Childhood Diabetes is also known as Type 1 Diabetes. When a child or young person has diabetes their body does not create enough insulin, and as a result, the body needs to be treated by the person taking insulin shots to provide for the insulin not being produced in the body.
The production of insulin, which is an essential hormone, happens in the pancreas. The food a child eats is broken down by the body into a sugar called glucose. The sugar is carried through the blood and gives the body energy. Insulin helps the sugar enter the cells in the body and controls the amount of sugar in the blood.
With diabetes there ends up being too much sugar in the blood because there is not enough insulin to balance out the sugar. This can cause a variety of heath problems, and if they are not treated, these problems can end up being fatal.
In childhood diabetes (Type 1 Diabetes), the pancreas cannot create enough insulin because many of the cells in the pancreas are being destroyed, sometimes due to the body’s immune system destroying the cells. Sometimes Type 1 Diabetes occurs due to hereditary factors, as it can be genetic and run in families.
Some of the main symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes are excessive thirst, urinating a lot and losing weight. Some of the treatments include learning about diabetes and learning about what type of diet can be helpful and healthy for an individual with diabetes. It is important for the family to learn this information and be supportive of the child that has diabetes. Another part of treatment is controlling blood sugar through use of a glucose meter to check the levels, but just as importantly, exploring the choices for a good diet and sticking to it. Keytone tests are also important. Basically, they test the urine and can tell you if enough insulin is being produced. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you how they work.
It is also essential to have continuous treatment and monitoring through your family’s or child’s doctor, not only for the child that is diagnosed with diabetes, but also to have the entire family tested, as well. This will allow you to know in advance if any other family members are showing symptoms of diabetes.
Juvenile, Childhood or Type 1 Diabetes can be managed and controlled in a way that will allow your child to live a normal life, doing the same things that other children do. There is a lot of information available from many sources.
One of the best sources of information is the American Diabetes Association. You can call them at 1-800-342-2383 or visit the on the web at www.diabetes.org.
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