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What is juvenile diabetes?
Juvenile diabetes can be described as the occurrence of Type 1 diabetes in children. When a child suffers from juvenile diabetes, it means that his or her pancreas can not produce the amount of amount of insulin required for the body to function properly. Hence the child needs to be given an insulin pump or shots to make up for the deficit of insulin in the body. A diagnosis of juvenile diabetes in any child can be a traumatic and an overwhelming experience, not only for the child, but also the parents and other immediate family members. This is because juvenile diabetes includes a long term series of controlled diets, blood sugar monitors and insulin injections.
Children suffering from juvenile diabetes usually require consistent care in spite of the fact that the monitoring of blood sugar levels as well as the delivery of insulin are not as complicated as they used to be. Juvenile diabetes causes
The exact causes of juvenile diabetes are still not clear, but what is known is that this condition occurs when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys those cells in the pancreas, that produce insulin. This problem in children could be genetic and could be triggered off, by exposure to certain viruses. In type 1 diabetes, there is no insulin present in the body, to allow the sugar in the blood to enter the body cells. Therefore, the amount of sugar in the bloodstream builds up, till it reaches a dangerous level. This occurrence can lead to life threatening problems too. Juvenile diabetes symptoms
There are several signs and symptoms that are associated with juvenile diabetes, which can develop rapidly, i.e., within a matter of a week or two. Some of the most common juvenile diabetes symptoms that parents need to watch out for are:
• Frequent urination and an increase in thirst: Fluid is pulled out from the child’s body tissues, as the excess sugar accumulates in the bloodstream, leaving the child thirsty more often. It is then only natural to urinate more often, because of the increase in the consumption of water.
• An increase in appetite: The energy in the child’s muscles and organs tends to deplete much faster, due to the lack of insulin in the body, trigger off intense hunger pangs
• Unexplained weight loss: In spite of the increase in appetite and perhaps food consumption too, the child may lose weight rapidly, as the stores of fat and muscles tissues shrink.
• Fatigue: A child may seem lethargic and tired most of the time, due to the lack of sugar in the cells.
• Change in behavior: Some of the most common, but unnoticed juvenile diabetes symptoms are moodiness and increased irritability.
• Vision problems: When the sugar in a child’s blood is too high, fluid generally gets pulled away from the child’s eyes, leading to blurriness in vision. Juvenile diabetes life expectancy
It is difficult to state the exact life expectancy of people who have juvenile diabetes, because some people have survived for over 25 years after being diagnosed with the condition, while others have succumbed to it in less than a decade. Some health experts claim that even a child suffering from juvenile diabetes can lead a healthy life, by taking proper care and undergoing the required treatment for this condition. Juvenile diabetes diet
The main goal of a juvenile diabetes diet is to maintain a proper level of blood sugar. Therefore, sweet foods like candies, sodas, chocolates, cakes, cookies, desserts and any other foods that contain sugar should be restricted. Proteins do not increase sugar in the blood and therefore, should constitute an integral part of a juvenile diabetes diet. However, animal foods could lead to other health problems and therefore plant based foods like soy beans and other pulses. However, it is important to get guidance from a doctor, before switching over to any juvenile diabetes diet plan.
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