Health A-Z

At 107, nation’s oldest veteran enjoys limelight

Richard Overton, believed to be the oldest living United States veteran at 107, accepted a box of cigars and a standing ovation Thursday with a humble demeanor and a beaming smile.

More than 100 people packed a conference room at the Stephen F. Austin building in downtown Austin to attend a pre-Veterans Day ceremony in Austin honoring Overton and Ken Wallingford, who spent 10 months in a tiger cage as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

“I’ve gotten so many letters and so many thank yous and I enjoy every bit of it, but I’m still going to enjoy some more,” said Overton, who is planning a visit with President Barack Obama next week in Washington, D.C.

Ex-state employee

Overton, identified by the General Land Office as the nation’s oldest veteran, was born in Bastrop County. He served in the Army during World War II in the South Pacific and now lives in Austin. He sold furniture in Austin after the war and later worked for the state Treasurer’s Office.

He drives and walks without a cane. During a television interview in March, he told a reporter that he doesn’t take medicine, smokes cigars every day and takes whiskey in his morning coffee. The key to living to his age, he said, is simply “staying out of trouble.”

The day’s ceremony, sponsored by the General Land Office, also recognized Wallingford, who shared his experience in captivity in the Cambodian jungle as the audience listened in amazement.

The former Army sniper, now 65, alternately laughed and became emotional as he told the story of his imprisonment and triumphant return home.

“As we look forward to Veterans Day I hope each and every one of us can remember those who have served, and importantly, those who serve today,” said Wallingford, who is veterans liaison for the Veterans Land Board.

Emotional memories

Wallingford brought a food and water bowl, sandals, pajamas and photos from his imprisonment in April 1972 to being set free in February 1973. His voiced cracked as he described his return to the United States.

“We weren’t going to leave without you guys,” Wallingford remembered hearing in the Army helicopter on his way out.

President Lyndon B. Johnson offered Wallingford and the other POWs who returned with him the presidential suite and staff of the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, he said.

Bill McLemore, deputy commissioner for the Veterans Land Board and a retired Army colonel, served with Wallingford. “Most veterans are just looking to have someone reaffirm that what they’ve done was an honorable thing to do,” McLemore said.

Source: Houston Chronicle

 

 

Contaminated spices can cause salmonella

Imported spices are contaminated at a rate twice that of other imported food, according to an analysis by the Food and Drug Administration.

Not only were 7 percent of the spices it examined contaminated with the toxic bacteria salmonella, but 12 percent contained parts of insects, rodent hair or other filth. Salmonella is a bacterium that occurs mainly in the gut, especially a serotype causing food poisoning.

The agency’s findings “are a wake-up call” to spice producers, Jane M. Van Doren, a food and spice official at the F.D.A., told The New York Times. “It means: ‘Hey, you haven’t solved the problems.’”

During the three-year examination, the agency found more than 80 different types of salmonella. Many shipments were refused entry into the U.S.

There are almost 1.2 million annual salmonella illnesses in the United States every year, but the illness is hard to track back to spices because people don’t always keep track or remember what spices they’ve consumed. And because the amount of a spice consumed is so small, there is less of a chance of becoming ill.

How Does Salmonella Get Into Eggs?

Most of the spices eaten in the United States are imported. They come from a variety of farms and countries. Almost a quarter of spices, oils and food colors come from India. Mexico and India had the highest rates of contamination. Officials suspect that insects often find their way into spices during storage.

The FDA is “not recommending that consumers stay away from spices,” Michael Taylor, FDA’s deputy commissioner for foods, told NBC. New safety rules, he said, should help reduce the problem.

Source: Business day

Giant Ball of Fungus Removed from Farmer’s Lung

A man who suffered from a bloody cough that persisted for more than a year was surprised to find that the cause was a giant ball of fungus growing in his lung, according to a recent report of his case

The man, a farmworker in Italy, may have contracted a fungal infection, called aspergilloma, while working in the fields. For a year, he struggled with not only the cough but also fever and weight loss. His symptoms hadn’t improved despite several courses of antibiotics, according to the report published Oct. 24 in the journal BMJ Case Reports.

