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Juvenile Diabetes
Although the increase in obesity in children is beginning to increase the incidence of these overweight children developing type 2 diabetes, it is usually type 1 diabetes that develops in juveniles.
It appears that, as with many of the common diseases of the endocrine system, an auto-immune problem is the root cause of type 1 diabetes. The body's natural defence mechanisms begin to turn on body tissue as well as or rather than the invaders they are designed to destroy. In the case of type 1 diabetes, the immune system destroys the valuable beta cells within the pancreas that are responsible for the production and release of insulin.
Without beta cells there can be no naturally produced insulin and glucose levels rapidly escalate to dangerous levels.
Parents need to be vigilant. Diabetes is still associated with overweight, middle aged individuals who are deemed to be paying the price for earlier life excesses. No-one expects their child to develop this disease.
Unfortunately, early symptoms are subtle and very easy to attribute to other childhood illnesses, conditions and ways of being:
* Extreme thirst - is not unusual in children, especially in warm weather. Also, once children are old enough and tall enough to reach the refrigerator door it can be difficult to monitor their fluid intake.
* Frequent urination - this may become apparent to parents if travelling with children, but just around the home it can be difficult to spot as children simply take themselves to the bathroom.
* Sudden vision changes need investigating - they should not be attributed to too much time in front of the television or computer screen.
* Sugar in the urine would only be noticed by a specific medical test and it is not something a parent would notice in the home environment
* Sweet smelling breath may be noticed by parents and may equally well be attributed to something the child has eaten.
* Increased appetites may be remarked upon, but of course children are growing and can have large appetites - why would a parent necessarily consider this to be a bad thing?
* A sudden weight loss may be noticed but in this age of obesity it may be welcomed too.
* Drowsiness and lethargy, unless excessive, may not be noticed or remarked upon. Many children now lead very sedentary lifestyles and lethargy may simply not be noticed.
* Heavy, laboured breathing is another symptom which can be masked by any number of respiratory problems which seem to be more prevalent in children nowadays.
* Stupor and unconsciousness will be noticed but by this stage the glucose levels have reached dangerous levels and the damage may be irreversible.
From this symptom list, it becomes apparent how important it is for parents to be vigilant. In this day and age when everyone is so busy it can be very easy to overlook differences in children. Distraction with the work or domestic problems of the day can cause what should be quite obvious clues to be missed.
All parents should make themselves aware of the symptoms of type 1 diabetes so they can respond quickly in the event that their child develops this disease. The earlier treatment is sought, the less damage is done.
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