If your child shows indications of type 1 diabetes, don’t wait to visit a doctor. Get your kid tested immediately to make sure they don’t have the blood sugar disease. Here’s what to watch out for.
Did you know that most children who are diagnosed with diabetes do not share the disease with another family member? As a consequence parents are often stunned by the diagnosis.
Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed during childhood, and there is nothing a parent can do to it. However, here are certain tell-tale signs that your child might be struggling with the disease. Being aware of these symptoms can prevent a serious complication called diabetic ketoacidosis, a phenomenon that occurs when the body runs out of insulin to process sugar and begins breaking down fat instead.
If your child shows indications of type 1 diabetes, don’t wait to visit a doctor. Get your kid tested immediately to make sure they don’t have the blood sugar disease. Here’s what to watch out for.
Unquenchable thirst
Constant thirst plagues kids with undiagnosed type 1 diabetes. When a diabetic’s blood-glucose level rises, fluid is drawn from their body tissues. As a consequence, your child may continually be craving sweet, cold drinks.
Frequent urination
So if your child is drinking a lot more fluids it only stands to reason that he will be in the bathroom more. If your child has to urinate frequently, diabetes may be the underlying reason behind it.
Weight loss
If a child’s metabolism can’t use the energy from sugar, he or she may experience muscle mass and fat loss. When a child with undiagnosed type 1 diabetes loses weight it is often described as sudden and rapid.
Lack of energy
Because your child is unable to transform the sugar in his or her bloodstream into the energy that growing muscles and organs require, a child may appear more sluggish than usual.
Intense hunger
Once deprived of energy due to low insulin, extreme hunger may follow a child around.
Changes in eyesight
When high glucose levels cause fluids to be drawn from tissue, that includes the tissue of the eye lenses. Blurred vision or other eyesight problems may occur. ‘
Yeast infections
Yeast infections in girls with type 1 diabetes may occur. In the cases of a baby or toddler, a yeast infection may manifest as very bad diaper rash.
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
When the body runs out of insulin to break down sugar, it begins to consume fat for energy instead. This results in a buildup of acidic byproducts called ketones. Signs your child is in crisis may include vomiting, stomach pain, fast breathing, flushed face, fruity breath odour, and fatigue. DKA can progress rapidly and result in death, but it is preventable. Awareness is the key to ensure that DKA is averted.