Aspergilloma, a fungal infection that mainly infects the lungs, is relatively uncommon, and this particular clump of fungus was extremely large, at nearly 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) wide.

“My experience is very large, and it’s the biggest I’ve ever seen,” said study co-author Dr. Marcello Migliore, a thoracic surgeon at the University of Catania in Italy.

Aspergilloma enters the lungs through the respiratory tract. It creates a cavity inside the lungs, and then a ball of fungus grows inside that space. The fungus typically infects people with suppressed immune systems or lung problems such as tuberculosis. If left untreated, aspergillomas can cause pneumonia and death, Migliore said. (7 Devastating Infectious Diseases)

When the 42-year-old farmworker, a chronic smoker, initially came to see doctors, he had lost 77 pounds (35 kilograms) over the previous a year. Despite taking antibiotics for several months, the man’s symptoms worsened.

A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a 2.75-inch by 2.5-inch (7 cm by 6.5 cm) “vegetative” mass in the left upper lobe of his lung. Depending on whether the man was lying down or sitting up, the position of the lesion moved.

Still, the doctors didn’t know at that point what was causing the cavity, though the CT scans did reveal a suggestive halo around the lesion that is a signature of the fungus.

“When there is a large cavity like that, medical therapy does not do anything, so we must remove it,” Migliore told LiveScience.

When Migliore performed the surgery, he realized it was a large ball of fungus — the biggest he had ever seen. (Image of the fungus)

When the doctors followed up with the man 16 months after the surgery, they found he had improved greatly, and no longer had any troublesome symptoms.

“Now that half of the lung is away, things are going well, he is now happy,” Migliore said.

Source: Discovery news

Polio in Syria poses risk for Europe

An outbreak of polio in Syria poses a threat to Europe, where the crippling and potentially fatal disease was declared eradicated in 2002, doctors warned on Friday.

Europe is exposed because some countries have low rates of innoculation, which lowers “herd immunity”, or protection through community-wide vaccination, a pair of German epidemiologists warned in The Lancet.

In addition, most countries use a type called inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), which is less effective against the virus than an oral vaccine which is now largely discontinued because it causes rare cases of paralysis, they warned.

At least 10 cases of polio have been confirmed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Syria, where vaccination has been disrupted by the war.

The polio virus has also been found in Israel in routine tests in sewage, from people who had the virus but did not develop the disease, prompting the country to launch an emergency innoculation campaign.

In their letter to The Lancet, Martin Eichner of the University of Tuebingen and Stefan Brockmann, a regional health officer in Reutlingen, said the risk of polio spreading to Europe was invisible but real.

Out of every 200 people infected with the polio virus, only one will develop the disease’s classic symptoms, called acute flaccid paralysis, they said.

“In regions with low vaccination coverage (e.g. Bosnia and Herzegovina, 87 percent or Ukraine, 74 percent), particularly those with low coverage of inactivated polio vaccine (e.g. Austria, 83 percent), herd immunity might be insufficient to prevent sustained transmission,” said the letter.

In addition to vaccinating Syrian refugees, “more comprehensive measures” should be considered, it said.

“Routine screening of sewage for poliovirus has not been done in most European countries, but this intensified surveillance measure should be considered for settlements with large numbers of Syrian refugees.”

Source: France 24

Tea Promotes Weight Loss, Improve Heart Health

black tea for weight loss

Tea has been found to help promote weight loss, improve bone and heart health, slow the progression of prostate cancer and activate areas of the brain that bolster attention, problem solving and mood, say researchers.

