, is not a marker of severity. So type 2 diabetes is not milder than type 1, because many are on tablets alone.
5. Myth: You should not get pregnant if you have diabetes, as its inherited (especially type 2 diabetes).
Fact: No, there is no reason why you should not try to have a baby. Though, yes, diabetes (especially type 2) is – to an extent – inherited. And, yes, it is true that women with diabetes have more complications in pregnancy. And the babies of people with diabetes may be larger than normal. But doctors and nurses can deal with both of these issues.
6. Myth: You will have to give yourself injections.
Fact: Yes, patients with type 1 diabetes (and some with type 2) have to give themselves injections. But there are now devices that can slowly inject insulin into you (without you feeling it), reacting to blood sugar which is monitored continuously (i.e. you do not have to prick your finger).
7. Myth: You cannot live an active life if you have diabetes. You should rest.
Fact: Exercise is crucial to living with diabetes. It can help your muscles use glucose (sugar) without relying on insulin. It is also good for the health of your heart, brain and other organs. Your doctor or nurse can help you devise an exercise programme that is right for you.
8. Myth: You do not need to test your blood sugar because you will know when it’s low or high.
Fact: You cannot rely on how you’re feeling to determine your blood-sugar level. You may be urinating a lot because you have a urine infection, not because your glucose is high. You may not be feeling well because you are getting a cold (or COVID-19!), not because you have low blood sugar. The only way to accurately know your blood-sugar level is to test it.
9. Myth: People with diabetes feel unwell.
Fact: Many people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms, and feel well. Others have symptoms so mild that they go unnoticed. In this way, it can be a ‘silent disease’ (like high blood pressure). For example, a stable blood sugar of 7-9 mmol/L (normal is 4-6 mmol/L) will give you no symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they may include: feeling very thirsty, urinating often, feeling very hungry even though you are eating, experiencing blurry vision, having cuts or bruises that heal slowly, or getting regular infections.
10. Myth: People with diabetes will lose legs, go blind and need kidney dialysis.
Fact: Diabetes can cause serious damage like blindness, kidney failure, leg amputation, heart attack and stroke. If you have one of these, the others are more likely. They ‘go together’ in 40% of people with diabetes. It’s not clear why. But there are several things you can do to reduce these risks:
- Early detection of diabetes
- Regular appointments with a nurse (at your GP or hospital) that specialises in diabetes
- Regular kidney blood tests
- Good (i.e. low) blood pressure control. Take your own (there is more on myHSN about how to take BP, and blood pressure generally)
- Regular eye and foot examinations.
Summary
We have described 10 diabetes myths. We hope you have found it helpful.
Other resources
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