Juvenile diabetes, also known as type 1 diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a disease that occurs when the pancreas stops producing insulin. Insulin is very important because it is a hormone that regulates the amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood and helps transfer glucose to the body's cells to produce energy. If the body does not produce insulin, glucose remains in the blood and blood sugar levels will rise. Technically type 1 diabetes can strike at any age, but it usually affects people under the age of 30 and is the most common type of childhood diabetes. The onset of juvenile diabetes symptoms is usually quick. Juvenile diabetes should be diagnosed as early as possible because it gets worse over time and can lead to serious health problems, such as kidney failure, coma, and even death.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Recognizing Early or Emerging Symptoms
Step 1. Pay attention to the child's thirst
Increased thirst (polydipsia) is one of the most common symptoms of juvenile diabetes. The feeling of having to be extreme occurs because the body is trying to get all the glucose out of the bloodstream because it can't be used (there's no insulin to get it to the cells). The child always feels thirsty or drinks much more than his usual fluid intake.
- According to standard guidelines, children should drink between 5–8 glasses per day. Young children (ages 5–8) drink less (about 5 cups) and older children drink more (8 cups).
- However, this is an ideal guide and only you know how much water and other fluids your child drinks each day. Thus, the assessment of increased thirst is relative, depending on how much the child usually consumes. If he usually drinks about three glasses of water and a glass of milk in the evening, but now keeps asking for water and other drinks and drinking far more than the usual 3-4 glasses of intake, you should be worried.
- The child may feel thirst that cannot be quenched even after drinking a lot of water. He may still appear dehydrated.
Step 2. Pay attention to whether your child is urinating more frequently than normal
An increase in urinary frequency, called polyuria, is the body's attempt to filter glucose by urinating. It is also a result of increased thirst. Because the child is drinking more, his body will produce more urine, thus increasing the frequency of urination.
- Pay close attention at night and see if your child is urinating more frequently than usual in the middle of the night.
- There is no average number of times a child urinates in a day because this depends on food and water intake and so on, so what is normal for one child is not necessarily normal for another. However, you can compare the current frequency of urination with the previous frequency. If in general children go to the bathroom about 7 times a day but now it's 12 times a day, this is cause for concern. This is also why you should observe or supervise your child at night. If he never got up to pee before but now wakes up two, three, or four times a night, you should take him to the doctor for a check-up.
- Also, look for signs your child is dehydrated from urinating too much. Your child may show sunken eyes, dry mouth, and loss of skin elasticity (try pinching the skin on the back of his hand, if it doesn't return to its original shape immediately after release, it's a sign of dehydration).
- You should also really pay attention to whether your child starts wetting the bed again. This is especially important if your child has been potty trained and has never wet the bed again.
Step 3. Watch for unexplained weight loss
Juvenile diabetes generally causes weight loss because metabolic disorders are associated with elevated blood sugar levels. Often the weight will drop drastically although sometimes it can be gradual.
- Children can lose weight and even appear emaciated or emaciated and weak due to juvenile diabetes. Note that loss of muscle mass also often accompanies weight loss from type 1 diabetes.
- As a general rule, unplanned weight loss should almost always be consulted by a medical professional.
Step 4. Notice if the child's hunger suddenly increases
The breakdown of muscle and fat along with the lack of calories due to type 1 diabetes causes a loss of energy and is followed by an increase in hunger. So, there is a paradox here. The child may lose weight even if he shows an increase in appetite.
- Polyphagia, or extreme hunger, occurs when the body tries to get the glucose that cells need from the blood. The child's body wants more food in an attempt to get glucose for energy, but it's no use. Without insulin, no matter how much the child eats, the glucose from the food will just float in the bloodstream because it can't reach the cells.
- Note that there is no medical or scientific measure to assess a child's hunger. Some children by nature eat more than others. Please keep in mind that children tend to feel hungrier as they grow. The best way to gauge it is to compare with his old habits to see if he seems hungrier than usual. For example, if your child is usually picky about the food on his plate at every meal but in the past few weeks has eaten whatever is served and has even asked for more, this is a sign. This increase in hunger may not be due to growth alone, especially if it is accompanied by increased thirst and frequent trips to the bathroom.
Step 5. Notice if the child suddenly seems tired all the time
Loss of calories and glucose needed for energy production, as well as the breakdown of fat and muscle, will generally result in fatigue and make the child disinterested in the games and activities he normally enjoys.
- Sometimes children also become irritable and mood swings due to fatigue.
- As with the other symptoms mentioned above, you need to assess your child's sleep patterns based on their normal patterns. If he used to sleep 7 hours a night but now sleeps 10 hours and still complains of being tired or shows signs of drowsiness, sluggishness, or lethargy despite sleeping all night, you should be wary. Perhaps he is not only experiencing growth spurts or ordinary fatigue, but is also affected by diabetes.
Step 6. Watch if the child complains of blurred vision
High sugar levels change the water content in the lens of the eye and cause the lens of the eye to swell, causing blurred, cloudy, or blurry vision. If your child complains of blurred vision, and the number of visits to the ophthalmologist does not show improvement, consult a doctor to check whether the condition is caused by type 1 diabetes.
