How long can a teenager go without knowing they have diabetes?
In children,
type 1 diabetes is a disorder in which the body stops producing a vital hormone
(insulin). Because your child requires insulin to live, the missing insulin
must be restored by injections or an insulin pump. Juvenile diabetes or insulin
- dependent diabetes was once a term used to describe type 1 diabetes in
youngsters.
When a child
is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, it can be frightening, especially at first.
Suddenly, you and your child must learn how to give injections, measure
carbohydrates, and monitor blood sugar, depending on his or her age.
Type 1
diabetes in children does not have a cure, however, it can be controlled. Blood
sugar management and quality of life for children with type 1 diabetes have
improved thanks to advances in blood sugar monitoring and insulin delivery.
The Symptoms
Type 1
diabetes symptoms in children usually appear fast and include the following:
- Thirst increases
- Urination on a regular basis, potentially bedwetting in a toilet-trained youngster
- Hunger to the point of death
- Weight the reduction that occurs unintentionally
Fatigue
- Irritability or a shift in behavior
- Breathe that smells like fruit
When should you see a doctor?
If you
detect any of the signs or symptoms of type 1 diabetes in your child, contact
his or her doctor.
The Causes
Type 1
diabetes has an etiology that is unknown. However, in most patients with type 1
diabetes, the immune system mistakenly destroys insulin-producing (islet) cells
in the pancreas, which is normally used to combat harmful germs and viruses.
This process appears to be influenced by both genetic and environmental
factors.
Your youngster will produce little or no insulin once the pancreatic islet cells
have been damaged. Insulin is responsible for transporting sugar (glucose) from
the bloodstream to the cells of the body. When food is digested, sugar enters
the bloodstream.
Sugar builds
up in your child's system if there isn't enough insulin, and if it isn't
addressed, it can lead to life-threatening consequences.
Factors that are at risk
The
following are risk factors for type 1 diabetes in children:
History of the family
Anyone who
has a parent or sibling who has type 1 diabetes is at a slightly higher chance
of having it.
Genetics
Certain
genes are linked to a higher incidence of type 1 diabetes.
Race
Type 1
diabetes is more common in white children of non-Hispanic heritage in The United States than in children of other races.
Viruses in particular
The
autoimmune destruction of islet cells may be triggered by exposure to different
viruses.
Complications
Type 1
diabetes can harm your body's key organs. Keeping your blood sugar levels close
to normal for the majority of the time will greatly lower your risk of developing
a variety of issues.
Complications can include the
following:
- Diseases of the heart and blood vessels
- Diabetes raises your child's chances of later acquiring diseases like restricted blood vessels, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
Damage to the nerves
Sugar can
harm the walls of the tiny blood vessels that nourish your child's nerves if
consumed in excess. There may be tingling, numbness, burning, or pain as a
result of this. Nerve injury typically occurs over a long period of time.
Kidney failure
The
countless tiny blood artery clusters that filter waste from your child's blood
can be damaged by diabetes.
Damage to the eyes
Diabetes can
cause damage to the retina's blood vessels, resulting in vision issues.
Osteoporosis
Diabetes can cause a decrease in bone mineral
density, raising your child's chance of developing osteoporosis as an adult.
Prevention
There is
presently no known strategy to prevent type 1 diabetes, although researchers
are working on it. Researchers are working on the following projects:
Preventing
type 1 diabetes in persons who are at high risk, and finding at least one
treatment that may slow down the disease's progression.
The progression of the disease
In those who
have recently been diagnosed with diabetes, preventing additional loss of the
islet cells.
In
youngsters with a high risk of type 1 diabetes, doctors can discover antibodies
linked to the disease. Antibodies to type 1 diabetes can be detected months or
even years before symptoms develop, but there is presently no treatment to halt
or prevent the disease once antibodies are discovered. It's also worth
remembering that not everyone who has these antibodies develops type 1
diabetes.
While there
was nothing you could have done to prevent your child's type 1 diabetes, you
may assist them to avoid complications by doing the following:
As much as
possible, assist your child in maintaining healthy blood sugar management.
Instilling
in your child the value of consuming a balanced diet and engaging in regular
physical activity.
Beginning no
later than five years following your child's diabetes diagnosis, or by the age
of ten, schedule monthly checkups with your child's diabetes doctor and a
yearly eye exam.
Post a Comment