Causes of diabetes and other myths

[huladancer]

There is this belief among the Hispanic community (and perhaps other sections of the population) that diabetes is caused by a susto (scare) or coraje (anger). I've heard time a time again from friends and relatives "so and so got diabetes when he got in that car accident" (scare) or "so and so got diabetes when she found out her husband was cheating" (anger).

I try to explain that diabetes is not caused by these events. Usually these events (car accident), lead to the detection of DM the person already had and didn't know it.

I know there are plenty of myths out there, but I was just wondering if this myth is just prevalent in the Hispanic community or have you heard this from other people too?

[Myxel67]

There is this belief among the Hispanic community (and perhaps other sections of the population) that diabetes is caused by a susto (scare) or coraje (anger). I've heard time a time again from friends and relatives "so and so got diabetes when he got in that car accident" (scare) or "so and so got diabetes when she found out her husband was cheating" (anger).

I try to explain that diabetes is not caused by these events. Usually these events (car accident), lead to the detection of DM the person already had and didn't know it.

I know there are plenty of myths out there, but I was just wondering if this myth is just prevalent in the Hispanic community or have you heard this from other people too?

Many Hispanic patients of mine often say they have emotional diabetes. The stress of certain situations often makes blood glucose values higher--but of course, the diabetes was there even before the emotional stress. The stress just exaccerbated the condition.

Some people with type 1 DM develop if after a trauma (car accident in the case of my sister in law) or a viral infection. The theory is that the person has a genetic predisposition for type 1, and the viral infection triggers the abnormal immune response that destroys the beta cells.

The most common misconception I see is that the DM was caused by eating sugar. This thought seems to exist across all ethnic backgrounds.

[HeatherB,CST]

Just a little observation, and a pet peeve of mine. I recently moved to the south, and I noticed that many older southern folks refer to diabetes as "THE diabetes", "the sugar diabetes", or just "the sugar". As in, "I can't eat dessert, I have the diabetes/the sugar diabetes/the sugar." I find it very annoying, but oddly charming at the same time...:icon_roll

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

Just a little observation, and a pet peeve of mine. I recently moved to the south, and I noticed that many older southern folks refer to diabetes as "THE diabetes", "the sugar diabetes", or just "the sugar". As in, "I can't eat dessert, I have the diabetes/the sugar diabetes/the sugar." I find it very annoying, but oddly charming at the same time...:icon_roll

I think it is an elderly thing . . . they say it here in Northern CA too. I find it charming and a bit annoying.

We have a large Indian population here too. Almost all very overweight. Diabetic. Many of the men have alcohol problems.

steph

[NTPinky]

When I was doing gestational diabetes education with mostly Spanish-speaking patients, many of them asked me if stress caused their diabetes. I also had a couple of patients whose mothers told them to drink sweet juices to help "clear out" the sugar from their bodies! I've also heard of some being told to drink their own urine (I heard this among both Latinas and Middle Eastern women).