Symptoms Of Diabetes In Children

A six-year-old boy at my little one’s school who is a kid if a family friend underwent a series of stomach-related tests last month to rule out a possibility of intestinal infection. The reports showed nothing. The family panicked about his constant complaints of severe abdominal pain. Finally, on the suggestions of the doctor did the parents got his blood-sugar tests done and the result was shocking! He has what is called type 1 diabetes (earlier termed as juvenile diabetes). I was surprised? How could a little child get diabetes? What are the symptoms of diabetes in children? Will my children have it? So many questions slithered through my mind.

According to a 2014 report, in India over 50,000 children under the age of 15 were suffering from type 1 diabetes. Another 40,000 were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and this figure has been growing at the rate of 5% year on year. Diabetes is no more an age-related health condition. It is because type 1 diabetes has become extremely common in children and teens. 

Take a look at some of the most common symptoms in children for diabetes! Also, find out the easiest way to manage it. Read on to know more…

What is Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes?

An autoimmune disease in which the pancreas, a hormone that helps in the absorption of glucose, or sugar by the body’s cells for energy, does not make insulin. Even though type 1 is the most common diabetes to happens in children, type 2 is also catching up!

Type 2 diabetes (previously called adult-onset diabetes) happens when there is insulin resistance in the body, this is common in old age). It is now becoming common in the younger lot, especially children who are obese or have a family history. 

Children with type 1 diabetes need to be dependent on insulin. However, with type 2 diabetes, proper control over your child’s diet, lots of physical activity/ exercise, etc. can eventually keep it at bay. Maybe controlled with diet and exercise.

How to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes in children?

• Maintaining a healthy weight is a crucial step towards lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes
• Daily physical activity (from yoga to jog to any other exercise form that your child fancies)
• Offering small portions of healthy food instead of large three-course meals
• Binge eating is a no-no. Also, try and encourage the child to take walks post meal-time.

Symptoms of diabetes in children: 

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes in children develop rapidly over a short period of time, say a few weeks. Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, shows its symptoms over a longer period of time. It often goes undiagnosed for months, leading up to years. Here are some of the symptoms of diabetes observed in children:

• Increase in the levels of thirst/ hunger
• Frequent urination
• Extreme fatigue
• Blurred vision (not a sure-shot symptom)
• Yeast infection (more common in girls)
• For those with type 1 diabetes, weight loss is often common
• For those with type 2 diabetes, appearance of dark patches on the skin and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in girls

The unfortunate part of the story for the parents who have children suffering from type 1 diabetes is that there’s no cure for it. However, if they identify the symptoms of diabetes in children, they can manage it really well. The most important tip on how to ensure the disease is not affecting your child’s day-to-day life is to regularly monitor the blood glucose level.

One such blood-glucose monitoring device that has definitely sorted the life of parents, as well as children suffering from diabetes, is Alere G1.

Glucose monitoring device: Alere G1

This blood-glucose monitoring device is so easy to use that it’s actually a child’s play. Even a 7-year old (initially with some assistance) can easily go about taking the reading on his own. Click here to know how to take a reading using Alere G1 in just 5 simple steps. 

It is absolutely possible to have a healthy and fuller life. Managing diabetes can be easy with the use of an accurate monitoring tool such as Alere G1, which is easily available online. The best part about Alere G1 is that is auto-coded and has a special strip ejector for disposal of used strip straight in the dustbin. It helps to prevent infections and promotes hygiene. A diabetic patient tends to spend most of his or her money buying strips. The brand understands this pain and that’s why there are different packs (with  25, 50, and 100 strips) made available in the market and online shopping sites. In fact, the USP of the brand is super high accuracy when we compare it with any other brand at the lowest test strip price! 

If you find this post about symptoms of diabetes in children worth a share, please go ahead and let your friends read this too! Do remember that knowledge empowers. Due to the lack of awareness, a lot of us don’t even realize what the real issue is until it’s too late. Let us encourage our kids to lead a healthy lifestyle. Diabetes is not the end of the world. We just need the best of the best accurate diabetes managing-monitoring tools and a lot of motivation to win over this battle! Click here to purchase it online!