Teens And Diabetes

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 >>

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 >>

Teen Mom Diabetes

ObjectivesOn completion of this module, learners will: Recognize the common complications of teen pregnancy and pregnancy with Type 1 diabetes mellitus Be able to create appropriate treatment and nutrition guidance for pregnant adolescents with Type 1 diabetes mellitus Assess the unique nutritional requirements of the exercising teenage female and relatedness to menstrual and bone abnormalities Appreciate both risks of Gestational Diabetes and Type 2 diabetes mellitus in teenage pregnancy, and importance of early prepregnancy/contraception counseling for diabetic adolescents This mini-module addresses unique characteristics of diabetes in teen pregnancy. It integrates material from Part IV Section 5f, Type 1 DM and 6c, Type 2 DM with additional information from the references provided below. The principle sources addressing the specific implications of diabetes mellitus in pregnant adolescents are: Carmody D, Doyle A, Firth RG, et al. Teenage pregnancy in type 1 diabetes mellitus. Pediatric Diabetes March 2010; 11(2):111-115 Karcaaltincaba D, Buyukkaragoz B, Kandemir O. Gestational diabetes and gestational impaired glucose tolerance in 1653 teenage pregnancies: prevalence, risk factors and pregnancy outcomes. Journal of Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology. April 2011; 24(2):62-65. The work of Lenders and Scholl has informed many of the Teacher's Guide modules. A work of theirs used in preparation of this one is: Lenders CM, McElrath TF, Scholl TO. Nutrition in adolescent pregnancy. Current Opinion in Pediatrics from [email protected]. June 2000; 12(3):291-296. Teen pregnancy has been on a steady decline over the past few decades and as of 2011, women of age 15-19 had a live birth rate of 31.3 per 1,000 women, which is an 8% drop since 2010.(1) Despite the decline, the United Continue reading >>

Diabetes

Over 18 million people in the United States, or 6 percent of the population, have diabetes. While an estimated 13 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, 5.2 million people (or nearly one-third) are unfortunately unaware that they have the disease, according to the American Diabetes Association. Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin – a hormone that is necessary to convert sugar, starches, and other food into energy needed for daily life. The cause of the disease is not known exactly, except that genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles. Types of Diabetes There are two major types of diabetes: Type 1. An autoimmune disease in which the body does not produce any insulin, most often occurring in children and young adults. People with type 1 diabetes must take daily insulin injections to stay alive. Type 1 diabetes accounts for five to 10 percent of all cases. Type 2. A metabolic disorder resulting from the body's inability to make enough, or properly use, insulin. It is the most common form of the disease. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 to 95 percent of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is nearing epidemic proportions, due to an increased number of older Americans, and a greater prevalence of obesity and sedentary lifestyles. Complications from diabetes include heart disease, stroke, vision loss/blindness, amputation, and kidney disease. Back to top Diabetes is sometimes called the "silent killer" because the signs of the disease are not always dramatic. They may not even be noticeable. In fact, the American Diabetes Association estimates that millions of Americans have type 2 diabetes and are not even aware of it. If you notice any of the symptoms below, you should see your docto Continue reading >>

Resources For Children And Teens

When children or teens have diabetes, it is most often type 1 diabetes. However, type 2 diabetes is becoming more common in young people. Learn more about the differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and find out how to lower the risk of your child or teen getting type 2 diabetes. Youth and Teens NDEP offers information about diabetes in children and teens as well as tools and resources to help them manage their diabetes. Managing Diabetes at School Playbook Resources to help parents make a game plan for their child’s diabetes care at school. Diabetes Resources for Schools Students with diabetes are more likely to succeed in school when the student’s school health team and the student’s personal diabetes health care team work together. Transitions: From Pediatric to Adult Health Care Transitioning from teenage years to adulthood can be stressful for teens with diabetes and their families. Visit this website to find materials to help teens with diabetes make a smooth transition to adult health care. Eagle Books The Eagle Books for children and youth were developed by CDC’s Native Diabetes Wellness Program in collaboration with the Tribal Leaders Diabetes Committee and the Indian Health Service. They use stories to teach about the joy of physical activity, eating healthy foods, and traditional ways of being healthy. Continue reading >>

Mother Shares Her Child's Struggle With Type 1 Diabetes

This was me in high shool, but it extended through college. My college experience was a bad one as a result. In retrospect, I ended up with a math degree from an ivy league school, and have no complcations, but I nonetheless feel like I threw away four years of my life feeling awful, physically and emotionally, and I have no way of getting them back.I don't have any advice though...I knew what to do, I kept trying to make fresh starts, I just couldn't make myself do it. How honest !- Thank you for opening the door to conversation between parents, between parents and children, and for raising awareness that we must stay aware of and involved in our adolescent's diabetes care. Moira, this is an amazing post. And not just for moms and dads of T1s! As a PWD, I can say that - at 31 years old, after 16 years with T1 - I struggle every single day to find that balance between self-care and freedom. It's the biggest problem I think diabetics face, and is why doctors all cluck their tongues about "compliance."When you never get a break from something like this, when you never get a day off or a moment to think about something else (because the D is always, always, always there), it is hard to maintain the energy and commitment required to take care of yourself. The diabetes wagon is horrifically slippery - I know I've spent all these years hopping on it and falling right back off. It's work. It's not fun. It can be draining. And I know I can have a lot of resentment about the fact that this is what I have to spend a lot of my time and emotional energy on.Thanks for your post - Lauren sounds like a smart, tough cookie, and that's half the battle. I'm the father of an 8 year old and I am not sitting here clucking my tongue. On the contrary I feel your pain and am fully aware I hav 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 >>

