How Did You Know Your Child Had Type 1 Diabetes? Know The Symptoms (it Could Save A Life)
How Did You Know Your Child Had Type 1 Diabetes? Know The Symptoms (It Could Save a Life) By: Rachelle Stocum / Blog Parents of children with diabetes will hear this question asked a million times. And each time you tell your story the story gets shorter and shorter. You begin to leave out details. Details that may one day save another child’s life. I wrote this for a couple of reasons. The first reason was to document the details and help other families who are searching for answers to unexplained symptoms. The second reason was to really get my emotions off my chest, and reflect. December 30, 2016 is a day I will never forget. This date will now be forever know to us as Carter’s “dia-versary.” This was the day my seven year old son Carter was diagnosed with Type one Diabetes. I still tear up when I say or even write those words… my son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. The week before Christmas my son Carter had so many complaints. He’s not a whiny kid by any means so this was unusual for him. He’s actually the most compliant child I know. When I ask him to do something he does it. So when he first complained of a stomach ache I thought he was coming down with the flu. It seems reasonable that a child would get sick in December. So I tried to wake him up but it was really hard. He was groggy and didn’t want to wake up. Once he was finally woke up I told him that I didn’t want him to eat anything until I was able to get grandma’s monitor and test his blood sugar. He drank some water but understood what I was asking of him. He didn’t complain or cry even though he was hungry. I knew that was bad because when I was pregnant with him I had gestational diabetes. My blood glucose only ran about 120 from what I can recall, and I knew normal was around Continue reading >>
8 Signs Your Child May Have Type 1 Diabetes
Source: Web exclusive, August 2010 Over 300,000 Canadians have type 1 diabetes, yet when your own child is diagnosed with this disease, it can come as a shock. ‘Most kids who get diabetes do not have another family member with it,’ points out diabetes specialist Dr. Maureen Clement in Vernon, B.C. ‘Often, it’s just a bolt of lightning.’ Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed during childhood, often between the ages of 10 to 13. There’s nothing parents can do to prevent this type of diabetes. However, if you notice signs your child might have the disease, you can take action to prevent a serious complication called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), in which the body runs out of insulin to process sugar and begins to break down fat instead. If your child shows indications of type 1 diabetes, says Clement, then don’t delay in visiting your pediatrician. ‘Don’t say, ‘let’s wait a week or two.’ Get your kid tested that day to make sure they don’t have diabetes.’ And if it does turn out that your child is diabetic, remember that as long as the disease is well managed, she can still enjoy good health her whole life. Here’s what to watch out for. Sign 1: Unquenchable thirst Children with undiagnosed type 1 diabetes may be constantly thirsty. That’s because as their blood-glucose level rises, fluid is pulled from their body tissues. These kids may especially crave sweet, cold drinks. Sign 2: Frequent urination What goes in must come out, so it stands to reason that a child who is drinking more will also visit the washroom more. If your kid is taking an unusual number of bathroom breaks, there may be an underlying and serious reason behind it. A younger child who was previously toilet trained at night may start to wet the bed again. Sign 3: Weight loss A Continue reading >>
Early Symptoms Of Diabetes
What are the symptoms of diabetes? Although the signs of diabetes can begin to show early, sometimes it takes a person a while to recognize the symptoms. This often makes it seem like signs and symptoms of diabetes appear suddenly. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to your body, rather than simply brushing them off. To that end, here are some type 1 and type 2 diabetes symptoms that you may want to watch out for: If you’re experiencing frequent urination your body might be telling you that your kidneys are trying to expel excess sugar in your blood. The resulting dehydration may then cause extreme thirst. Along the same lines, the lack of available fluids may also give you dry mouth and itchy skin. If you experience increased hunger or unexpected weight loss it could be because your body isn’t able to get adequate energy from the food you eat. High blood sugar levels can affect blood flow and cause nerve damage, which makes healing difficult. So having slow-healing cuts/sores is also a potential sign of diabetes. Yeast infections may occur in men and women who have diabetes as a result of yeast feeding on glucose. Other signs of diabetes Pay attention if you find yourself feeling drowsy or lethargic; pain or numbness in your extremities; vision changes; fruity or sweet-smelling breath which is one of the symptoms of high ketones; and experiencing nausea or vomiting—as these are additional signs that something is not right. If there’s any question, see your doctor immediately to ensure that your blood sugar levels are safe and rule out diabetes. So what are the low blood sugar symptoms you should look out for? It’s important to realize that the signs of… Polyuria occurs when your body urinates more frequently—and often in larger amounts—than Continue reading >>
Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic (long-term) condition that occurs when your body doesn’t make enough insulin, or when your body has trouble using the insulin that it does make. About 1 in 400 young people have this condition. What is insulin? Why is it important? Insulin is a hormone made by a gland called the pancreas. The pancreas is located behind the stomach. Whenever you eat food, your body digests the food (breaks it down) into smaller parts: vitamins, minerals, sugar (called “glucose”), fat, and protein. Your body then uses glucose for energy. Glucose is the body’s major source of energy. Insulin is the hormone that helps glucose enter the cells of your body so it can be used as energy. If your body doesn’t make enough insulin, or if your body has difficulty using the insulin that it makes, the glucose from your food does not get changed into energy. Instead, the glucose stays in your blood, causing your blood glucose (also called “blood sugar”) to rise. Why is high blood sugar a problem? High blood sugar is a problem because it can cause serious damage to the body. Some of the most serious, long term problems are loss of vision, kidney problems, heart problems, damage to circulation and stroke. This kind of damage happens slowly over many years and can be delayed or prevented if you take good care of your diabetes. There are also short-term problems that come from high blood sugar. Some common short term-problems (caused from high blood sugar) are: Being thirsty Having to urinate (pee) more often Feeling irritable or exhausted Weight loss If your blood sugar gets too high due to not having enough insulin, you can experience a very serious condition called diabetic ketoacidosis. Signs of ketoacidosis are: Rapid deep breathing Stomach pain or chest pain and/or Continue reading >>
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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Type 2 Diabetes?
People with type 2 diabetes often appear symptom-free in the early stages. That's the reason that as many as 30% of people with type 2 diabetes are unaware of their disease. When symptoms do appear, they may come on gradually and be very subtle. At the time of diagnoses many people have some of the following symptoms: Feeling tired Being unusually thirsty Passing large volumes of urine, especially during the night Having frequent infections Having sores that don't heal Having blurred eyesight People with type 2 diabetes often share certain characteristics and related problems. The most common ones are: Weight A person with type 2 diabetes is usually overweight or obese. One way to determine obesity is to calculate a person's BMI (Body Mass Index), which is a number that is calculated based on a person's weight and height. If a child or teen's BMI is greater than the 85 th percentile for their gender and age (meaning that their score is within the top fifteen percent) they are considered overweight. If the BMI is greater than the 95th percentile (or within the top five percent) for gender and age, the child or teen is considered obese. In terms of their BMI score, an adult with a BMI higher than 25 is overweight and an adult with a BMI higher than 30 is obese. The Centers for Disease Control has BMI charts to help you. Lipids/Cholesterol Insulin resistance – which is associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes - tends to have a negative affect on a person's lipid (cholesterol) levels. If untreated over several years, high "bad" cholesterol and low "good" cholesterol increase the risk for cardiovascular (heart) problems. For a person less than 20 years of age, the desired fasting lipid levels are: LDL (bad) cholesterol should normally be less than 130 mg/dL. If someone Continue reading >>
Diabetes In Teens - Types, Symptoms And Remedies
Is your teen suffering from Diabetes? Are you worried about the other health complications he may face early on in life? If you can relate to the above situations, it is time to check out the following post! As parents, it is natural to worry about the slightest discomfort of your teen. He is already struggling to cope with hormonal changes during this phase. Does the mere thought of your teen being diabetic seem like the worst nightmare for you? Diabetes has become an epidemic in recent times. The dreadful lifestyle disease can affect individuals of all age groups. There are several factors that cause Diabetes in teens or early adulthood. Some of them include genetic factors, metabolic disorder, etc. Want to know more about the symptoms of diabetes to watch out for in your adolescent and the treatment for the disease? Go ahead and give this article a read! What Is Diabetes? Diabetes is a chronic health disorder that affects individuals of any age group or sex. When your teen has an excess amount of sugar dissolved in his blood or urine, it means he is suffering from Diabetes. It also indicates that his pancreas is not producing sufficient insulin necessary to keep his blood sugar levels in check. There is no cure for diabetes. A doctor can help your teen control his blood sugar levels with the help of medications or insulin. Your teen would also need to follow a healthy diet and active lifestyle to keep his blood sugar level under control. Due to diabetes your teen can suffer from numerous health complications that include the following: Heart diseases Loss of vision Strokes Renal failure Chronic kidney disease Amputation of lower extremities Anxiety Nerve damage Diabetes is a life-long condition that can have a huge impact on your teen’s overall health and well-bein Continue reading >>
