Diabetes "Mythinformation" Is Common

A lot of what people think they know about diabetes simply isn't true. Here are six very common myths about diabetes. If you, a family member, or even a health care provider believes any of them, they could be getting in the way of your care.

Myth #1: A person can have a "touch" of diabetes.
Having a "touch" of diabetes is no more possible than having a "touch" of pregnancy. Neither is being "borderline," or a "little sweet." High blood sugars are abnormal and damaging. If you have diabetes, you have it.

Myth #2: My doctor takes care of my diabetes.
Diabetes is very different from most other diseases. When you have an infection, if your doctor picks the right antibiotic, the problem goes away. In this case, what the DOCTOR does is most important to the outcome. In diabetes, however, what YOU do is what's most important. You are in charge of the daily decisions: what to eat, when to exercise, whether to check your blood sugar and so on. If you leave everything in your doctor's hands, you are almost sure to have poor control.

Myth #3: As long as I feel OK, my blood sugar doesn't matter.
Blood sugars above the normal range damage eyes, kidneys, nerves and blood vessels… and it usually doesn't hurt a bit. At least not until the damage becomes truly serious. When your blood sugar is high, your blood becomes thick like corn syrup. Oxygen and nutrients don't flow easily and the extra sugar reacts with body tissues in harmful ways. You can't manage diabetes by how you feel. To stay well, you need to manage it by the numbers!

Myth #4: People with diabetes can't eat sugar.
People with diabetes can enjoy sweet foods without guilt. Your kidneys, eyes, and blood vessels don't know whether a high blood sugar came from a cookie or a bean. You can learn how to enjoy sweets without guilt - and without giving up your goals for diabetes control.

Myth #5: Healthy foods don't raise blood sugar.
Even nutritious foods like whole wheat bread, fruit, and oatmeal can raise your blood sugar to an unhealthy level. The balance between insulin and carbohydrate is what determines blood sugar control, not whether the food is packed with vitamins and minerals or not. To control diabetes, you need to know how to manage carbohydrates - whether they come from nutritious foods you eat every day or from sweets you eat less often.

Myth #6: Diabetes education is only for people with "bad diabetes."
Because your decisions are the most important part of diabetes care, you need the right information and tools, RIGHT FROM THE START. Would you fly in an airplane with a pilot who didn't know how to keep the thing in the air? Of course not. Your body is in just as much danger as that plane unless YOU know what you're doing. Ignoring this reality doesn't change it. Learn to manage your diabetes to bring YOUR plane in safely.

If diabetes myths have been getting in your way, it may be time to bring your diabetes knowledge up to date. Learn more about the "Myth Book and Video Set."