What's childhood diabetes?
As explained in the general content of Diabetes, there are several types of this disease: 1, 2, gestational and LADA type.
The one that most affects the child population is type 1 diabetes mellitus, characterized by the fact that the pancreas is not capable of producing enough insulin, which is the hormone that helps transform sugar (glucose) from food into energy for the body. As a consequence, that blood glucose level increases, which is called hyperglycemia and is harmful to the body if it is not corrected in time.
Who is affected?
Currently, childhood diabetes (type 1) is considered the third most common chronic disease in childhood. In Spain, some 30,000 children under the age of 15 suffer from it, according to data from the Federation of Spanish Diabetics.
It is a disease whose incidence among children has grown alarmingly in recent years and there are more and more cases, especially among young children under 5 years of age.
What are your causes?
The cause of this chronic disease is not yet known exactly. It is produced by multiple factors that coincide in the same individual are born with that genetic predisposition, but other environmental factors (virus infections, poor eating habits, sedentary lifestyle ...) or immunological factors (alteration of the body's defenses) also influence its appearance. Parents of children with type 1 diabetes may feel guilty about their possible "genetic inheritance" or having given the child an inadequate diet (rich in sugars). However, there is no scientific evidence to support these hypotheses.
What symptoms should parents alert?
It is between five and seven years of age and during puberty when the disease is usually more common in the infant population. What should alert parents are a series of symptoms that are easy to identify and that can sound the alarm:
Excessive thirst.
The child urinating too often.
Let the bed wet at night.
Have sudden weight loss, even eating normal or even more than usual
Constant hunger .
Physical weakness and tiredness.
Irritability (in young children).
Nausea and vomiting.
Blurred vision.
Sweet or strange smelling breath (like apple).
Fungal infection
Muscle cramps.
Given these signs, we can suspect that the minor has diabetes, blood sugar levels but we should always consult and confirm it with a specialist doctor.
What complications can it present?
The acute complications that type 1 diabetes can entail occur at a certain point in time, and there are basically two:
Hypoglycemia. It is a crisis caused by low blood sugar levels, and manifests with paleness, drowsiness, tremors, hunger or even loss of consciousness. In these cases, it is important to quickly raise glucose levels, giving the child some sugary food: sugar, a soft drink, a fruit juice or cookies and letting her rest.
Ketone hyperglycemia (which can lead to acute . It is essential to consult a health professional to solve it.
Both situations, if not handled properly, can pose a significant life risk. However, what worries people with diabetes and their families the most is the possibility of chronic complications, which appear when they have the disease for many years. But quantifying how many years complications arise is difficult, it depends on each person and their metabolic control.
In general, if elevated blood glucose levels are not corrected over time, damage to some parts of the body may occur, mainly in:
Kidneys
View.
Heart and blood vessels.
Nerves of the extremities.
How is it diagnosed?
To make a correct diagnosis in both children and adults, there are various tests that the medical professional must perform at the health center.
First, you need to measure the level of glucose in your blood and urine.
Blood glucose levels are above 126 mg / dl when the child wakes up, before eating or drinking, and after fasting for at least 8 hours
Blood glucose levels are above 200 mg / dl at any time of the day (checked more than once).
Blood glucose levels are equal to or greater than 200mg / dl, 2 hours after the oral glucose tolerance test (TTOG).
It is called diabetic debut at the time of diagnosis, when the doctor reports that a child or adolescent has type 1 diabetes. Once diagnosed, the child should immediately start the treatment prescribed by the doctor.
What is the treatment for diabetes?
A child, or an adult, who has been diagnosed as diabetic will never cease to be a diabetic, since this is a disease for which no cure has yet been found, although research is under way to find it.
Fortunately, it is a disease that can be controlled and that allows the patient to lead a practically normal life, regulating some essential aspects to enjoy a good quality of life. Therefore, once we have the diagnosis, the most important thing for the child is to follow the established treatment, based mainly on daily insulin injections. This is introduced into the body
blood sugar levels