The Most Common Causes Of Diabetes In Teenage Girls
The Most Common Causes of Diabetes in Teenage Girls The number of individuals who are affected by diabetes mellitus is on a rise especially in the case of teenage girls. Caused due to high blood sugar levels, this ailment is on the rise since 1990s. The two main varieties of this ailment are Type 1 and Type 2 both of which occur in teenage girls. Both these ailments have different symptoms that occur due to the lack of insulin production. They normally range from changes in appetite to life threatening complications. Teenage girls suffering from type 1 diabetes have a genetic predisposition which makes the occurrence of this ailment more common. In spite of several researches, it is still unknown as to why certain individuals have this genetic predisposition where the immune system damages the insulin thereby leading to this ailment. As per research, there has to be a trigger that signals the beginning of this pancreas damaging process. It can be an environmental factor the cause of which is still far from being understood. The trigger is different in case of different teenage girls. Once the process starts, the body stops producing insulin and thus our body gets more susceptible to infections that begin to attack the pancreas. Signs and symptoms of Type 1 diabetes in Teenage Girls: In case of type 1 diabetes, there is a rise in blood glucose level. Generally it to 5 to 10 times higher than the normal level. The excess glucose gets mixed with the urine which in turn leads to frequent urination and dehydration. There is an increased desire to drink water at almost all the times. Mood swings and excessive tiredness are quite common. Due to the ailment, the body starts to break down the fat and but fails to utilize all the nutrients and minerals thereby leading to weight Continue reading >>
Diabetes In Children And Teens: Signs And Symptoms
With more than a third of diabetes cases in the United States occurring in people over the age of 65, diabetes is often referred to as an age-related condition. But around 208,000 children and adolescents are estimated to have diabetes, and this number is increasing. Type 1 diabetes is the most common form of the condition among children and adolescents. A 2009 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that type 1 diabetes prevalence stands at 1.93 in every 1,000 children and adolescents, while type 2 diabetes affects 0.24 in every 1,000. In 2014, Medical News Today reported that, based on a study published in JAMA, rates of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes have increased significantly among American children and teenagers. The study found that incidence of type 1 diabetes in children aged up to 9 years increased by 21 percent between 2001 and 2009, while incidence of type 2 diabetes among youths aged 10-19 years rose by 30.5 percent. The researchers note: "The increases in prevalence reported herein are important because such youth with diabetes will enter adulthood with several years of disease duration, difficulty in treatment, an increased risk of early complications and increased frequency of diabetes during reproductive years, which may further increase diabetes in the next generation." Contents of this article: Here are some key points about diabetes in children. More detail and supporting information is in the main article. Type 1 and 2 diabetes are both increasing in the youth of America Often, the symptoms of type 1 diabetes in children develop over just a few weeks If type 1 diabetes is not spotted, the child can develop diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) What is diabetes in children? Type 1 diabetes in children, previously called juve Continue reading >>
How Diabetes Affects Women: Symptoms, Risks, And More
Diabetes describes a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar due to problems processing or producing insulin. Diabetes can affect anyone, regardless of age, race, gender, or lifestyle. Between 1971 and 2000, the death rate for men with diabetes fell, according to a study in Annals of Internal Medicine. This was a major coup, reflecting the many advances in diabetes treatment. However, according to the study, the death rate for women with diabetes showed no signs of improvement. Additionally, the difference in death rates between women who had diabetes and those who didn’t more than doubled. This study of diabetes in men and women presented several possible reasons for the gender differences. Reasons included: Women often receive less aggressive treatment for cardiovascular risk factors and conditions related to diabetes. The complications of diabetes in women are more difficult to diagnose. Women often have different kinds of heart disease than men. Hormones and inflammation act differently in women. The findings emphasize how diabetes affects women and men differently. Although the death rate was higher among women previously, there has been a shift in gender distribution of type two diabetes showing higher rates among men. The most current reported stats (in 2012) found that 13.4 million women and 15.5 million men have been diagnosed with diabetes in the United States alone. According to the global reports from the World Health Organization from 2014, there was an estimated 422 million adults living with diabetes. This is up from 108 million that was reported in 1980. If you’re a woman with diabetes, you’ll experience many of the same symptoms as a man. However, some symptoms are unique to women. Understanding both will help you identi Continue reading >>
Could Your Child Have Diabetes?
