1. All diabetes is inherited. Not everyone who gets diabetes inherits it. People tend to inherit the risk of Type 2 diabetes more than Type 1.
You are considered at risk for developing Type 2 if any first degree relatives have diabetes.
2. People with diabetes should never eat sugar and sweets. Sugar and sweets do raise your blood glucose, but people with diabetes can safely eat sugar as part of their meal plan.
3. You can have borderline diabetes for many years. There is no such thing as borderline diabetes. You either have it, or you don’t. You have diabetes if a) your fasting blood glucose readings are greater than 126 mg/dl, or b) your random blood glucose is above 200 mg/dl on at least two occasions.
4. Once you start taking pills or insulin, you can eat anything that you want. The pills or insulin that you take for diabetes are more effective when they don’t have to work as hard to lower your blood glucose. Combining your medicines with a healthy meal plan and physical activity is essential.
5. There are no natural remedies for diabetes. The most natural remedy is eating a healthy diet and exercise.
6. Insulin causes impotence. Some men who have diabetes may become impotent, but not because they take insulin. Impotence is caused by damage to nerves after many years of high blood glucose.
7. The best way to judge your blood sugar level is by the way that you feel. Because some of the symptoms of high and low blood glucose are similar, it can be hard to know what your symptoms mean. The only way to be sure is by testing your blood glucose levels.
8. It’s a good idea to soak your feet every day if you have diabetes. This used to be a common practice, but soaking your feet can make your skin dry.
9. If my blood sugar is usually over 180 mg/dl, that must be normal for me. No. Your usual blood glucose isn’t the same as normal blood glucose. Just because your blood glucose is usually high, does not mean that this is a good blood glucose level. High blood glucose levels do damage to many organs and systems in your body.
10. Type 2 diabetes is not serious:This is a very dangerous myth because people who believe it may not take care of themselves. All types of diabetes are serious.
Follow these tips to lower your risk for complications:
Attitude: Preventing the complications is the reason you are working so hard to manage your diabetes. You can use that as your motivation for doing the best you can to take care of yourself.
Blood Sugar and Blood Pressure: Keeping them as close to normal as possible is one of the best things that you can do to lower your risk of complications. Even if you can’t have near-normal blood sugars all of the time, every little bit helps to reduce your risk.
Care For Your Feet: People with diabetes are at risk for foot ulcers (open sores) which can become easily infected and are slow to heal. Wear shoes that fit well. Look at your feet each day for signs of redness, injuries, blisters, or cracks in the skin. Tell your health care team about any new sores.
Don’t smoke: Smoking isn’t good for anyone, but it is especially harmful for people with diabetes. Smoking increases your risk for heart disease higher than just diabetes or smoking alone.
Exercise: Helps to lower your blood sugar and blood pressure, and it helps you to feel and look better. It is also a great way to cope with stress.
Follow-up: There are routine tests that can be done to detect signs of complications that include foot examinations, blood pressure checks, blood tests for hemoglobin A1c, cholesterol and kidney function, and dilated eye examinations.
