Diabetes In Children

April 10, 2010 by  
Filed under Managing Diabetes

When parents adopt bad lifestyle habits, their children observe them and learn them. Habits such as eating the wrong foods and not exercising can be learned at a very young age. This can lead to future health hazards such as diabetes. Unfortunately, diabetes in children is becoming more common.

Children are mostly affected by type 1 diabetes. It occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce an adequate amount of insulin. The signs that a child may have it are if they are constantly thirsty, losing weight, feel tired frequently, urinate frequently, or experience stomach pains or headaches for no reason.

Unfortunately, when it comes to diabetes in children, the only option is insulin treatments. This means that a child will have to be administered with insulin every day. Typically, a faster acting insulin is used during the day and a slower acting one is used for the night time. These are administered through injections. The dosage will vary per child by the recommendation of their physician. Along with this, blood glucose levels need to be monitored as well.

Children with diabetes also must adopt a healthy diet. They need to eat three meals a day that contain adequate amounts of fiber and carbohydrates. Eating sugary foods is not advised but they can be eaten by some children in moderation.

Another thing affected children need to do is get involved in regular physical activity. If they can exercise every day, that is best for them. This reason for this is that physical activity lowers the sugar level in the blood and this can help reduce the amount of insulin needed.

It is important that children learn how to make the right health choices early on in life. It is the only way to be sure that diabetes in children will not become an epidemic. Eating right and exercising are fundamentals that must be taught as soon as possible.

The Link Between Childhood Diabetes And Obesity

diabetes in children

It use to be quite unusual for children to contract childhood diabetes, which use to be known as adult onset diabetes.  At that time it was more common for them to contract type 1 diabetes, which was known as juvenile diabetes.  As you can see, the names of the diseases suggested the age of the person who contracted them.  However, this is no longer valid and thus the change in names.

Understanding Childhood Diabetes

Childhood diabetes is being seen more and more often in today’s overweight children.  The best treatment for this type of diabetes is simply a planned diet that includes regular exercise.  As such, it is not always necessary to have insulin replacement therapy, whereby a person injects insulin into their body depending upon their blood sugar levels.  However, researchers believe that with childhood diabetes more complications can occur that with children who have type 1 diabetes.

Symptoms Of Childhood Diabetes

In the early stages of childhood diabetes the body becomes resistant to insulin.  This means that while the body is still producing insulin, this insulin is either ineffective in reducing blood sugar levels or there is not enough of it being produced to support the body’s needs.  It is important to understand that insulin is the hormone that controls the level of sugar in your blood by converting glucose into the energy that your body needs to function and to reduce the glucose in your blood.  If your glucose level cannot be reduced, then you are at risk of having complications such as heart disease, kidney disease, nerve damage, limb amputation and blindness.

Treating Childhood Diabetes

Treatment for childhood diabetes should include regular exercise and a healthy diet.  This should greatly reduce the risk of health complications.  The diet should be a well balanced one that is low in saturated fat, sugar and salt.  It should be high in fiber, including a lot of vegetables and fruit.  On the other hand, such foods as pasta, bread and cereals should be spread out throughout the day in order to prevent spikes in blood sugar levels after eating.

As you can see, the 2 primary aims of a diet and exercise plan are to control the level of sugar in the blood and to help the patient to lose weight.  If a patient can follow the plan diligently then these goals can be met.  Of course, early diagnosis also plays a great role here as well.

Diabetes Ever Increasing Threat To Our Children

 

 Diabetes in children is also known as juvenile diabetes,
but most people know it as type 1 diabetes. It is the most
most common form of diabetes in teens with ninety to
ninety-five percent of carriers being under 16.

Juvenile diabetes is caused by the inability of the
pancreas to produce insulin. It is an autoimmune disease,
which means the bodies own defense system attacks the
body’s tissues or organs.

In the last 30 years the number of juvenile diabetes had
increased dramitic rate in Europe and the US we are
now seeing type 2 diabetes in children for the first time.

Obesity easily explains type 2, but not why there is such a
rise in type 1 diabetes in children. It is understood that a
mixture of genetics and environmental factors are what
triggers juvenile diabetes. But the vast majority of kids
don't have a family history of diabetes.

The symptoms for juvinile diabetes are the same as in
adults. Thirst, weight loss, fatigue, frequent urination is
typical, but diabetes in children can also increase stomach
pains, headaches and behavior problems.

Doctors must into account the possibility of diabetes in
children who have unexplained stomach pains for a few
weeks, along with the typial symptoms.

When you suspect young teens may be experiencing these
symptoms you might schedule them for a thorough
examination and advise your Gp what you may suspect your
child may have. Be sure to tell them about any and all diabetes
symptoms
your child may be experiencing. 

Learning about diabetes menu planning and cooking become
essential and there are a many sources for solid
information such as the diabetes association and personal
physicians. There are also several e-books on the market
about this subject.

Ther are many diabetes awareness campaigns that are designed
to help you focus on the main symptoms of diabetes in children ,
in addition to the simple lifestyle changes

Proper management is the key and can give you many years of healthy
living. Over 500 FREE Delicious Diabetic Recipes @

 http://weight-loss.nztip.com/diabetic-cooking