Screening Tests For Teens (ages 13-18)
Screening tests are laboratory tests that help to identify people with increased risk for a condition or disease before they have symptoms or even realize they may be at risk so that preventive measures can be taken. They are an important part of preventive health care. Screening tests help detect disease in its earliest and most treatable stages. Therefore, they are most valuable when they are used to screen for diseases that are both serious and treatable, so that there is a benefit to detecting the disease before symptoms begin. They should be sensitive - that is, able to correctly identify those individuals who have a given disease. Many routine tests performed at regular health exams are screening tests. Cholesterol testing and Pap smears for women are examples. Newborns are screened for a variety of conditions at birth. A positive screening test often requires further testing with a more specific test. This is important in order to correctly exclude those individuals who do not have the given disease or to confirm a diagnosis. A diagnostic test may be used for screening purposes, but a diagnostic test is generally used to confirm a diagnosis in someone who has signs, symptoms, or other evidence of a particular disease. This article waslast modified on October 7, 2019. Adolescents are often thought of as the healthiest age group. However, habits formed during the teen years will likely affect your teen's health well into adulthood. For example, helping an overweight or obese teen reduce his or her weight can prevent diabetes and heart disease in later years. For teens, annual "well care" visits don't involve many laboratory screening tests. Rather, the emphasis is on preparing for teen health issues, such as accident and injury prevention, sexual health, and avoid Continue reading >>
Teenagers And Diabetes
Diabetes in teenage years tends to be more difficult than at other points in our life. We look at different aspects of teenage life from school through to university and nights out and give you some practical tips to keep blood sugar levels under good control. Whether you're in secondary school or off to university, you'll find tips on managing your blood sugar and how to deal with nights out. If youre struggling to get your diabetes under good control, dont lose heart. It is very common for teenagers to struggle with diabetes control, with only about 1 in 7 teenagers hitting their HbA1c target . Have a read of our guide to teenagers and diabetes control which provides tips on you can start to get your HbA1c down and can also reduce some of those hypos from happening. Diabetes at secondary school and university Youll need to make sure your school and teachers are aware of your diabetes . Whilst it shouldnt get in the way of school activities, at times you may need to test your blood sugars and treat any low or high levels as appropriate so make sure your teachers know what you need to do to manage your diabetes. At university, a little preparation can go a long way. Make sure all your lecturers and people you live with know about your diabetes and make sure well prepared for getting your prescriptions at university . If you can ensure your sugar levels are under good control, itll help out your studying and social life. For those of you who are going out at night , be prepared by reading up on the effects of alcohol on blood sugar and how to make sure diabetes doesnt get in the way of enjoying the night. Continue reading >>
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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 >>
Teens & Diabetes | Diabetes Canada
When children are diagnosed with diabetes, parents need to be very involved in learning about the condition, participating in the routines at an appropriate level and sharing management decisions. As children grow into young adults, they need to learn the details of their condition and how to care for themselves. For teens and young adults: learning to help yourself Are you thinking about moving away from home to go to school or to work in a different city? Are you planning to travel, move in with friends or simply be more independent with your diabetes management? If so, congratulations, you are taking a big step and its normal to have questions on what that all means while living with type 1 diabetes. In the past, it was likely very easy to consult or rely on your parents to make decisions or keep track of your diabetes. Now that youre ready to step into adulthood, many things are going to be your responsibility and its ok to wonder how its all going to work. To learn more about eating well on your own, dating with diabetes, driving, and more, please read Generation D: For young adults living with type 1 