The December 2013 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition features 12 new articles about the relationship between tea and human health. Each paper is based on presentations from world-renowned scientists who participated in the Fifth International Scientific Symposium on Tea and Human Health, held at USDA in September 2012. Highlights of some of the compelling reports published through the AJCN include the following five papers:

Tea Leaf Polyphenols May Promote Weight Loss

Tea polyphenols and the caffeine content in tea increase energy expenditure and fat oxidation, providing benefits for achieving and maintaining an ideal body weight. The results of one meta-analysis suggests the increase in caloric expenditure is equal to about 100 calories over a 24-hour period, or 0.13 calories per mg catechins. In a related review, researchers concluded that subjects consuming green tea and caffeine lost an average of 2.9 pounds within 12 weeks while adhering to their regular diet. Population-based studies also show that habitual tea drinkers have lower Body Mass Indexes (BMIs) and waist-to-hip ratios and less body fat than non-tea drinkers. In addition, green tea and caffeine also appear to boost fat oxidation over 24 hours by an average of 16% or 0.02 grams per mg catechins.

Tea May Reduce Risk for Some Cancers

Green tea polyphenols may play a role in arresting the progression of certain cancers. For example, in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, supplementation with 600 mg/d green tea catechins reduced the progression of prostate cancer. The researchers reported that after a year, 9% of men in the green tea supplemented group had progressed to prostate cancer whereas 30% of men in the placebo group had progressed.

Hundreds—if not thousands—of laboratory, epidemiological and human intervention studies have found anti-cancer properties in compounds present in tea. The types of cancer that have shown benefits of tea include cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, lung, prostate, breast, and skin. The proposed mechanisms of action for providing protection against cancer include antioxidant effects, inhibition of growth factor signaling, as well as improving the efficacy of chemotherapy agents.

Tea Catechins are Cardioprotective

Numerous studies suggest tea supports heart health and healthy blood pressure, and appears to be associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, including stroke and heart attack. New research, published in the AJCN provides further support. Study results published by Claudio Ferri, MD, University L’Aquila, Italy, found that black tea reduced blood pressure, and among hypertensive subjects, it helped counteract the negative effects of a high-fat meal on blood pressure and arterial blood flow. Hypertensive subjects were instructed to drink a cup of tea after a meal that contained 0.45 grams fat/lb. body weight. The results suggest that tea prevented the reduction in flow-mediated dilation (FMD), the ability to increase arterial blood flow that occurs after a high-fat meal. In a previous study conducted by Ferri, tea improved FMD from 7.8 to 10.3%, and reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure by -2.6 and -2.2 mmHg, respectively, in study participants.

“Our studies build on previous work to clearly show that drinking as little as one cup of tea per day supports healthy arterial function and blood pressure. These results suggest that on a population scale, drinking tea could help reduce significantly the incidence of stroke, heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases,” concluded Dr. Ferri.

Tea Flavonoids Improve Bone Strength and Quality

Osteoporosis is a major public health concern but new research suggests that polyphenols in green tea may help improve bone quality and strength through many proposed mechanisms. In fact, one study found that tea drinking was associated with a 30% reduced risk in hip fractures among men and women over 50 years old. In a study of 150 postmenopausal women, researchers reported that 500 mg green tea extract (equivalent to 4-6 cups of green tea daily), alone or in combination with Tai Chi, improved markers for bone formation, reduced markers of inflammation and increased muscle strength in study participants. Numerous other studies have found that green tea flavanols provide a restorative effect to bone remodeling to help maintain bone density and slow bone loss.

Tea Improves Mood, Alertness and Problem Solving

Results from new research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that drinking tea improved attention and allowed individuals to be more focused on the task at hand. In this placebo-controlled study, subjects who drank tea produced more accurate results during an attention task and also felt more alert than subjects drinking a placebo. These effects were found for 2-3 cups of tea consumed within a time period of up to 90 minutes. Several studies have evaluated the role of tea in strengthening attention, mood and performance, and the results have been promising. It is thought that the amino acid theanine and caffeine, both present in tea, contribute to many of tea’s psychological benefits.

Twelve internationally renowned researchers contributed to the AJCN supplement, including experts from USDA, National Institutes of Health, UCLA, University of Glasgow and University of L’Aquila, among others. “The scientists who contributed their original research and insights are among the best in the world, and together, this body of research has significantly advanced the science of tea and human health,” said compendium editor Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, Professor, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and Director, Antioxidants Research Laboratory, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston.

