Many people with type 2 diabetes avoid using insulin whenever possible, fearing that it will do more harm than good. In fact, most of the perceptions about insulin are wrong. Here are the top 10 common misconceptions: Myth 1: Insulin injections mean treatment failure The truth is: Even with great attention to treatment and regulation, most people with type 2 diabetes will eventually need to use insulin. type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease. As time passes, the ability of pancreatic B-cells to secrete insulin decreases, insulin resistance becomes more severe, and relying solely on diet, exercise and oral medication will gradually lose its effectiveness, at which point insulin injections become a necessity.
Myth 2: Insulin causes complications The truth is: there is no causal relationship between complications and insulin. The longer you have type 2 diabetes, the greater the likelihood of complications and the greater the need for insulin. Patients who use insulin are less likely to have complications compared to those who do not use insulin.
Myth #3: Insulin use means a worsening of the disease The truth is: diabetes is a lifelong disease that increases the risk of not only cardiovascular disease but also certain cancers. By using insulin alone or in combination, blood sugar can be well controlled, which in turn reduces the risk of these diseases and does not make diabetes itself worse at all.
Myth 4: Insulin injections are scary and painful The truth is: the special needles used for insulin injections nowadays have a smooth outer coating and are very thin, so that little pain is felt during the injection. In addition, there are very few nerve endings at the common injection sites for insulin (such as the abdomen), which further reduces the possibility of pain. At the beginning of the injection, it may feel a little scary, but when the insulin injection becomes a part of daily life, it will no longer feel that way.
Myth 5: Insulin will not improve my life or health The truth is: using insulin properly will improve your health and make you feel better. Insulin is the fastest and most effective drug for lowering blood sugar. If your doctor recommends that you start insulin therapy, this usually means that it is the most appropriate method compared to other treatments. By using insulin, you will get better control of your blood sugar, your energy metabolism will remain at a relatively high level, there will be less blurred vision, less getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, and more importantly, the progression of already existing complications will slow down.
Myth #6: Insulin will limit my life The truth is: no matter what method you choose to control your diabetes, your life will be somewhat limited. Insulin therapy will give you more autonomy and a degree of flexibility in both diet and exercise, and you will no longer have to struggle to remember what medications you need to take at what time each day.
Myth #7: Insulin injections increase the chance of hypoglycemia The truth is that people with type 2 diabetes are very unlikely to experience severe hypoglycemia, and long-acting insulin is even less likely to cause hypoglycemia compared to other insulins. Also, you can learn ways to prevent hypoglycemia so that you can be proactive in the unlikely event of a severe reaction.
Myth 8: Insulin injections will definitely lead to obesity The truth is: insulin can indeed lead to weight gain, but as long as the dose of insulin is reasonable, you can lose the weight gained by adhering to a reasonable diet and increasing the amount of exercise.
Myth 9: Once you use insulin, you have to inject it for the rest of your life The truth is: for some people with type 2 diabetes, insulin is a temporary treatment, such as when you are initially diagnosed with diabetes or when you are hospitalized for treatment, insulin can bring very high blood sugar down quickly. Once the blood sugar is controlled at a reasonable level, you can consider reducing the dose or stop using it. In addition, the body’s need for insulin decreases with weight loss, and some people may even eliminate the need for insulin injections altogether.
Myth 10: Insulin can cure diabetes The truth is: there are no drugs or methods that can completely cure diabetes. Insulin is only a treatment, and although it is very effective, it only works for as long as it is used, and once it is stopped, the body reverts to its previous condition.