6 Signs of Childhood Diabetes

Diabetes is an increasingly prevalent chronic disease among children. However, recognizing the signs of diabetes is a challenge for most parents. Childhood diabetes might not be recognized until the child is very ill primarily because the changes are usually subtle and the onset is quite slow.

Although discovering that your child is suffering from diabetes can be distressing for any parent, it is better to find out early enough than to miss the signs of diabetes completely.

What are the signs of diabetes in children?

Unquenchable Thirst

Children with undiagnosed diabetes are constantly thirsty. This is mainly because as blood glucose builds up in the bloodstream, more fluid is pulled from the body tissues. Moreover, these children may crave cold drinks and sweets. In case the water in the blood is not sufficient, the body extracts water from surrounding tissues. Therefore, the body becomes dehydrated and the thirst mechanism kicks in.

Frequent Urination

The urge to urinate a lot is one of the most common early signs of childhood diabetes. In this case, your child goes to the restroom more often than normal or starts wetting the bed all of a sudden even though they were toilet trained before.

Since the child is drinking more, they will also visit the restroom more. However, there can be other reasons for frequent urination such as the inability of the child to empty the bladder completely, urinary tract infection, or Daytime Urinary Frequency Syndrome which is formally known as Pollakiuria.

Rapid Loss in Weight

This is an extreme symptom of diabetes in children mainly because children rarely lose weight. In this case, the child still loses weight even when they continuously consume plenty of food. Weight loss is usually caused by an inadequate supply of energy in the body. Therefore, the body extracts energy from reserved fat stores.

Besides making the immune system weaker, excessive weight loss in children might also result in weakness and tired feelings. Drastic weight loss in children is a very dangerous sign whether diabetes is involved or not and the child should be taken to the doctor immediately.

Yeast Infection

Excessive weight loss makes the immune system weaker and prone to plenty of infections. The child might develop rashes on the skin due to yeast infection. Therefore, it is vital to give your child plenty of water to drink and feed him/her a healthy diet.

Extreme Hunger

A child suffering from diabetes might eat constantly without gaining weight. This can be attributed to the inability of the body to utilize food and in effect, the food simply flows through the child’s digestive system.

Blurred Vision

The decreased level of fluid in the blood and body tissues including the eye lenses might create vision difficulties. This might cause various eyesight problems including blurred vision. Unfortunately, the child might be unable to detect or even complain about problems with their eyesight.

Untreated diabetes might have serious consequences for the child. Some of the short-term risks include hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), and increased ketones in the urine (ketone acidosis).

Some of the lifelong or long-term risks include; nerve and vascular damage, amputations, blindness, and increased risk of stroke and heart attack. Besides identifying the signs of diabetes in children, it is also the parents’ responsibility to ensure that the child gets a proper diagnosis and also takes medication as instructed by the doctor.

Other Signs of Childhood Diabetes

A breath that smells sweet and like fruit is one of the warning signs of childhood diabetes. This symptom can also be sneaky in that it may be explained as absent from the fruity flavored toothpaste that youngsters use as of late or from the nutritious fruit snacks that they’re fed.

The sweet scent of their breath is really a consequence of diabetic ketoacidosis, which is the body’s attempt to get rid of acetone through the respiratory system.

Sweet-smelling breath is often a signal that poisonous ketones (acid by-products of fats being broken down for power) are constructing up inside the entire body. This symptom out of many signs of childhood diabetes is really an indicator that they urgently need diabetes medication.

Get Childhood Diabetes under Control!

Good eating habits and regular exercise, even for your children (and for yourselves as role models) goes a very long way to stabilizing Childhood Diabetes.

Facts On Type 1 Diabetes

Information on type 1 Diabetes isn’t hard to come by nowadays with an entire world of information available on the internet with just a few strokes of the keyboard and clicks of the mouse. Not only is information on type 1 diabetes easier to obtain than ever before, but it also could not have come at a better time as the incidence of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are certainly on the rise.

Diabetes affects almost 30 million people in the United States alone. Type 2 diabetes accounts for approximately 90% to 95% of the diagnosed cases of diabetes and type 1 diabetes accounts for approximately 5% of the diagnosed cases.