“These new peer-reviewed papers add to the previously-published body of evidence that shows that tea can improve human health—both physically and psychologically,” added Blumberg. “Humans have been drinking tea for some 5,000 years, dating back to the Paleolithic period. Modern research is providing the proof that there are real health benefits to gain from enjoying this ancient beverage.”

Source: med india

STIs can Lead to a Range of Health Problems Including Infertility

Having sex can be fun and talking about sex can be fun. Talking about sexually transmitted infections with a sexual interest, however, is a totally different matter.

This is according to new research from Indiana University’s Center for Sexual Health Promotion.

The study, to be discussed Nov. 6. during the American Public Health Association’s annual meeting, found a disconnect between the public health messages that promote STI testing as a way to prevent STIs such as HIV and chlamydia and the conversations — or lack of them — occurring in bedrooms.

“Talking to partners about STIs is an important conversation to have,” said Margo Mullinax, lead researcher for “Talk about testing: What sexual partners discuss in relation to STI status and why.” “However, findings from this study suggest public health campaigns need to promote specific messages, concrete tips and tools around sexual health conversations stratified by relationship status. Campaigns should also address STI stigma and promote messages of normalcy with regard to talking about STIs.”

STIs, if untreated, can lead to a range of health problems including infertility, so a growing public health emphasis has been on preventing STIs through testing. Mullinax said little was known, however, about how STI testing figured into actual conversations between lovers, particularly among the college-age crowd that accounts for a disproportionate number of new STI cases nationwide.

She recruited 181 sexually active men and women, average age 26, to take an anonymous online questionnaire that probed the issue, looking for insights into how conversations about STIs might influence behavior and decision-making.

She described the sample as highly educated, with many participants who commented on their own work in sexual health education. More than half were in monogamous relationships. Most of the participants were white and identified themselves as heterosexual or straight.

Mullinax said she was surprised to learn that about the same percentage of study participants engaged in sex without a condom regardless of whether they talked about STIs with their partners.

“Participants who reported talking to their partners about STIs say it affected their decision to engage in certain behaviors in that it made them feel more comfortable and led them to stop using condoms,” she said. “But this finding concerns me given that many participants did not also report routinely getting tested nor having detailed conversations with partners about STIs.”

Here are some of the other findings:

  • Many participants reported that they occasionally, rarely or never got tested before having sex with partners who were casual (50.3 percent) or long-term (38.7 percent).
  • Of the people who did discuss STI testing, very few discussed concurrent sexual partners or when partners’ testing occurred in relation to their last sex act, and only half clarified what types of STIs their partner had been tested for. These issues are important components of assessing STI risk.
  • About a third of participants said they told a partner they didn’t have an STI even though they hadn’t been tested since their last sexual partner.

Mullinax said just a little more than half of study participants reported feeling “very comfortable” talking to partners about how to prevent STIs. Less than half felt “very comfortable” talking with a partner about sexual histories. Comfort levels improved — and conversations became easier — when people felt better informed about STIs and had practice talking about STIs with partners

“Take time to get informed,” she said. “It will only make your conversation more comfortable and ensure that you are really protecting your health.”

Source: inooz

Dragon fruit: A delicious health sensation

Not only does it look extraterrestrial, but it also has the name Pitaya, which is certainly strange. The thick, fleshy protrusions off the skin suggest that perhaps it can swim, or maybe even fly. Over the past couple of years it has shown up in grocery stores, seemingly out of nowhere. What in the world is that thing? Most people don’t know what it is or what to do with it.  And the name? Dragon fruit! How exotic.