diabetes . Note that these tips are not meant to replace the advice and help that your doctor and diabetes health-care team provide. It is important you create and regularly update your own personalized diabetes treatment plan. As a child matures, the challenge for many families is finding the balance between parental monitoring and teen independence. On the one hand, careful diabetes management is vitally important to the immediate and long-term health of your child. On the other hand, you cant be with your child 24/7. Even if you could take total control of your childs diabetes (which you cant), teens are more likely to rebel against tight restrictions. Rather, you 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 >>
In The Spotlight: Supporting Your Newly Diagnosed Teen
Brought to you by Lilly Diabetes | Disney In the Spotlight: Supporting Your Newly Diagnosed Teen Later curfews, learners permits and a strong desire to be independent navigating the teenage years can be a bumpy ride for parents. So what happens when diabetes is added to the mix? The combination can create a wholly different situation than raising a teen whos had type 1 his or her entire childhood. With children who are newly diagnosed during high school, it may feel like allowing the privacy and autonomy your teenager craves while trying to get a handle on diabetes management just isnt possible. Or is it? We asked experts and experienced parents to share their strategies for providing support to teens learning how to cope with diabetes. Heres a look at what works. When told they have diabetes, its normal for younger children not to fully grasp the idea that type 1 is a disease that doesnt go away. On the other hand, most teenagers have reached the developmental milestone of being able to see down the road, notes Michael Fulop, Ph.D., a psychologist in Portland, Ore., who works with adolescents and young adults with diabetes. This more concrete understanding of the future can profoundly shape how a teen responds to his or her diagnosis. Its very common for teens to feel sad and depressed after diagnosis and to start yearning for things they think, at the time, they wont be able to do anymore, like eat their favorite foods or go out alone with their friends, says Fulop. Troubling emotions among newly diagnosed teens can also be triggered by suddenly feeling very different from their friends and classmates. Teens dont want to be different; they dont want to be the weird one, but so many facets of type 1 and blood sugar management can set a teen up to feel exactly that way Continue reading >>
Diabetes In Adolescents
Diabetes is a rapidly growing, serious health problem among youngster today. Above thirteen thousand adolescents are diagnosed for type 1 diabetes, every year in America. There has also been an increase in the number of teenagers with type 2 diabetes, which was more common among adults above forty and who were overweight. Clinics are reporting that nearly half of the new childhood diabetes cases are of type 2. Adolescents, who are obese and had type 2 diabetes in the family history, are at a greater risk of developing diabetes. Diabetes is a disease where the human body is incapable of producing or utilizing insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced by the body in order to get energy by converting starches, sugar and other items. Since the insulin isn’t used properly in diabetic people, the blood sugar level increases. This glucose buildup is found in blood and is then passed onto the urine and comes out of the body and the major source of body energy is lost. Diabetes is a serious chronic disease and should be handled at proper time; otherwise it can create serious problems. It can pose a risk and can damage parts of the human body such as eyes, teeth, gums, blood vessels, nerves, and kidneys. This is the reason why diabetes is responsible in most of the cases of adult blindness, kidney failure and lower limb amputations. And if left untreated, it can cause stroke, heart disease and eventually, death. These problems are not only faced by adults, but also adolescents who get diabetes in their childhood. The important factor in treatment of diabetes is to keep the blood sugar level normal at all times. There are basically two types of diabetes that will affect an adolescent. It is type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes affects the immune system’s function Continue reading >>
Teenage Drinking And Type 1 Diabetes
