Diabetic is doing a glucose level finger blood test.

Suggested menu for people with diabetes problem. Food including tomato-olive with cheese salad, apple, lettuce, steak, mushroom soup, apple and about 35g bread.

Juvenile Diabetes Symptoms

Juvenile diabetes or usually called type 1 diabetes , is a chronic disease which is believed to be due to autoimmune disease. This autoimmune disorder is believed to be triggered by environment or virus that causes the immune system to attack and destroy the cells that produce insulin. This type of diabetes is usually diagnosed before the age of 30.

Early diagnosis of juvenile diabetes is important as it could help preventing further complication. Juvenile diabetes might onset very quickly and suddenly (Sudden Onset Juvenile Diabetes, SOJD). If misdiagnosis or left untreated, the consequences might be tragically or even death. If any child under your care shows any symptoms of juvenile diabetes, he or she should be brought to pediatrician for diabetes screening as soon as possible.

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) has urged public to help raising public awareness about the warning symptoms of type 1 diabetes in order to prevent further loss of life due to diabetes. Among the common juvenile diabetes symptoms include increased urination, urinating more frequent, extremely thirsty, increased hunger and sudden weight loss.

When the blood glucose level rises, the kidneys will produce more urine to discard the extra sugar through urination. Therefore, increase in urination is a classic sign of juvenile diabetes. When more urine is produced, patient will become thirstier and drink more fluid. Parents will always misunderstand that their children are urinating more often because of drinking more, but the actual case is they are drinking more because they are urinating more.

Without the present of insulin, the blood glucose cannot reach the body cells and therefore the cells are energy-starved and the diabetic children will always feel hungry. When there is no glucose as energy source, fat and muscle tissues will be burned to produce energy and therefore untreated type 1 diabetic children will lose weight suddenly and rapidly.

Other juvenile diabetes symptoms may include having flu-like symptoms, blurry eyesight, dry skin and mouth, nausea or vomiting. Patients may also feel extremely tired, drowsy, confused and have deep, rapid, heavy and labored breathing. Besides that, patients may also complain about stomach pain, feeling tingling in the feet, and having fruity breath odor. Some kids may also wet their bed at night.

Until now, no cure is found for type 1 diabetes and the only treatment available is insulin injections. Blood glucose levels checks is also a daily routine for juvenile diabetes and should be perform at least 4 times a day. Parents should also watch out for any hypoglycemia or low blood sugar symptoms in children who are taking insulin as it can develop quickly. Hypoglycemia happens when insulin is taken is not balanced with the food eaten, the symptoms include headache, feeling nervousness, fast heartbeat, shaking, sweating and feeling weak.

References:

1. Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International, Warning Signs for Type 1 Diabetes, 2010. http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=103498
2. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Type 1 Diabetes, May 10 2010. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000305.htm
3. JustMommies, Juvenile Diabetes Symptoms: What a Parent Needs to Know About Juvenile Diabetes. http://www.justmommies.com/articles/juvenile_diabetes.shtml

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This page was last modified on: July 30, 2012