Juvenile Diabetes- Signs & Complications

According to the IDF Diabetes Atlas's recent reports, over one million Indian kids and adolescents below the age of 15 are suffering from Type 1 diabetes mellitus. Isn't it shocking? Awareness is needed to understand and prevent this fatal disease in children.

What is Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus?

It is a condition that occurs when the body stops producing insulin required to control the blood sugar levels. It happens when there is autoimmune destruction of beta cells in the pancreas. This condition generally occurs in childhood, but adults can also have it.

Symptoms:

It is essential to know the signs of type 1 diabetes mellitus. If a child is showing two or more than two symptoms, then you must visit the best diabetologist in Chennai

1. Weight loss:

Losing weight is the first sign of type 1 diabetes. Although a child may feel and eat more than usual, he still loses weight. Muscle tissues and fat stores shrink in the absence of energy sugar supplies.

2. Feeling more thirsty and frequent urination:

Excess sugar in the blood pulls fluids from tissues. It leads to the constant feeling of being thirsty and urinating more than usual. Even an adolescent can experience bed-wetting.

3.Rapid hunger pangs

Insufficiency of insulin resists sugar to move to a child's cells. As a result his muscles and organs lack energy which creates extreme hunger in a child.

4. Exhaustion:

When a child's body cells don't get enough sugar, he will always feel a reduction in energy level. He will feel tired and lethargic throughout the day without any physical activity.

5. Irritability

Parents can notice sudden changes in behavior. Child starts getting irritated and might face a decline in his performance in school and other activities too.

6. Fruity-smelling breath

In this health condition, fruity breath odour is created in children due to the creation of a substance called ketones. It happens due to the burning of fat instead of sugar

7. Blurred vision

The high blood sugar level in children can leave a child with blurry vision. Body cells pull fluid from the lenses of eyes that can lead to trouble focusing clearly.

8. Yeast infection

Yeast infection is a common problem in type 1 diabetes which is faced by the girls. Even babies can have diaper rashes because of yeast.

Complications:

Type 1 diabetes mellitus develops gradually and gives birth to a lot of health problems and chronic diseases. It is crucial to visit the best diabetologist in Chennai. If it remains untreated, it can leave your child with a miserable and complicated life.

• Heart attack, angina, stroke, narrowing the arteries and high blood pressure are associated with diabetes. It puts a child at the risk of having heart and blood vessel diseases. High blood sugar can injure blood vessels' walls. Hence, the child's nerves don't get nourishment, and he starts experiencing numbness, itchy, burning and ache. It usually happens in legs.
• Diabetes often leads to kidney failure that ends with dialysis and kidney transplant.
• Damage in the blood vessels of the retina gives birth to poor vision and sometimes even blindness.
• Diabetes leaves children' skin with bacterial infections, fungal infections and itching.
• Diabetes also lowers bone mineral density. Therefore, children are always at the risk of suffering from osteoporosis.

Diabetes in children leads them to face several other health complications and to be on medication throughout their lives. It is said that diabetes is a slow poison that kills slowly, so it's better to give children early medication.