More than 15,000 children are diagnosed with type 1 every year. Make sure you know the telltale signs -- they're all too easy to dismiss. When Chloe Powell started begging for one more drink of water every night, her father, Charles, thought his then 7-year-old was using a common bedtime stall tactic. "I was irritated that she wouldn't go to sleep," admits Dr. Powell, who's a family physician in Dallas. With all she was drinking, he wasn't surprised when she began wetting the bed. But when Chloe couldn't make it through a conversation without having to use the bathroom, he became concerned. "I figured she had a urinary-tract infection, and she'd take some antibiotics and feel better," says Dr. Powell. He wasn't at all prepared for what his daughter's urine test showed: a dangerously high level of sugar that was a clear indicator of type 1 diabetes. In an instant, Chloe, now 10, went from being a kid who never thought twice about the foods she ate or the energy she burned to one who'd face a lifetime of carbohydrate counting, finger pricks, and insulin injections. A Disease on the Rise Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder that causes the body's immune system to mistakenly destroy healthy cells in the pancreas that produce the hormone insulin. (Type 2, on the other hand, occurs when the body doesn't respond to the insulin that's being made.) Insulin ensures that sugar (glucose) in the bloodstream gets into the body's cells where it's needed for energy; without insulin, sugar builds up in the blood, which can be deadly. It's important to begin insulin therapy as soon as possible because high blood-sugar levels can cause permanent vision and nerve problems as well as damage to blood vessels, increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease. Since the 198 Continue reading >>
How Does Type 2 Diabetes Affect Children?
Years ago, it was rare to hear about a child with type 2 diabetes. Doctors used to think kids only got type 1. It was even called juvenile diabetes for a long time. Not anymore. Now, according to the CDC, more than 208,000 people younger than 20 have this disease. That number includes both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Here's what you need to know if your child is diagnosed. You've probably heard diabetes and high blood sugar mentioned together. Here's what happens. Your digestive system breaks down carbohydrates into a type of sugar called glucose. Your pancreas creates a hormone, known as insulin, that moves glucose from your blood into your cells, where it’s used for fuel. In type 2 diabetes, the cells in your child's body don’t respond to the insulin, and glucose builds up in her bloodstream. This is called insulin resistance. Eventually, the sugar levels in her body get too high for it to handle. That could lead to other conditions in the future, like heart disease, blindness, and kidney failure. Type 2 diabetes is most likely to affect kids who are: Girls Overweight Have a family history of diabetes American Indian, African-American, Asian, or Hispanic/Latino Have a problem called insulin resistance The single biggest cause of type 2 diabetes in children is extra weight. In the U.S., nearly 1 out of every 3 children is overweight. Once a child gets too heavy, she’s twice as likely to get diabetes. One or more of these things may contribute to extra weight or obesity: Unhealthy eating Family members (alive or dead) who've been overweight Rarely, a hormone problem or other medical condition As with adults, type 2 diabetes is more likely to affect children who carry extra weight around the middle. At first, there may be no symptoms. Over time, you may notice: Hun Continue reading >>
Symptoms Of Teen Diabetes
The number of people affected by diabetes mellitus, a disease that causes abnormal blood sugar levels, has been increasing worldwide in all age groups, including teenagers, since the mid-1990s. The two main types of diabetes mellitus -- type 1 and type 2 -- can occur in teenagers, yet often they cause very different symptoms. Both types of diabetes are related to insulin, a hormone that helps move sugar from the blood to the body's cells. Symptoms of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are caused by inadequate insulin activity in the body, either due to lack of insulin production or resistance of the body to using insulin. These symptoms range from subtle appetite changes to life-threatening complications. Video of the Day Type 1 Symptoms In type 1 diabetes, the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas have been largely destroyed. In the absence of insulin, blood sugar becomes too high because it cannot be ushered into the cells to use for energy. This produces the classic diabetes symptoms -- increased thirst, increased appetite and frequent urination. In addition, despite eating more, teens with type 1 diabetes often lose weight in the weeks before being diagnosed, largely due to dehydration but also as a result of loss of muscle and body fat. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes in teens usually occur over several weeks before being checked by a physician. While symptoms of high blood sugars may be more severe at diagnosis, they can occur any time the blood sugars are abnormally high. In type 1 diabetes, the body’s lack of insulin prevents the use of sugar for energy. As the body instead turns to fat for energy, ketones are produced. This causes the body to become very dehydrated and acidic, leading to a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA. Symptoms of DKA include wei Continue reading >>