Native to Mexico, Central and South Americas, dragon fruit is widely cultivated and highly popular in Southeast Asia. There, it is quite common and found in virtually every market in season. I first encountered this strange and luscious edible plant at a gas stop a few hours out of Kuala Lumpur at a fruit stand. I stood staring at the display for a couple of minutes before giving it a try. The one I ate was deep reddish purple inside. But the inside flesh of other cultivars of dragon fruit might be white, yellow or blue. Mysterious. After cutting the fruit into quarters, I bit in deeply. Instantly I was swooning from the mildly fragrant, juicy consistency. Dragon fruit is really something.

Recently at a hotel breakfast buffet in Hong Kong I took a second swipe at dragon fruit and was every bit as impressed as the first time, though my experience was tamer than standing out in the hot Malaysian sun with juice dripping down my fingers. Once you cut through the somewhat odd outer skin, the interior appears shot with poppy seeds. The tiny little black seeds are slightly crunchy, and the delicate flesh has one of those tastes that lingers in the mind long after the fruit is gone.

So what is this mysterious new food that is appearing in more supermarkets? Dragon fruit comes from a cactus. The plant is low in calories, a source of beneficial dietary fiber, and rich in vitamin C, a few of the B vitamins and antioxidants. Dragon fruit is a delightful addition to the diet, offering an entirely new flavor reminiscent of some melons and a good source of vegetarian omega 3 fatty acids.

You can eat all the dragon fruit you want with impunity. It’s never going to put on pounds, and because it’s low in sugar, it won’t mess up your blood sugar either. Except for the fact that you might need to dig one or two seeds out from between your teeth with a toothpick when you’re done eating, dragon fruit is near perfect.

Of the cultivars of dragon fruit, the one with the reddish interior is the most nutritious. This type is unusually high in very potent antioxidants, including the purplish anthocyanins, and catechins and epicatechins, which are also found in green tea. While all the types of dragon fruit are good for you, the red ones also impart very significant protection to the cells in the body and are also anti-inflammatory. They are also rich in lycopene, which is beneficial for the prostate.

In today’s supermarkets, fruits, vegetables and various foods previously undreamed of now occupy the shelves, right alongside the familiar staples of our childhoods. In this mix, dragon fruit appears, offering a look that provokes conversation, flavor that isn’t unparalleled by other foods, and health benefits galore. Try dragon fruit for yourself, and you’ll likely become a convert

Source: healcon

Tips to drink smart while dieting

As a dietitian and as someone who enjoys socializing over cocktails, I believe that you don’t have to give up alcohol just because you are trying to lose weight. This is supported by research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine that found that light to moderate drinkers actually gain less weight over time than teetotalers, and they also have a lower chance of becoming overweight or obese.

I know this from experience working with my clients who consistently lose weight without abstaining from alcohol. Instead of asking them to cut out alcohol, I help them learn to drink a bit smarter by avoiding unnecessary calories.

Lighten your usual drink

It’s easy to order a less caloric version of your usual drink. For example, have vodka, tequila or other spirits with zero-calorie club soda and a splash of juice instead of an 80 calorie cup of tonic. For the nearly the same calories, you can relax over two rum and Diet Cokes or have one specialty cocktail, such as a cosmopolitan.

Make yours a spritzer

Do like the Europeans and have a wine spritzer (half wine, half club soda) that’s refreshing and waist-friendly at about 50 calories a glass.

Beware of mixed drinks

A single margarita or other sugary cocktails can pack anywhere from 450 – 600 calories! Opt instead for tequila with a splash of juice and a wedge of lime, or order a drink made with light vodka in your favorite flavor mixed with zero-calorie soda water.

Sip wine and spirits

Your best bet for low-cal drinking is wine and spirits, because these contain about 90 calories per drink.

Pace yourself

If you plan to have only one drink, order one that you will linger over. For example, a martini is practically straight liquor, but shaken with ice and an aromatic splash of vermouth, it is a reasonable 160 calories per 2.5-ounce glass. If you expect to have more than one cocktail, try alternating with a glass of water or seltzer with a wedge of lemon or lime.

Source: topix

A boy born without a brain dies after three-year

A three-year-old Colorado boy born without a brain has died after living what doctors called a miracle life.