Blurred vision can usually be treated with blood sugar stabilization
Method 2 of 3: Tracking Subsequent or Accompanying Symptoms
Step 1. Watch out for recurring yeast infections
People with diabetes have high levels of sugar and glucose in their blood and vaginal fluids. This is an ideal environment for the growth of fungal cells that normally cause fungal infections. As a result, the child may often develop fungal infections of the skin.
- Pay attention if the child seems to feel itchy in the genital area. For girls, you may notice that she has repeated vaginal yeast infections, characterized by itching and discomfort, as well as a white to yellowish discharge that smells bad.
- Another type of fungal infection that results from a weakened immune system due to juvenile diabetes is water fleas, which causes white discharge and peeling skin between the toes and soles of the feet.
Step 2. Watch for recurring skin infections
The reflexes that allow the body to fight infection under normal circumstances are inhibited by diabetes because the disease causes immune dysfunction. In addition, an increase in glucose in the blood causes the growth of harmful bacteria which often results in bacterial infections of the skin such as boils or abscesses, ulcers, and pus.
Another aspect of frequent skin infections is the slow healing of wounds. The recovery period for cuts, scrapes, and minor cuts from minor trauma can take a long time. Watch for anything out of the ordinary
Step 3. Watch out for vitiligo
Vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder that causes decreased levels of the skin pigment melanin. Melanin is the pigment that gives color to human hair, skin and eyes. In type 1 diabetes, the body develops automatic antibodies that destroy melanin. This causes white patches on the skin.
Although vitiligo appears at a later stage in cases of type 1 diabetes and is not very common, it's a good idea to get checked for diabetes if white patches appear on your child's skin
Step 4. Watch for vomiting or heavy breathing
These symptoms can accompany the development of diabetes. If you notice your child is vomiting or breathing too deeply, this is a dangerous sign and you should take him to the hospital immediately for treatment.
These symptoms may be a sign of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which can potentially lead to fatal coma. These symptoms come on quickly, sometimes within 24 hours. If left untreated, DKA can be fatal
Method 3 of 3: Visiting the Doctor
Step 1. Know when to consult a doctor
In most cases, type 1 diabetes is first diagnosed in the ED when the child is brought into a coma due to diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Although it can be treated with fluids and insulin, prevention is still better by consulting a doctor immediately if you suspect your child has diabetes. Do not wait for the child to become unconscious because the DKA will only then confirm the allegation. Get your child checked right away!
Symptoms that require immediate medical attention include loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting, high body temperature, stomach pain, unpleasant sweet-smelling breath (he can't smell it but other people can)
Step 2. Visit a doctor for an examination
If you suspect your child may have type 1 diabetes, get checked out as soon as possible. To diagnose diabetes, the doctor will need to run a blood test to assess how much sugar is in the child's blood. There are two tests that may be done, namely a hemoglobin test and a random or fasting blood sugar test.
- Glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test. This test provides information about a child's blood sugar level over the past two to three months by measuring the percentage of blood sugar bound to hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a protein that carries oxygen in red blood cells. The higher the blood sugar level of the child, the stronger the binding of sugar to hemoglobin. A level of 6.5% or higher on two tests is an indication of diabetes. This test is the standard test for diabetes assessment, treatment, and research.
- Blood sugar test. In this test, the doctor takes a random sample of blood. Regardless of whether the child has just eaten or not, a random blood sugar level of 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) is an indication of diabetes especially when considered in conjunction with the above symptoms. Doctors may also consider a blood test after asking the child to fast overnight. In this test, a blood sugar level of 100 to 125 mg/dL indicates prediabetes, while a blood sugar level of 126 mg/dL (7 mmol/L) or higher on two occasions indicates the child has diabetes.
- Your doctor may also do a urine test to confirm type 1 diabetes. The presence of ketones in the urine, which comes from the breakdown of fat in the body, is an indication of type 1 diabetes, as opposed to type 2.
Step 3. Get a diagnosis and accept the treatment plan
Once the test is complete, the doctor will use the results and medical criteria to diagnose diabetes. After diabetes, the child needs close medical follow-up until his blood sugar stabilizes. The doctor will determine the right type of insulin for your child and the correct dose. You may need to consult an endocrinologist, a specialist in hormonal disorders, to coordinate your child's care.
- Once an insulin treatment plan for your child's type 1 diabetes is established, you should schedule a checkup for your child every few months to repeat the same tests as above to make sure his blood sugar levels are satisfactory.
- The child should also undergo regular foot and eye examinations as symptoms of inadequate diabetes management are usually first seen in both.
- While there is no cure for diabetes, technology and treatments have been developed far enough that most children with type 1 diabetes can live happy and healthy lives once they know how to treat it.
Tips
- Please remember that type 1 diabetes or what was previously known as juvenile diabetes has nothing to do with diet and weight.
- If a biological family member (such as brother, sister, father, mother) has diabetes, the child must be taken to the doctor at least once a year from the age of 5–10 years to confirm that he or she does not have diabetes.
Warning
- Because many of the symptoms of type 1 diabetes (lethargy, thirst, hunger) are child-to-child relative, we usually skip them. If you think your child is showing symptoms or a combination of these symptoms, take him to the doctor immediately.
- Early diagnosis, treatment, and management of type 1 diabetes is very important in order to reduce the chances of serious complications, such as heart disease, nerve damage, blindness, kidney damage, and even death.
