Signs of diabetes in children: how to recognize the disease and what to do

Diabetes — a disease in which the response of cells to insulin is reduced, and the level of glucose in the blood is constantly elevated. The number of people who suffer from such a violation of metabolic processes is growing every year. Approximately 1-3% of adults and 0.1-0.3% of children on the planet live with this diagnosis. The disease cannot be cured, but you can adapt to it. The main thing is to identify the signs of diabetes in children in time, help them to adapt and live a full life. Let's see how to do it.

• Signs of diabetes in children: how to recognize the disease
• 5 main causes of diabetes in children
• What to do if you have warning symptoms
• The main thing about signs of diabetes in children

Signs of diabetes in children: how to recognize the disease

Diabetes in a child — this is not a judgment. If parents recognize the symptoms in time and help their child build a life taking into account the disease, he will be able to study normally, attend his favorite circles, make friends and fall in love. Yes, a diabetic child will have to learn how to control blood sugar levels, maintain a proper diet, and inject insulin, but all of these skills can be learned.

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The disease progresses rapidly and the child may fall into a diabetic coma. Therefore, it is important to immediately make the correct diagnosis so that the child is not "healed" from non-existent diseases, while the metabolic disorder progresses. The most obvious signs of diabetes in children:

• Urinary incontinence.

  If the child is small, parents may not pay attention to this symptom. But it is important, especially if the polyuria is associated with constant thirst.

• Painful thirst and dry mouth             complaints a feeling of dryness in mouth this is an alarming symptom.

Increased appetite.
• If a child is constantly hungry, it doesn always mean that he is very active. This is how diabetes manifests itself. It is necessary to consult a doctor if the child constantly eats, but at the same time loses weight.

Itching, fungal diseases, pustules.
• With such problems most often turn to a dermatologist, but he is powerless when it comes to diabetes mellitus. You should donate blood for analysis.

Acetone and sugar in urine 
• These test results — good reason to see endocrinologist.

High blood sugar.
• If readings are above 5.5mmol/L, this is a problem.

The symptoms listed are the most common, but this does mean that there are other things to worry about. It is worth going through a medical examination if the child gets tired quickly, does not cope with school loads, often complains of headaches.

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5 main causes of diabetes in children

Most often, diabetes mellitus develops for the following reasons:

Heredity.
• If there are diabetics in the family, the child is at risk, so parents should be on their guard. A  mom during pregnancy should constantly check the level of sugar in blood.

Infections.
• At risk are children who have had rubella, chickenpox, mumps, and viral hepatitis.

Overeating.
• As a rule, children do not know the measures when it comes to fast carbohydrates. They are ready to eat sweets and pastries in kilograms. This is a serious blow to the pancreas. Obesity develops, and then diabetes mellitus.

Inactivity.
• Today's children move little, which leads to weight gain and diabetes. To stimulate the production of insulin, physical activity is needed.

Sometimes diabetes is the result of frequent colds. Weak immunity can cause malfunctions in the pancreas. Therefore, parents of sickly children should control the sugar in their blood.

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What to do if there are warning symptoms

An endocrinologist is involved in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, but it is better to start diagnosing with a visit to a pediatrician. He examines the child, prescribes the necessary tests, and, based on the results of the initial diagnosis, he will refer you to the necessary specialists. It is important not to panic and strictly follow the recommendations of the doctors.

Doctors — normalize the metabolic processes in the  body of the child so that he develops properly and does not feel much discomfort due to illness. There are drugs that can achieve this goal. Also, new painless methods of injecting insulin into the child's body are constantly emerging.

Parents will have to strictly monitor the child's nutrition. The diet and  schedule of eating should be balanced. During breakfast, the child should receive 30% of the total food, for lunch — 40%, during during the afternoon — 20%, and for dinner — twenty%. It is important to monitor the amount of carbohydrates consumed (not more than 400 g per day).

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The main thing about signs of diabetes mellitus in children

Even if there were no diabetics in  your family, pay attention to the condition of the child. Reason for alarm can be:

Child's constant, agonizing thirst.

• Increased appetite against the background of weight loss.

• Skin, fungal diseases.

• Increased blood sugar (more than 5.5mmol/l).
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If you notice at least 1-2 symptoms in a child contact doctor immediately. The disease can develop rapidly.

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How to prevent childhood obesity: 5 recommendations from nutritionists

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