 Nickolas Coke suffered from a rare condition known as anencephaly, meaning he was born with only a brain stem.

While most children with this condition die shortly after their birth, Nickolas far exceeded that sentence.

“Nickolas Coke suffered from a rare condition known as anencephaly which meant he was only born with a brain stem

Children with the very rare condition are considered unable to think or have emotions

His family believed he was growing both physically and mentally”

Surviving on little else than pain medication, Nickolas lived what his family called an incredible life.

‘He was never hooked up to any machines, no tubes, no nothing,’ Sherri Kohut, Nickolas’s grandmother, told KOAA in Colorado.

‘He taught us everything, he taught the love, how to be family. He taught us everything.’

Kohut, who was with Nickolas when he died, said the boy stopped breathing after having difficulties doing so all morning.

Medical officials attempted to revive him using CPR, but after three failed attempt, he was pronounced dead.
‘They told us “no more, let him go”,’ Kohut said. ‘So he died at 12:40 Peacefully.’

Nickolas was apparently in good spirits just days before his death. Recent photographs posted on Facebook show the boy smiling and laying in a pumpkin patch.

‘He was laughing because he thought it was funny that we couldn’t get him to stay still enough to roll off the pumpkins,’ Kohut said.

The family made an effort to get Nickolas out as much as possible, taking him on trips to the zoo and going camping.

 Anencephaly occurs in about 1 in every 10,000 births, according to the National Center of Biotechnology Information. 

Children with anencephaly are considered unable to think or have emotions.

Without a brain, Nickolas couldn’t speak, eat or walk and frequently suffered from debilitating seizures.

Still his family believed the boy was growing both physically and mentally.

‘He was our hero because he showed the strength if I can do this anything can be done,’ Kohut said.

‘He will always be remembered.’
Source: Daily Mail

12 myths about insulin and type 2 diabetes

When you hear the word “insulin,” do you picture giant needles (ouch!) or pop culture portrayals of insulin users with low blood sugar (like Julia Roberts losing it in Steel Magnolias)?

Either way, most people think of insulin as a difficult, painful, or potentially scary medical treatment.

The problem is that if you have type 2 diabetes, you need to know the real deal before you can make an informed choice about whether or not this potentially lifesaving therapy is right for you.

Here, we take a look at the facts and fiction about insulin when it comes to treating type 2 diabetes.

Diabetics always need insulin

Not necessarily. People with type 1 diabetes (about 5 percent to 10 percent of diabetics) do need insulin. If you have type 2, which includes 90 percent to 95 percent of all people with diabetes, you may not need insulin.

Of adults with diabetes, only 14 percent use insulin, 13 percent use insulin and oral medication, 57 percent take oral medication only, and 16 percent control blood sugar with diet and exercise alone, according to the CDC.

The point is to get blood sugar—which can be a highly toxic poison in the body—into the safe zone by any means necessary.

Taking insulin means you’ve ‘failed’

“This is a big myth,” says Dr. Jill Crandall, professor of clinical medicine and director of the diabetes clinical trial unit at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in the Bronx, N.Y. “Many people who try very hard to adhere to a diet, exercise, and lose weight will still need insulin.”

The fact is that type 2 diabetes is a progressive illness, meaning that over time you may need to change what you do to make sure your blood sugar is in a healthy range. Eating right and exercise will always be important, but medication needs can vary.

“A large percentage of people with type 2 diabetes will ultimately need insulin, and we don’t see it as a failure,” she says.

Insulin injections hurt

“This is absolutely false,” says Crandall. “With the small fine needles we have today, insulin injections are close to painless, if not painless.”

In fact, most people would say that the finger pricks used to measure blood glucose levels hurt more than insulin injections.

“When people get their first injection, they often say, ‘I can’t believe it didn’t hurt,’” says Crandall. What’s more, you may not need to use syringes at all.

There are injector pens on the market that allow you to dial the dose of insulin, snap on a tiny needle, and inject painlessly. Really.

