Juvenile Diabetes, also known as type 1 diabetes, is a disease that affects nearly 210,000 children and young adults under the age of 20 with approximately 15,000 new cases diagnosed every year. There is more information and treatments around including diabetic socks . Diabetes in children commonly occurs during puberty between the ages of 10 to 12 in girls and 12 to 14 in boys and it is also important to note that children whose parents or other siblings have diabetes are at a greater risk of developing the disease themselves.
The sudden onset of juvenile diabetes is caused by the inability of the pancreas to manufacture insulin. It is thought that genetic predisposition and autoimmune dysfunction destroy the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, rendering them unable to produce insulin, which is needed to control blood sugar levels.
Many times the parents are caught unaware and off guard that their child has diabetes. They have many questions asking how this could happen or what they could have done to prevent it. Unfortunately there is no known way to prevent the onset of juvenile diabetes but if the parent is able to catch the tale-tell symptoms early and their child is positively diagnosed there is less chance of long term complications.
The symptoms of juvenile diabetes are much the same as for adults but children may not recognize that something is wrong because they can be subtle. The early warning signs that parents should be on the lookout for include.
1. Frequent bathroom trips – High blood sugar increases the amount of blood that is filtered through the kidneys, leading to an increase in urinary output.
2. Being thirsty all the time – Dehydration caused by the high urine output leads to an increased thirst.
3. Increased hunger and eating – The lack of insulin keeps the sugar in the blood, starving the cells for the energy they need to function. Because of this perceived energy deficit the body responds with hunger pains.
4. Weight loss – Despite the fact that the child is eating more the body will start to break down it own muscle and fat stores to make up for the perceived loss of energy sources, namely blood glucose.
5. Fatigue – The inability of glucose to cross from the blood stream into the cells causes a loss of energy leading to chronic fatigue. The irregularity in protein and fat metabolism can also lead to fatigue.
6. Increased irritability and depression.
7. Vision problems – High blood glucose levels cause an increase in blood volume which can cause the lens of the eye to swell.
These symptoms can occur alone but because diabetes is a disease that affects entire bodily functions there is a good chance that these symptoms will start slowly but will occur as a group. If one is noticeable it is a good idea to ask your child if they are experiencing any of the other known signs.
The sooner the symptoms of juvenile diabetes are recognized the sooner the child can be taken to the doctor for the proper tests to diagnose this disease. Diabetes in children, while incurable, can be managed successfully with a combination of insulin therapy and diet. Left untreated diabetes can cause a whole host of complications that can seriously affect any diabetics ability to live a normal life.
Children grow fast. Diabetes in children is growing faster.
Make exercise and walking a family habit. This is all for modeling a healthy life style for curing your child of diabetes now.
Diabetes in children is a recent phenomenon. Anything that is a recent phenomenon, lead us to the question mark, why and from where this disease has cropped up? What are the reasons
Juvenile diabetes is also known as Type I diabetes. This type of diabetes requires a regular shot of insulin for sustaining the body function! A child requiring insulin shots on regular basis- what a heart-rending sight it is! Many Children now have Type II diabetes also which was once considered as the disease that can attack only the adult population.
If there is a history of diabetes in the family, you should be careful about the factors that worked to make your child diabetic. Know for sure, why your child’s immune system should begin to generate cells that destroy the pancreatic cells responsible for producing insulin in the body at such a young age.
And now that juvenile diabetes is a reality with the life of your kid, to treat it is a double responsibility for parents. Prepare the mind of the child to face the reality. Monitor their food intake and see whether your child is sticking to the schedule of exercises that you have framed for them in consultation with the medical practitioner. For, the first lifestyle change required in the child suffering from juvenile diabetes is regarding the diet.
This is the major part of the treatment along the medications. The concept of healthy living needs to be implanted into the mind of your child. Fast and junk foods are not good for the health of your child as such they should be removed from the list of its diet. Moreover, there should be a family discipline in eating the food. Don’t eat when driving the car or while watching TV. Instead of giving heavy food to the child three times a day, give light food a number of times.
If your child is fond of fried potato chips, substitute it with dried fruits, variety of nuts instead. Take out the white bread from its menu and substitute it with whole grain bread. Avoid deep fried foods. Before the meals, give plenty of salads. Try to inculcate the habit of eating raw vegetables like carrot or fruits dipped in yogurt.
Fighting Juvenile Diabetes fatured in our Health section
Each year, more than 15000 children are diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. The symptoms come on suddenly for young children and include extreme thirst, frequent urination, drowsiness, sugar in the urine, sudden vision changes.
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