Over the last 20 years or so, the number of diagnosed cases of diabetes in adults has actually doubled as the population in America ages and unfortunately becomes more and more overweight.

So What Causes Type 1 Diabetes?

First of all, diabetes type 1 is not a lifestyle disease. The cause of Type 1 diabetes is unknown and so as a result, it’s not considered preventable.

Some researchers believe that type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease and is characterized by the pancreas not producing insulin, producing it in insufficient quantities, or the cells of the body not responding to the insulin that is produced – the pancreas by the body’s own immune system.

Type 1 diabetes usually manifests itself during childhood or early adulthood, and if not properly cared for, can be quite devastating. Since the body either does not produce or does not respond to insulin, the glucose that is taken in as food can rapidly build in the bloodstream to dangerous levels.

Even though glucose is required by every cell in the body as fuel at higher levels it begins to damage organs and tissues and can cause a variety of negative health effects including coma and even death.

Because of this, the key to the proper management of diabetes is glucose control. Glucose levels are controlled either by dietary means or through the use of medications, or both.

It is therefore a real blessing that organizations like the American Diabetic Association exist, where a person can get actual and factual information on type 1 diabetes and also on type 2 diabetes.

If you think you or someone you know may have signs or symptoms of type 1 diabetes the best place to start is at your personal physician.

How are you diagnosed with diabetes type 1?

The main screening test for type 1 diabetes is a random blood sugar test. This test measures glucose levels at any point during the day and can indicate the result quite quickly – especially important for those who are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and need urgent supplementary insulin.

2. The AC1 test gives a reading of the patient’s average blood glucose levels over a period of 2 or 3 months.

3. Fasting Blood sugar test. This is when a sample of blood is taken and tested after your child has been fasting overnight.

4. You may have your blood tested for autoantibodies which are substances that indicate your body may be attacking itself. Another indication of diabetes type 1 is the production of ketones which are produced when your body burns fat for energy. Your doctor may recommend this test also if he suspects diabetes type 1.

Your personal physician can do these tests for the disease quickly and easily.

How long can you live with diabetes type 1?

Research has shown that people with type 1 diabetes have a life expectancy of around 11 years less than average, most people who have type 1 diabetes will eventually die from the complications of the disease such as heart disease.

If you can look after your body, follow a healthy lifestyle that helps prevent heart disease, and keep control of your blood sugar levels, these figures above may certainly change.

Is diabetes type 1 a genetic disease? (Can it be inherited)

Yes, there are strong genetic links with diabetes type 1. The risk is certainly higher with one’s first-degree relatives ie parents, child, or sibling.

What is the best food for type 1 diabetes?

If you have diabetes type 1, you should eat a lot of fresh vegetables, fruits, lentils, beans, brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, and whole wheat. You should also include protein-packed foods such as legumes, eggs, dairy, tofu, seafood, lean meat, and chicken in your healthy meal plan.

Tips for when you eat out, with diabetes type 1

Always ask for sauces to be served on the side – so then you have a choice as to whether you add it, how much to add, or leave it off altogether.

Opt for broiled, baked grilled, or roasted dishes and avoid fried dishes altogether.
Go for the ‘broth-based soups’ as opposed to rich creamy soups.
Try and avoid too much cheese – If you can go without it, even better.
Go for fruit sorbets or fresh fruits for dessert.
Have vegetable or tomato toppings on your pasta.

Read more about Juvenile Diabetes Here!

Life Expectancy with Type 1 Diabetes

An overview of how diabetes type 1 impacts your lifespan and how to naturally remedy it.

Diabetes, no matter what the type, is never a good thing health-wise. Those who suffer from it are left vulnerable to a host of other ailments and diseases that affect their overall life expectancy. Though prevention, by living healthy, is always the best course of action, those who are afflicted with diabetes should know that this isn’t the end of the road.

With the right information, a good treatment plan, and full-proof determination to get healthy: life expectancy and quality will improve sooner than one might realize.