When 'normal Teen' Stuff Is A Warning Sign Of Illness: What Parents Should Know
Editor's Note: This story was first published on August 15, 2016. Stacey Crescitelli is parenting her third teenager after successfully steering daughters Anna, 19, and Sophia, 18, to adulthood. So when her third child, Henry, now 14, began growing at at a fast pace, sleeping more and thinning out, she and her husband Joe thought he was just being a typical teen. As it turns out, his body was actually fighting something more sinister than teenage hormones: Type 1 diabetes. Now, Crescitelli wants other parents of teenagers to know about the symptoms of Type 1 diabetes. But how can parents tell the difference between what is normal and what is not when it comes to teens? Stacey Crescitelli Never miss a parenting story with TODAY’s newsletters! Sign up here Crescitelli, 46, noticed that since December, Henry had grown a lot, "maybe four or five inches," she told TODAY Parents, "and his body was changing. He has always been kind of a solid boy with a large frame — never one of those reed thin, gangly boys — but suddenly, he was becoming one," she said, "and of course, we thought he was simply 'leaning out,'" she said. Though Henry continued to lose weight and began to sleep more, it was not until this past March that the Doylestown, Pennsylvania, mother noticed symptoms that did not fit with what she believed was normal for teenage boys. That was when Henry suffered from a sudden bout of vertigo that "terrified him and mystified us," said Crescitelli. Related story: State legislator riles up 'army of fierce moms' with diabetes comment "One minute he was in the kitchen getting water, and the next he was asking me to help him to the couch because he couldn't walk or focus his eyes," she said. The vertigo lasted for a day, but it was the beginning of more new symptoms: f Continue reading >>
Diabetes In Children And Teens
Until recently, the common type of diabetes in children and teens was type 1. It was called juvenile diabetes. With Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not make insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps glucose,or sugar, get into your cells to give them energy. Without insulin, too much sugar stays in the blood. Now younger people are also getting type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes used to be called adult-onset diabetes. But now it is becoming more common in children and teens, due to more obesity. With Type 2 diabetes, the body does not make or use insulin well. Children have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes if they are overweight or have obesity, have a family history of diabetes, or are not active. Children who are African American, Hispanic, Native American/Alaska Native, Asian American, or Pacific Islander also have a higher risk. To lower the risk of type 2 diabetes in children Have them maintain a healthy weight Be sure they are physically active Have them eat smaller portions of healthy foods Limit time with the TV, computer, and video Children and teens with type 1 diabetes may need to take insulin. Type 2 diabetes may be controlled with diet and exercise. If not, patients will need to take oral diabetes medicines or insulin. A blood test called the A1C can check on how you are managing your diabetes. Continue reading >>
Type 1 Diabetes Symptoms
Type 1 diabetes develops gradually, but the symptoms may seem to come on suddenly. If you notice that you or your child have several of the symptoms listed below, make an appointment to see the doctor. Here’s why symptoms seem to develop suddenly: something triggers the development of type 1 diabetes (researchers think it’s a viral infection—read this article on what causes type 1 diabetes, and the body loses its ability to make insulin. However, at that point, there’s still insulin in the body so glucose levels are still normal. Over time, a decreasing amount of insulin is made in the body, but that can take years. When there’s no more insulin in the body, blood glucose levels rise quickly, and these symptoms can rapidly develop: Extreme weakness and/or tiredness Extreme thirst—dehydration Increased urination Abdominal pain Nausea and/or vomiting Blurry vision Wounds that don’t heal well Irritability or quick mood changes Changes to (or loss of) menstruation There are also signs of type 1 diabetes. Signs are different from symptoms in that they can be measured objectively; symptoms are experienced and reported by the patient. Signs of type 1 diabetes include: Weight loss—despite eating more Rapid heart rate Reduced blood pressure (falling below 90/60) Low body temperature (below 97º F) There is an overall lack of public awareness of the signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes. Making yourself aware of the signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes is a great way to be proactive about your health and the health of your family members. If you notice any of these signs or symptoms, it’s possible that you have (or your child has) type 1 diabetes. A doctor can make that diagnosis by checking blood glucose levels. Continue reading >>
