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JUVENILE DIABETES

Men's Health, Uncategorized, Women's Health / By

JUVENILE DIABETES

Juvenile diabetes is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin.

  • Insulin is a hormone that helps transport glucose (sugar) into the cells for energy production.
  • Without the insulin, excess glucose (sugar) stays in the blood.
  • With time, the high blood glucose (sugar) level in the blood can lead to serious conditions with the eyes, kidney, nerves, heart, and teeth.
  • Juvenile diabetes most commonly occurs in children and young adult but can appear at any age.
  • Juvenile diabetes is also called insulin-dependent diabetes, or type 1 diabetes.

CAUSES

In juvenile diabetes, the pancreas loses its ability to make insulin because the immune system mistakenly fights and destroys the insulin-producing cell in the pancreas.  Insulin works to move glucose out of the blood into the cells and lower the amount of glucose in the bloodstream.  Without it, glucose stays in the blood as they can’t get into the cell and builds up in the bloodstream.

The following can increase your chance of juvenile diabetes:

Family History: A child with a parent or sibling that has juvenile diabetes has a higher risk of developing the condition.

Viral infections can trigger the autoimmune process

Exposure to chemicals, especially the one found in plastics.

SYMPTOMS

Kids and teens who develop juvenile diabetes may have symptoms such as:

Increased thirst

Frequent urination

Extreme hunger

Weight loss

Blurred vision

Fatigue and weakness

Bed wetting in a child who doesn’t usually wet the bed during the night.

Vaginal yeast infection in a girl who hasn’t started puberty.

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

Diagnosis can be made by testing blood samples for glucose.  This blood tests for juvenile diabetes include:

  • Random plasma glucose test: This is the basic screening test for juvenile diabetes. A blood sample is taken without regard to when the child’s last meal was taken. A random test of 11.1 millimoles per litre (mmol/L) indicates diabetes.
  • Glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) test: This test reflects a child’s average blood glucose level over a period of two to three months. An A1C level that is 6.5% or greater indicates diabetes.
  • Fasting plasma glucose test (FPG): This test measures the blood glucose after the child undergoes a fasting overnight. A fasting blood glucose level of 7.0 mmol/L or higher suggests diabetes.
  • A urine test to detect the presence of chemicals that the body makes when you don’t have enough insulin.

TREATMENT

Treatment implies good diabetes control to minimize symptoms, prevent health condition and help your kid lead a normal, physical, mental, emotional, and social growth and development. To achieve this, both parents and kids should aim to keep the blood glucose level as close to normal as possible.

Most people with juvenile diabetes requires insulin administration. There are different types of insulin and different ways of delivery

The types include rapid-acting insulin, short-acting insulin, an intermediate-acting insulin, long-acting insulin.

The insulin delivery options include fine needle and syringe, insulin pen, an insulin pump.

Depending on your child’s age and need, the doctor will recommend the types and delivery method that best suits your kid

In addition to insulin, healthy eating and dieting are needed to reduce sugar intake, control blood glucose and help with weight loss.

Your child should focus on foods that are high in nutrition and low in fat and calories such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains and healthy proteins such as fish, beans.

Encourage your child to engage in the regular physical activity.

Juvenile diabetes does not have a cure and so in order to help your kid live a normal life, treatment plan must be strictly followed.