Type 1 Diabetes

Also known as juvenile diabetes, this is the kind of diabetes that occurs through genetic complications or even viruses. It is known to afflict the young or adolescents but can arise in adults too.

It is caused by the inability of the pancreas to produce enough insulin – a hormone needed to allow glucose to enter cells and create energy. Though there is currently no known cure for type 1 diabetes, a combination of insulin shots and a healthy diet can effectively manage the condition and live normally.

Life Expectancy of those with Type One Diabetes

Much of the factors that affect the life expectancy surrounding those with type one diabetes is the maintenance of proper insulin and sugar levels in the body constantly. This means rigorously watching what one eats and safeguarding the supply of insulin.

This gets even more complicated when one considers the financial strain that treatment puts on a person. Some people with diabetes simply cannot afford to pay for the cost of insulin.

These along with environmental and dietary factors can greatly reduce the life expectancy of a person dealing with type 1 diabetes. In a 2015 report by HealthDay News, men lose up to 11 years of life expectancy compared to men without the disease. And, women with type 1 diabetes have their lives cut short by about 13 years. This comes off the heels of a study published in the Jan. 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

How To Deal With It

As stated above, there is currently no known cure for type 1 diabetes though the research continues. There are, however, several proven methods to effectively manage the disease and live life as normally as possible. These treatments include:

Taking insulin. This is the main course of action and, sadly, insulin shots will likely be a necessity for the rest of the afflicted’s life.
Carbohydrate, fat, and protein counting. This makes sure that the levels of sugars in your body are optimal. Anything excessive or deficient can lead to complications.
Frequent blood sugar monitoring. Also part of ensuring the optimal levels of glucose in the body.

Natural Remedies

Apart from the normal medical advice, some natural remedies are shown to help or be just as effective. These can include:

Aloe vera.
Bilberry extract.
Bitter melon.
Cinnamon.
Fenugreek.
Ginger.
Okra.

These herbs and natural remedies can either be consumed through eating or in the form of tea depending on where they best lend themselves. Along with these, be sure you’re eating healthy foods. A balanced diet that avoids any junk foods, fast foods, or sugary treats helps manage the symptoms and extend life expectancy as much as possible.

Another perfectly natural way to deal with it is by exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight. All this should be part of the overall plan to give a person with type 1 diabetes as many resources to live as long and normally as possible.

Bottom line

And that was the life expectancy of a person with type 1 diabetes along with some advice on how to best manage it. Though it might seem that type 1 diabetes is a lifelong sentence, it should not be a lifelong burden.

Many people have come to live long and fulfilling lives with the disease and there really should be any reason why you can’t do the same.

Armed with the remedies that nature can provide, good information, and a little determination, there’s no doubt type 1 diabetes doesn’t stand a chance against you.

Read more about Juvenile diabetes HERE!

How Vitamin D can Help Juvenile Diabetics

Vitamin D is well known for its critical role in regulating skeletal metabolism. Recently, there has been speculation regarding whether the levels of vitamin D in the body are associated with juvenile diabetes.

This is largely because vitamin D receptors are present in immune cells and insulin-producing beta cells, as well as the impact of vitamin D on autoimmunity and the immune system in general.

According to recent studies, children with low levels of vitamin D are at a higher risk of developing islet autoimmunity, compared to those with higher levels. Islet autoimmunity is a condition where the immune system is unable to distinguish foreign elements from healthy cells and starts mistakenly attacking insulin-producing beta cells.

A study conducted by the Colorado School of Public Health shows that high levels of Vitamin D in the blood might play a preventive role against autoimmunity.

Type 1 diabetes can occur at any age. However, onset is most common during childhood. Statistics obtained from the American Diabetes Association show that around 1.25 people in the U.S have type 1 diabetes.

Vitamins D2 and D3 in the body are converted into calcidiol, a metabolite that is in turn metabolized into calcitriol. In the body, calcitriol is mainly responsible for helping prevent or suppress autoimmunity.

Studies suggest that Type 1 Diabetes can be partially attributed to damaged islet beta cells as a result of the immune system attacking itself. This promotes the hypothesis that vitamin D can help manage and prevent juvenile diabetes by regulating autoimmune responses.

