Top 10 Things You Should Know About Diabetes

It can be frightening when you are first diagnosed with diabetes. Unless there is someone in your family who has diabetes, you probably do not know a lot about the disease. Here are the top ten things you should know about diabetes.

Diabetes is not caused by eating sugar. Despite common belief, people with diabetes can eat sugar. It just has to be counted in the healthy eating plan. Sugar can be part of a healthy diet, just in moderation.

The terms "insulin-dependent" and "non-insulin-dependent" are no longer used. People with type 2 diabetes sometimes require the medication insulin. So, describing people with type 2 diabetes as being "non-insulin-dependent" is not accurate.

Adults sometimes develop type 1 diabetes, which used to be known as "juvenile" diabetes. In addition, children can sometimes develop type 2 diabetes, which used to known as "adult-onset" diabetes. These old fashioned labels are no longer correct.

It is not possible to have "a touch" of diabetes. You either have diabetes or you do not. Being told you are a borderline diabetic is not an accurate diagnosis.

It is important to start controlling your diabetes as soon as you are diagnosed. Going to a diabetes education class and meeting with a registered dietitian are two ways to do this. In this way, you can learn how best to control your condition.

When people talk about a "diabetic diet", they do not know what they are talking about. There is just a new healthy way to eat. Dieting implies a temporary fix for a problem. To keep your diabetes under control, you need to make a lifestyle change in your eating habits.

It is good for people with diabetes to work out and play sports. Physical activity will lower blood glucose levels. When you are active, you are using the excess sugar as energy. This is a good way to help lower your blood glucose.

When you are diagnosed with diabetes, it is not a death sentence. It is a serious condition and can lead to serious and life-threatening complications. But, if you work at it and keep it under control there is a much lower chance of these things happening. You may never see any of these complications if you are careful about controlling your diabetes.

One of the most important ways to keep your diabetes under control is to check blood glucose level with a home monitor. This will help you learn how food affects your blood glucose level. You can also see how any medications you are taking affect your blood glucose levels.

It is against federal law for people with diabetes to be discriminated against in the workplace or at school. You cannot be denied a job because you have diabetes. And, you cannot be denied an education.

The best way to gain control of any condition is to become educated. Once you have been diagnosed with diabetes you should take advantage of any educational opportunity that is available. Hopefully, these ten facts will help you feel a bit less stressed about having been diagnosed with diabetes.

SOURCE

Ford-Martin, Paula with Ian Blumer, M.D. "The Everything Diabetes Book". 2004. F&W Publications, Inc. Avon, Ma, USA.