What is Juvenile Diabetes?
Most of the people still don’t have an idea of what is juvenile diabetes. It is an autoimmune disorder due to environmental trigger or virus hampering the function of beta cell. Once the beta cells get destroyed, the body is unable to produce insulin. It is believed that Type 1diabetes results due to infectious or toxic insult to a child, whose immune system is predisposed to make an aggressive autoimmune response against molecules of the B cell or against altered pancreatic B antigens, resembling a viral protein. A child with diabetic siblings is prone to create juvenile diabetes than child from a totally unaffected family. It is considered as more hereditary problem than excess eating or being obese.
What is Juvenile Diabetes?
To know more about this disease, you must have a brief idea about different types, and symptoms and treatment of juvenile diabetes.
Type 1 Diabetes: It is called juvenile diabetes as the onset of it starts in childhood. Children diagnosed with juvenile diabetes are dependent on insulin, which is a hormone that enables the body to convert the food we eat into energy which is necessary to function properly. Research shows that juvenile diabetes is an auto-immune disorder, same like other disorders like rheumatoid arthritis or multiple sclerosis. A small percentage of individuals can also develop thyroid conditions.
Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes
- Excessive thirst
- Frequent urination
- Blurred vision
- Irritability
- Nausea and vomiting
- Exaggerated hunger, although weight loss occurs
- Chronic weakness and fatigue
Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes
- Insulin
- Exercise
- Self-monitoring of blood glucose
- Diet
Type 2 Diabetes
It typically occurs in adults. However, new research shows that youngsters can have type 2diabetes as well. Most of the adults with type 2 diabetes don’t need daily insulin shots. Instead a proper diet and exercise can help to control the diabetes. This type of diabetes occurs in individuals over the age of 40, those who are sedentary, overweight and have a family history of diabetes. Gestational diabetes happens during pregnancy, but generally disappears after childbirth.
Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes
Symptoms appear more subtly, but also include type 1 symptoms:
- Itchiness
- Tingling or numbness in hands or feet
- Fatigue
- Recurring bladder infections
- Blurred vision
- Sores that heal slowly
Treatment of Type 2 Juvenile Diabetes
In type 2 diabetes, which is usually adult onset diabetes, the pancreas still makes insulin, but oral medicines and a proper diet is required to offset the symptoms.
Other Treatments
- Failing to follow proper medical treatment and supervision, dangerous health problems can rise up. Long term complications like blindness, heart attacks, nerve damage, etc. can ultimately create kidney failure and loss of limbs. It is necessary to follow the physician's treatment plan to avoid side effects.
- During mild cases of diabetes, oral medications are used. Drugs like Actos are prescribed frequently. You must acknowledge the need of including a healthy diet and exercise in your schedule. Medication alone cannot control the diabetes effects. Children having juvenile diabetes feel constantly hungry no matter what they eat, since without insulin to carry their body's fuel source, glucose is technically never actually fed.
Juvenile diabetes is chronic and serious disease which must be treated immediately. Never try to excuse hunger and frequent thirst as natural cravings of growing child, especially if paired with any of the above symptoms. The onset of juvenile diabetes can be extremely fast, and can be injurious and deadly, so the instant you suspect something is wrong with your child, get him screened by a professional and if required, get a proper treatment without delay.
It is found out that around 10-15% in United States is suffering with juvenile diabetes. Nearly 35 American children are diagnosed with juvenile diabetes every day. Still if you have further query related with what is juvenile diabetes, you can consult your doctor.