The Relationship Between Vitamin D, Type 1 Diabetes, and Genes

Vitamin D is commonly known as the “sunshine vitamin”, because the sun is the main source of it. It is also present in various foods including, fatty fish, egg yolks, and cheese. Vitamin D is also available as a supplement.

Although studies show that vitamin D supplementation might help prevent and manage type 1 diabetes, the answer is not quite that simple. Your unique combination of genes could determine whether vitamin D supplementation will help prevent type 1 diabetes. The relationship between type 1 diabetes and vitamin D is influenced by enzymes involved in the metabolism of vitamin D, vitamin D binding protein, and genes for vitamin D receptors. As a result, responsiveness to supplementation with vitamin D varies depending on your genetic makeup.

Vitamin D and Diabetes – What Does Research Say?

Numerous studies have proven that supplementation with vitamin D especially during early childhood can help decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes. According to a Norwegian study, high levels of vitamin D particularly during the last trimester of pregnancy help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in offspring.

According to data compiled by Grassroots Health (a health research organization), infants who are given 4000 IU/day have a significantly lower incidence of type 1 diabetes.

However, the results have inconsistencies. A Finnish study on newborns showed that the concentration of vitamin D at birth was not linked with the risk of developing type 1 diabetes later in life.

Such inconsistent results can be attributed to the specific roles played by metabolism genes in the development of type 1 diabetes as a result of islet autoimmunity. For instance, according to a Norwegian study, a higher level of vitamin D in the blood at birth was linked to a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes in newborns with a specific genetic composition.

What are the 6 Signs of Juvenile Diabetes?

Can Vitamin D Supplementation Help Juvenile Diabetics?

Vitamin D supplementation would most likely have the best impact if done preventively. However, even for people who have already been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, supplementation could help make them healthier and reduce the risk of developing other life-threatening or chronic conditions.

What’s next?

The relationship between type 1 diabetes and vitamin D is complicated by many different factors.

Therefore, further long-term studies with different dosing schedules should be conducted, while taking into account various factors such as individual genetic receptiveness to vitamin D and specific populations of juvenile diabetes patients.

Currently, various studies are being conducted with the main goal of identifying factors that protect against type 2 diabetes and those that trigger the condition. All these studies are also examining the effects of vitamin D supplementation. Recent findings suggest that higher levels of vitamin D during childhood can help prevent islet autoimmunity.

If more clinical studies can confirm a defensive role of vitamin D in type 1 diabetes, it will have a huge impact on the lives of predisposed people as well as those who have already been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes.

The positive impact will be realized particularly through regular monitoring of vitamin D levels and supplementation.

Is Type 1 Diabetes Hereditary?

Is Type 1 diabetes hereditary is a question that a growing number of people are asking.

This is especially true now that diabetes rates are increasing each and every day, and as of now juvenile diabetes is fast becoming the single biggest chronic health problem faced by the modern population of young people. The answer to is type 1 diabetes hereditary isn’t always apparent and studies have been going on for years to answer the question and yet a clear answer is not forthcoming as doctors, scientists, and analysts struggle to find the single greatest causative factor for the disease in the hopes that once the cause is found a cure will soon follow. Diabetes may well be genetically induced and if so then the defective gene may be some day isolated so that prenatal diagnosis can be made and perhaps a cure found through gene therapy and or in-vitro treatments. Though as of this writing such types of therapy belong in the realms of science fiction rather than in the realm of what is medically possible with the limited amount of knowledge and technology available today.

For many people the question is type 1 diabetes hereditary is one that is asked when they or a family member has the disease and they want to know the chances of passing it on to their children, either before having children or in order to be more vigilant for symptoms in the children they already have. It does seem that there is an increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes if a parent, especially the father has the disease, and an even greater chance if a sibling has it. When a person asks themselves is type 1 diabetes hereditary they should remember that even though there may be an increased risk of the disease in those with close family who have the disease there is absolutely no guarantee that they or their offspring will ever develop diabetes.