Eat before drinking alcohol, and eat some carbohydrate-containing snacks such as a sandwich or chips while drinking. Tell a trusted friend that they have diabetes and how to treat low blood sugar if it occurs. Alternate alcoholic drinks with water or other sugar-free drinks to avoid dehydration. Wear a diabetes ID bracelet or necklace, because low blood sugar can be mistaken for drunkenness. Eat before going to bed after a night of drinking. Alcohol stays in the system for a while, so low blood sugar can occur after going to sleep. Eat something with fat and protein, such as chips with dip, cheese, nuts, etc. Test frequently when drinking. If your teen vomits, the College Diabetes Network suggests that he or she should test at least once an hour for several hours while drinking non-alcoholic beverages and eating some crackers, cereal, bread, etc. If your teen is not able to keep food down and hypoglycemia occurs, they should follow their diabetes care plan to raise blood sugar. If nothing is working, someone should call 911. Be aware of contraindications of pain relievers while taking diabetes medication or using a continuous glucose monitor. Acetaminophen can cause monitors to read inaccurately for several hours. Continue reading >>
Study Finds 23 Percent Of Teens Have Prediabetes Or Diabetes
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among adults in the U.S. Although heart attacks and stroke usually do not occur until adulthood, cardiovascular risk factors are often present in childhood. A study in the June 2012 issue of Pediatrics (published online May 21) examines how common these risk factors are in adolescents compared to a decade ago. The study, “Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among U.S. Adolescents, 1999-2008,” examined data from nearly 3,400 adolescents aged 12 to 19 from the NHANES survey.In the study, 50 percent of the overweight teens and 60 percent of the obese teens had one or more cardiovascular risk factors in addition to their weight status, and 37 percent of normal-weight adolescents had at least one risk factor during the 1999-2008 period of study. The prevalence of prehypertension/hypertension and borderline-high or high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol did not change between 1999 and 2008. However, the prevalence of prediabetes/diabetes increased significantly, from 9 percent to 23 percent. The prevalence of obesity did not increase during the study period, and study authors suggest this may explain why other cardiovascular risk factors like borderline-high and high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and prehypertension/hypertension also plateaued. The most common combination of CVD risk factors among overweight and obese children was prehypertension/hypertension and borderline-high or high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (26 percent). Study authors conclude the results indicate that U.S. adolescents carry a substantial burden of cardiovascular risk factors, especially teens who are overweight or obese, and that adolescence represents a window of opportunity to assess these risk factors and promote Continue reading >>
Why A Teen With Type 1 Diabetes Lied To Her Parents
Why a Teen with Type 1 Diabetes Lied to her Parents Why a Teen with Type 1 Diabetes Lied to her Parents The first time I lied to my parents about my blood sugar is still a crystal clear memory for me. I was twelve years old and participating in a swim meet at our local beach club. My mom yelled across the pool, Lauren, its time for you to check! I groaned and dragged my feet as I made my way over to my back pack in my usual cubby. I took out my meter, looked around, and then did something new: I put it right back. I paused a moment, then yelled across the pool to my mom: Im 121! She gave me a thumbs up and a smile and went back to helping time the races. I didnt know it at the time, but that would be the beginning of a near seven year struggle for me with diabetes burn out. Now that Im on the other side of it, I can share my feelings about what I did what I did and why I did it for so long. The reason I lied the first time at my swim meet was so very simple. I was just plain sick of checking my blood sugar. I thought, whats the harm in skipping?. The reward is I can pretend diabetes isnt there. I started off as just lying about my blood sugars, then it turned into lying about giving myself insulin, there was even a phase when I would take my pump off for periods of time without taking any injections. I realized even then that my behavior was destructive, but I cannot tell you how nice it was to just eat a meal without the bru-ha-ha of doing so with diabetes. The freedom of being able to just not deal with diabetes is incredibly liberating and, unfortunately, severely addictive. One might argue that feeling terrible all the time isnt worth the freedom of not having to do all those tedious tasks, and I can agree with you now, but back then, it was worth it for me. Being Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes: What Is It?
