How to prevent type 1 diabetes in children

 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

1. Urination on a regular basis, potentially bedwetting in a toilet-trained youngster
2. Hunger to the point of death
3. Weight the reduction that occurs unintentionally

Fatigue

1. Irritability or a shift in behavior
2. 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:

1. Diseases of the heart and blood vessels
2.  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.