Diabetes / Diabetes it is!

Dear people, a growing pandemic can anytime knock your doorstep, it is almost inevitable if you have abnormal genetic make-up but surely is controllable, we can delay the progression, complications and disability. Only if you wish to. Only if you take it seriously, only if you knew what actually this disease is, only if you like to stay healthy, only if you will to!

"I am diagnosed as a diabetic, what next?", that is the question millions have in mind. Unfortunately not all are not provided with a satisfactory answer, people end up falling in the trap side of it resulting in amputations, kidney failure, vision loss. If we are aware of the disease before it even attacks us, we can keep it as simple as a common cold, on the other hand, if we are totally unaware, it get as dangerous as death! So I would like to take you through a step-wise approach to get to know about Diabetes.

Before we move on, have a look into the following.




Myth 1: Diabetes is not as serious a health issue as depicted.




Fact 1: If we go by the recent reports, then diabetes is responsible for more number of deaths than breast cancer and AIDS combined. Diabetes leads to a weak heart vulnerable for a stroke. Two-thirds of diabetes patients die from a heart disease or a stroke. On an average, this disease causes six deaths in a minute.

At any given age, the risk of death among people suffering from diabetes is almost double to that of people who are non-diabetic.

Around 3.2 million people are estimated to die because of diabetes or the problems that arise due to it. It’s the cause of one out of every twenty deaths around the world.

According to a recent ranking generated, based on death certificate reports, diabetes stands seventh on the list of leading causes of death in the United States.

This survey is done from the available data. Looking at the other side, diabetes is considered as an under-reported cause. Only 35 to 40 percent of diabetic patients had it listed on their death certificate and only 10 to 15 percent considered and got it noted as an underlying cause of death.

Lets look at some percentage facts.





Myth 2: Excessive eating of sugar and sweets causes diabetes.



Fact 2: Diabetes is usually caused due to genetics and lifestyle factors. Being overweight increases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes. A high calorie diet contributes to weight gain. These calories not necessarily come from sugar or fats. Eating more sugar and sweets leads to overweight when not balanced with healthy meal plan and exercise. If sugar and sweets are part of a healthy diet plan, then consuming more sugar does not lead to diabetes.

Myth 3: Stress leads to diabetes.
Fact 3: Stress doesn’t lead to diabetes. It does cause some hormonal changes, but these changes need not necessarily affect the process of absorption of glucose from blood. However, stress can have other harmful effects on a diabetic.

Myth 4: Diabetic using insulin or anti-diabetic medications can eat everything.
Fact 4: Medicines are no substitute for good balanced diet, exercise and a healthy weight. Even if taking diabetes medication, the diabetic should stick to healthy lifestyle habits. In fact the medicines will work better and more effectively if a healthy lifestyle is followed.

Myth 5: Diabetes is contagious.
Fact 5: Diabetes is certainly not contagious. It does not spread like other viral diseases. You can be assured when around another person with diabetes mellitus that you won’t develop one yourself. This disease is a cause of individual family history, lifestyle and internal problems.

Myth 6: Diabetes patients can’t play sports or actively participate in physical activities.
Fact 6: Let us look at a few names of famous sportsmen suffering from diabetes. The list includes, among numerous others, the following:

Wasim Akram, Missy Foy, Jay Cutler, Scott Dunton, Arthur Ashe, Gary Hall Jr., James ‘Catfish’ Hunter, Chris Jarvis, Billie Jean King, Ham Richardson, Everson Walls, Robert Marella, Ayden Byle and more.

There are many more athletes who suffer from diabetes but carry on their games without any hindrance.

In fact, the truth is that diabetic patients are encouraged to exercise and take part in sports. It keeps them active and healthy. It increases the blood flow and chances of glucose absorption by the tissues. However, there are certain factors that should be considered starting an exercise routine.

Myth 7: Diabetes leads to blindness in later stages.
Fact 7: There are very few recognizable symptoms for gestational diabetes. One of it is blurry vision. Even type-1 and type-2 diabetes are considered as leading causes of sightlessness. But this is minor and does not lead to blindness.

There is a lack of vitamin A in the body as a result of diabetes. This leads to weak eyesight. However, this problem can be easily rectified by good balanced diet. Include vitamin A rich sources of foods in your diet plan.

Keeping the blood pressure, sugar level and body weight in check will help improve the eyesight.

Myth 8: Diabetics should avoid driving.
Fact 8: Diabetes patients who have their sugar levels under control can drive. A high level of sugar in blood affects the eyesight only to a slight level. The other senses too function normally when proper care is taken about diet, exercise and medication. So, there is no problem for diabetics to drive when glucose level is under control.

Myth 9: Diabetics are more likely to get colds.
Fact 9: This is not true. A diabetic patient and a normal healthy person are equally prone to get colds. This myth surfaces when the doctors advise diabetes patients to get a flu vaccination. This advice is given because flu or any other illness can make diabetes more difficult to control. The reason behind this is that any infection can change the glucose levels in blood, which may lead to greater risk for diabetic complications.

Any infection may interfere with a diabetic’s blood glucose management and thus increasing the risk of high blood glucose levels.

For type 1 diabetics, there is an increased risk of ketoacidosis, a serious condition that can lead to a diabetic coma or even death.

Myth 10: Diabetics should limit carbohydrates, not proteins or fats.
Fact 10: Limiting carbohydrates surely helps in keeping the blood sugar levels in check but it’s also important to be sure that your total calorie intake is well balanced. Whether its carbohydrates, proteins or fats, everything should be well-balanced and taken in moderate quantities.

Myth 11: Diabetics should minimize the use of starchy foods.
Fact 11: Diabetics should be very careful about their diet. They should make balanced diet and healthy meal plan, a part of their life. Starchy foods, like whole grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice, and starchy vegetable like potatoes, yams, peas an corn, form part of a healthy meal plan. These should be included as part of your daily diet but care should be taken about the quantity. The portion size should be moderate. Too much of anything is dangerous. So is it about starchy foods too. Keep an eye on the amount of starchy foods you consume regularly.

Myth 12: People with diabetes cannot eat fruits.
Fact 12: All kinds of fruits and vegetables are beneficial for the diabetes patients and in fact have been proved to reduce the chances of heart diseases and cancers. Diabetics are actually advised to take four to five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

Fruit is a healthy food and contains fiber and lots of carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. This should be included in your diet plan but consult your dietician about the amount, frequency and types of fruits you should eat