4 Very Common Myths About Diabetes
Between 1980 and 2014, the percentage of adults over 18 living with diabetes jumped from 4.7% to 8.5%. Currently, there are over 422 million people living with problems resulting from this disease, and many people still do not know what the risks and how to prevent its development.
Neuroscientist Claire Roston uncovers four very common myths about diabetes, showing the truth behind them and alerting them to the problems the disease can cause. Stay tuned and don't get trapped:
1. “Diabetes is just a pancreas disorder”
Dr. Roston warns that while diabetes affects the pancreas, we must also consider the psychological impacts of the disease. Thus, when receiving a diagnosis of diabetes, it is also important to seek a psychologist to better understand the disease, as many patients develop depression precisely because they do not understand the problem.
Not to mention, of course, that diabetes itself can also influence your cognitive abilities, such as lack of focus and unclear thoughts. In addition, the disease may affect memory, and all of these symptoms contribute to the patient's psychological impairment.
2. “Diabetes only affects those who are overweight”
Another very common myth, but one that doesn't match the reality. Although type 2 diabetes is really closely linked to overweight, not every diabetic is chubby and not every chubby is diabetic. Of course there is a greater risk of developing the disease if you do not control eating, but it is not a rule - even if overweight people are five times more likely to become diabetic.
Type 1 diabetes, on the other hand, is not related to obesity, but is rather an autoimmune disorder, that is, developed by the patient's own body that stops producing the insulin necessary to balance his health. There are studies that point out that type 1 diabetes can be both genetic and viral, but not everyone with the gene or virus develops, so we can't generalize either.
3. “You need to inject insulin regularly”
The most common treatment of diabetes is through insulin injections, but it is not the only one available. Injections require the patient to do so in public, causing discomfort for many people - not to mention changing the application site. It is possible, however, to control insulin with a pump that is continuously attached to the body, being more discreet for the patient with type 1 diabetes.
Type 2 or gestational diabetes can be controlled through lifestyle changes and even pills. Dr. Roston warns, however, that over the years these treatments end up losing their effect and will need to be combined with other medications or made by the best-known method, which is insulin injection. Remember that any treatment should only be performed with medical supervision.
4. “It's easy to control diabetes”
Except for gestational diabetes, most types of the disease are lifelong - although some studies suggest that type 2 may disappear if the patient follows a low-calorie diet. In the long run, improper treatment of diabetes can result in limb amputation, vision loss, and cardiovascular disease. So be careful!
The amount of sugar in our blood depends on a number of factors such as diet, sleep quality, physical activity and hormonal effects. If you think it is easy to manage all this correctly, you are mistaken. After diagnosis, one must always keep an eye on the evolution of the disease so that invisible symptoms do not become a problem in the future.
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