Diabetes is often thought of as an adult disease, as it can be caused by diet and lifestyle choices (eating habits and alcohol consumption). However, a 3-year old in the U.S. was recently diagnosed as one of the youngest ever to be diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes (Adult Onset), while children can be struck early with the inability to produce insulin to process sugars (Type 1 or Juvenile Diabetes).
A child with diabetes can be fatal if you’re not aware of the signs and they aren’t given the insulin they need. It’s important to know the signs so you can act quickly act, so here are 6 signals that your child may be battling the disease, which can be present in both types of diabetes…
1. Frequent urination
It can be hard to tell if your toddler is urinating more than often, but if you notice your youngster wetting their shorts (or bed) more often or complaining about needing to use the bathroom more, it could be a cause for concern.
KindsHealth.org notes that more frequent urination is caused by the response of your child’s kidneys to higher levels of glucose (sugars) that aren’t being broken down to be used by their body. The kidneys are attempting to flush out the excess unprocessed sugars through the urine.
2. Excessive thirst
The increase of urination will undoubtedly cause an increase in thirst as your child’s body attempts to stay hydrated. It’s not just getting thirstier at intervals—the thirst can be continuous, according to experts.
The urge to drink fluids all the time also creates more need to urinate, so it can become obvious as a cycle perpetuates itself, notes the Mayo Clinic. If your child is always whining for another glass of juice or water, it may be more than their love of those drinks—it could be they’re trying to quench their insatiable thirst triggered by diabetes.
3. Weight loss
When your child is not getting enough insulin released in their blood, their body will start using other sources of energy besides sugars, and this means it will start burning off fats and sugars. This can result in a noticeable change in appearance and loss of weight.
When the body breaks down fats as a primary source of energy, it creates a buildup of acids in the bloodstream, notes the Mayo Clinic. This condition is called Diabetic Ketoacidosis and can require a trip to the emergency room. Watch for symptoms such as feeling nauseous, tired or having abdominal pain.
4. Impaired vision
The Canadian Diabetes Association notes that diabetes is actually the leading cause of blindness (diabetic retinopathy) across North America. The disease affects your eye’s retina and the vessels that feed it, which eventually causes your eyesight to fade.
The association noted there are various stages and manifestations of this diabetes complication for different people, which can range from blurred vision to increased “floaters” to a sudden loss of eyesight. The source says it affects 23-percent of people with Type 1 Diabetes.
5. Moodiness
Your child may not be acting like their usual sunny self – and that could be a sign that something is happening with their blood sugars. HealthCentral notes in a 2011 article that says mood swings can be hard to detect in already excitable children.
Too little blood sugar or too much (know as blood glucose or BG levels) can have opposite effects on your child, said HealthCentral. Too much glucose results in hyperglycemia that can make your child feel less than ideal, and cause them to act out.
6. Weakness
Prolonged and unexplained fatigue in your child could be a sign of low blood sugar, causing weakness and even shakiness, according to HealthLinkBC. A study of adults with Type 1 diabetes concluded that those who were deliberately kept at low sugar levels overnight were met with acute fatigue in the morning. It also seems to have prolonged effects, as those in the study became tired more easily during activity the next day.
Another possible cause of fatigue in diabetes sufferers is diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage). The condition occurs when blood sugar is too high for too long, causing tingling, numbness, as well as the wasting away of muscles coupled with weakness in the limbs. This cause may be more common in adults, however, because it takes some time to manifest and can be made worse by alcohol and other factors.
-activebeat.com
