Type 1 diabetes is the most serious form of diabetes. It is also referred to as juvenile diabetes because it usually affects children and young adults. People with this disease have lost the ability to produce insulin, causing glucose to build up in the blood, with serious consequences for the health of the sufferer.
The exact reasons why people develop type 1 diabetes remain unclear, although researchers believe it is related to defects in multiple genes; this is why type 1 and type 2 diabetes are known as polygenic diseases. Incidentally, having a relative with diabetes is not considered a risk factor for the disease, since nine out of ten of the children who develop type 1 diabetes have no family member with the condition.
Early Signs of Type 1 Diabetes
While the symptoms of type 2 diabetes may develop over a period of years, the onset of type 1 diabetes is comparatively sudden, with symptoms occurring over the course of just a few weeks or months. The most common early signs that a child may have type 1 diabetes are:
- frequent urination (since the kidneys are flushing out the excess glucose in the blood),
- extreme thirst (in order to make up for all the water that is being excreted from the system),
- sudden weight loss or failure to gain weight, despite a healthy appetite (as the body uses stored fat to create energy since glucose is not reaching the cells),
- increased appetite (as the body craves for more food),
- constant fatigue (since the cells lack glucose), and
- breath that smells fruity and sweet.
In the absence of these symptoms, other signs that a child may have type 1 diabetes are the sudden onset of bedwetting in a child who had previously been dry at night or the development of a vaginal yeast infection in a prepubescent girl who has not yet begun menstruating. Children with undiagnosed diabetes may also be irritable or suddenly experience blurred vision.
Type 1 Diabetes Complications and Treatment
Undiagnosed and untreated diabetes can cause serious long-term problems such as blindness, kidney failure, heart disease and stroke and may even result in coma and death. The disease can also damage blood vessels, gums and nerves. Any child exhibiting even just one of the symptoms listed above should be taken to the doctor immediately for diagnostic testing, which commonly includes blood and urine tests. Once a diagnosis of diabetes is reached, appropriate treatment will be prescribed.
Treatment for type 1 diabetes usually consists of regular insulin injections and diet modification. For example, in order to keep blood sugar levels within the desired range, a diabetic should eat meals and snacks at regular times. Diabetics also need to limit the total amount of carbohydrates consumed and should use their individual carb allotment for each meal on complex carbohydrates such as those in fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains. In addition, daily exercise helps to control blood sugar.
Fortunately, type-1 diabetes is not the death sentence it once was. With proper treatment, the disease can be managed and children can grow up to have a long and healthy life through daily injections of insulin, regular testing of blood sugar levels and some lifestyle adjustments.
For more information on juvenile diabetes, see the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation website.
Crystal Marie - Crystal Marie is a wilderness-dwelling granny, quilter and freelance writer. In addition to enjoying the grandkids, she creates custom ...
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