Insulin can cause dangerously low blood sugar

Okay this one is possible, but not likely. People with type 2 diabetes tend to be at lower risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) than those with type 1.

A prolonged episode of low blood sugar could cause a loss of consciousness or coma. Still, most people with type 2 can easily recognize the symptoms, which include anxiety, shaky hands, sweating, and an urge to eat.

Consuming a bit of sugar—a few Life Savers, diluted juice, or glucose tablets—quickly reverses the low blood sugar.

Insulin is forever

Not necessarily. Some people with type 2 diabetes may need insulin temporarily, such as right after they’re diagnosed or during pregnancy, whereas others may need to stay on it indefinitely.

Some people who lose a lot of weight (naturally or with the help of bariatric surgery) may find that they no longer need insulin, while others who lose weight may still need it.

(It largely depends on how much damage diabetes has done to the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas.)

“It is not always a one-way street,” Crandall says.

Insulin is difficult to take

Gone are the days when insulin injections were bulky, conspicuous, and difficult to administer.

“Today, insulin comes in pen injectors that are easy to carry with you, don’t require refrigeration, and can be used discreetly, often just once a day,” Crandall says.

“There are a large variety of insulin and insulin regimens that are much more convenient than they used to be,” she adds.

Oral medications are better than insulin

Oral diabetes medications can be great when it comes to lowering blood glucose levels. Many have been used for years and are very safe, such as metformin.

Still, they don’t work for everyone. “For some people, insulin is the easiest and best because it always works, but some people respond to pills, and others don’t,” says Crandall.

Not all oral medications have a tried-and-true safety record. For example, Avandia was restricted by the FDA because of research suggesting that it ups the risk of heart attack.

Insulin will make you gain weight

There’s some truth to this one. Some people with type 2 diabetes may gain weight after starting insulin therapy.

However, the insulin therapy itself does not induce weight gain. It’s because if a diabetes treatment is working, the body begins to process blood glucose more normally, and the result can be weight gain. (This is one reason unexplained weight loss can be an early symptom of diabetes.)

The good news is that this tends to level out as insulin therapy continues, and the weight gain may be transient, explains Crandall.

People with type 2 don’t make insulin

This isn’t true. People with type 2 diabetes may actually produce higher-than-normal levels of insulin earlier in the course of the disease, a condition known as hyperinsulinemia.

This happens because type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance, a condition in which the body loses the ability to respond normally to the hormone.

Taking insulin shots can help overcome insulin resistance, and they can take the place of naturally occurring insulin production, which does tend to dwindle over time.

Insulin means your diabetes is “serious”

The truth is diabetes is a serious condition no matter how you treat it—it’s just that so few people realize it. Because you can have diabetes and feel just fine (or ignore symptoms like thirst and fatigue), you may think you’ve got a “touch of sugar” or some other mild-sounding condition.

In reality, high blood sugar poisons the body, damaging the heart, kidney, eyes, and nerves.

The point is to make sure your blood sugar is under control, whether it takes diet, exercise, pills, insulin, or all of these combined.

Insulin use requires multiple daily injections

Not always. If you need insulin, you have options. You can try a long-acting once-a-day insulin (usually given at night), which mimics the low level of insulin normally found in the body all day long.

This may be enough to control blood sugar on its own, or it can be combined with oral medications.

If blood sugar is still too high after meals, however, you may need to take insulin several times a day, just before eating.

Insulin is a treatment of last resort

Although some people exhaust all possible diabetes treatments before resorting to insulin, this may not be the best strategy.

“By the time a person with type 2 starts insulin therapy, they likely already have diabetes-related complication because of poor blood sugar control,” Crandall says.

Because high blood sugar is so toxic and can up the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other problems, you shouldn’t waste too much time undergoing treatments that aren’t getting your blood sugar under control.

In fact, starting insulin sooner may avoid complications, cause oral medications to work better (and be effective longer), or allow you to use a less-complicated insulin regimen for a longer period of time.

Source: topix.com