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 >>

Diabetes - Issues For Children And Teenagers

On this page: Diabetes mellitus (diabetes) is a chronic and potentially life-threatening condition characterised by the body losing its ability to produce insulin or beginning to produce or use insulin less efficiently. People living with type 1 diabetes must inject insulin regularly, as must some people with type 2 diabetes. Many people with type 2 diabetes can manage their condition with careful diet, exercise and regular testing. Until recently almost all children and teenagers with diabetes had type 1, but now younger people are getting type 2 diabetes due to increasing rates of obesity and being overweight. Children or teenagers who have recently been diagnosed with diabetes may struggle with their emotional reactions to their condition and the reactions of others, and have concerns about going back to school. Teenagers with diabetes may also worry about things like negotiating sex, drinking alcohol, smoking and illicit drugs. A child and their family will need a period of adjustment after diabetes is diagnosed. They must establish a routine for blood glucose monitoring and injecting, learn how to count carbohydrates, see diabetes health professionals regularly and cope with fluctuating blood glucose levels. New challenges may arise as a child moves through different life stages. Reactions to a diagnosis of diabetes A child or teenager newly diagnosed with diabetes will have a range of reactions and emotions. Common reactions experienced by children and their parents include shock, denial, anger, sadness, fear and guilt. These feelings usually subside with time and appropriate support. Common responses to a diagnosis of diabetes include: anxiety about the condition fear of needles and multiple injections a feeling of being overwhelmed by injecting and other tasks t Continue reading >>

Type 1 Diabetes In Children And Teens

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a disease that is marked by the bodys inability to manufacture insulin. Without insulin, the body cannot process the glucose from the food we eat. The result is that glucose levels rise dangerously high which can lead to a variety of serious health problems. There is currently no cure for run-of-the-mill diabetes with no complications, but the disease can be managed with daily doses of insulin. Type 1 diabetes is scary for parents of newly diagnosed children and their parents. The disease is unfortunately, all too common. Each year, some 13,000 children are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in the United States, alone. Theres no magic wand to wave type 1 diabetes away, but the disease can be controlled and managed, with careful attention. Diabetes affects the way the body uses glucose, which is a type of sugar in the blood. Glucose is a byproduct of the food we eat. Most people use this glucose as the main source of energy to fuel the various functions of the body. After eating a meal, the body breaks down food into nutrients, such as glucose. These nutrients are released into your bloodstream by way of the gastrointestinal tract. This causes the level of glucose in the blood to rise after a meal. In healthy people, this rise in the level of glucose, or blood sugar, tells the pancreas to make a hormone called insulin, and to release this hormone into the bloodstream. In people with type 1 diabetes, however, the body stops making insulin. This makes it impossible for the body to get energy from glucose-producing foods, without help. Since the body cant use glucose without insulin, glucose remains in the bloodstream, with blood levels of glucose rising higher each time food is eaten. An easy way to understand the role of insulin is to think of it as 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 >>

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 >>

These Intimate Photos Capture The Painful Experience Of Teens Living With Diabetes

Parents can ask, "How do you feel today?" Friends can ask, "Does it hurt to use a needle?" But only a young person living with juvenile diabetes — they make up 5 percent of Americans who have diabetes — intimately understands what it feels like to live with constant reminders of your fragility or dread lunchroom encounters with cakes, juices, and sodas. Researchers at the University of Florida Department of Health Outcomes & Policy gave disposable cameras to 40 patients with Type 1 diabetes, ages 12 to 19, in an effort to improve patient care by gaining insight into the patient experience. The stories and photos patients shared — and what researchers learned along the way Most pediatric patient studies rely on the use of direct, closed-ended questions, but this study is very different: researchers allowed patients to document themselves in an open-ended manner, "capturing the voice" of patients who prompted themselves proactively. Instructions to participants began as such: "You know better than anyone what it is like to live with diabetes, and your involvement in this study will allow us to better understand your experiences." Quotations, descriptions, and photos are courtesy of the University of Florida and shared by permission. Pictures are worth a thousand needle pricks The most common pictures were of diabetes supplies, with 88 percent of youth taking at least one picture of needles, syringes, meters, pumps, insulin, ketone strips, test kits and other materials for managing diabetes. The accompanying captions focused mainly on the unavoidable presence of these supplies in the youths’ lives and the annoyance surrounding that fact. Gender role expectations for teenagers are displayed through coping mechanisms Male youth took more pictures of food and fewer pi 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 >>