Diabetes is a disease that affects how the body uses glucose , the main type of sugar in the blood. Our bodies break down the foods we eat into glucose and other nutrients we need, which are then absorbed into the bloodstream from the gastrointestinal tract. The glucose level in the blood rises after a meal and triggers the pancreas to make the hormone insulin and release it into the bloodstream. But in people with diabetes, the body either can't make or can't respond to insulin properly. Insulin works like a key that opens the doors to cells and lets the glucose in. Without insulin, glucose can't get into the cells (the doors are "locked" and there is no key) and so it stays in the bloodstream. As a result, the level of sugar in the blood remains higher than normal. High blood sugar levels are a problem because they can cause a number of health problems. The two types of diabetes are type 1 and type 2. Both make blood sugar levels higher than normal but they do so in different ways. Type 1 diabetes happens when the immune system attacks and destroys the cells of the pancreas that produce insulin. Kids with type 1 diabetes need insulin to help keep their blood sugar levels in a normal range. Type 2 diabetes is different. A person with type 2 diabetes still produces insulin but the body doesn't respond to it normally. Glucose is less able to enter the cells and do its job of supplying energy (a problem called insulin resistance ). This raises the blood sugar level, so the pancreas works hard to make even more insulin. Eventually, this strain can make the pancreas unable to produce enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels normal. People with insulin resistance may or may not develop type 2 diabetes it all depends on whether the pancreas can make enough insulin to keep b Continue reading >>
Parenting Your Teen With Type 1 Diabetes
By Nicole Kofman and Ashley Dartnell Twitter summary: Teenagers + type 1 diabetes = a challenge! Tips from #CWDFFL15 & a parent For most families, “‘adolescence is second only to infancy’ in terms of the upheaval it generates” within a household. Add managing type 1 diabetes into the mix, and things can get complicated. For parents, it can be daunting to balance giving teens space to grow and monitoring a 24/7 condition as dangerous as type 1 diabetes. At CWD’s Friends For Life conference in July, Dr. Jill Weissberg-Benchell and CDEs Natalie Bellini and Marissa Town led a workshop called “Parenting Your Teen with Type 1.” There, they elicited an impressive list of diabetes-specific concerns that parents have regarding their teens, including but not limited to: How can they have the peace of mind of knowing their child is reasonably within range without being a helicopter parent? What will happen when their teen begins to drive and could have a low? How do growth hormones interact with insulin and affect blood sugar? How will alcohol affect diabetes management? What additional steps do people with type 1 diabetes need to take to be prepared for college entrance exams? All that – on top of keeping up with schoolwork and extracurricular activities! We learned some great tips from the experts and parents at this workshop. Plus, we sat down with Ashley Dartnell, a parent of one of diaTribe’s summer associates who has type 1 diabetes, to learn more about her personal experience parenting a teen with type 1 and to gain a unique perspective outside of what we learned from the Friends for Life workshop. Our top five actionable tips for caring for a teen with diabetes 1. Numbers are not a scoreboard. As the all-star team of facilitators shared at the FFL worksho 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
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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Type 2 Diabetes, Once Considered A Disease For Adults, Is Increasingly Common In Tweens And Teens
For years, health experts have bemoaned the rise of childhood obesity in the United States. About 17% of kids and teens in the U.S. are now considered obese, a figure that has more than tripled since the 1970s, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A report in this week’s edition of the New England Journal of Medicine lays out one of the consequences of all this excess weight: a corresponding increase in childhood cases of type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes occurs when extra body fat makes it hard for cells to use insulin, a hormone that turns sugar into energy. Over time, blood sugar levels rise and cause blood vessels to become stiff, increasing the risk of life-threatening conditions like heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure, among others. More than 75,000 Americans die of diabetes each year, the CDC says. Type 2 diabetes used to be called adult-onset diabetes, because it would take years to develop. (That’s in contrast to type 1 diabetes, formerly known as juvenile diabetes, which occurs when the immune system destroys the cells that make insulin.) But these days, doctors are diagnosing type 2 in school-age kids, and occasionally even in toddlers. After reviewing data on 10- to 19-year-olds in primarily five states (California, Colorado, Ohio, South Carolina and Washington), researchers determined that 12.5 out of every 100,000 of them had a bona fide case of type 2 diabetes in 2011 and 2012. That compares with nine cases per 100,000 youth in 2002 and 2003. After accounting for age, gender, race and ethnicity, the study authors found that the incidence of type 2 diabetes in this age group rose by an average of 4.8% per year during the study period. The increase is detailed in this chart, which comes from the CDC. Here are five Continue reading >>
