As you get all the information you need about diseases online, there are a large number of people who believe they know as much as doctors. However, as I know this is far from the truth, I have always wondered what misconceptions are there about diseases which need constant clarification.
If you live with a medical condition or disease, are there misconceptions about that condition or disease that people often have that you would like to correct? If so, what are they?
One of the most common diseases among people all over the world is diabetes, which affects a huge portion of the global population. As I am suffering from Type 1 diabetes, I want to educate everyone about this disease. You should know that there are two types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2, which are quite different from one another. For instance, Type 1 is because the cells which are responsible for producing insulin get attacked by the immune system. Type 2 is due to overexposure to insulin, making the body resistant to this hormone.
Just because a person has low blood sugar doesn’t mean that you should give them insulin immediately. You should know that you will only see this in movies and shows, as they have a dramatic effect. In reality, insulin reduces the amount of blood sugar in your body. So, if you know someone who has low blood sugar, you should give them food with high levels of sugar, and low in protein and fat.
Also, you cannot cure Type 1 diabetes by following a healthy lifestyle of exercise and diet. Even if you replace the pancreas with a new one, it still won’t be effective as your immune system would still attack the insulin-producing cells.
Another misconception is that people assume those with fibromyalgia are only imagining their pain. However, that isn’t the case because if you observe them carefully, you will see their discomfort due to the various pains and aches. Even if there are medications to make the pain more manageable, they have numerous side effects. Also, avoiding medications and exercising isn’t an option, as it doesn’t reduce the pain.
You might have seen a commercial where a person with Crohn’s disease tries to spend time with his/her friends. However, he/she is unable to do so because they have to head to the toilet frequently. In reality, Crohn’s disease also comes with tremendous amounts of pain in your gut, which causes significant discomfort. Due to this reason, people with this disease are dehydrated and malnourished as they have to deal with this pain on a regular basis.
Kleine Levin Syndrome (KLS) or more popularly known as Sleeping Beauty Syndrome isn’t as nice as the name suggests. For example, people with this disease will sleep for more than 14 hours every day for several weeks. As a result of this, they will miss out on holidays, birthdays, and such events. Patients won’t eat the right amount of food as their cravings make them eat everything at sight. Even though they sleep for several hours, they have to deal with insomnia, after coming out of their episodes. As I know someone who has to deal with this disease, I always tell people why it isn’t good to sleep for so many hours at a stretch.