The
symptoms of juvenile diabetes, also known as Type 1 diabetes, and Type 2 diabetes are extremely similar, but the
two are caused by very different bodily malfunctions. It is
important to know which type the individual is afflicted
with in order to provide the right treatment, which also
varies between types.
Juvenile
diabetes is an as of now incurable (but treatable!)
autoimmune disease in which the body is somehow triggered to
attack innocent, insulin-producing cells in the pancreas
called beta cells. (Medical professionals suspect the
triggers may be hereditary or environmental, but have no
conclusive evidence.) Juvenile diabetes is almost always
first diagnosed in children, teenagers, or young adults. A
person with juvenile diabetes has the right amount of
glucose, the body's main fuel, in his system, but lacks
insulin, which carries glucose throughout the bloodstream.
Without insulin, the body cannot be fueled, and essentially
begins to waste away.
If
your child has diabetes, he may display a host of tell-tale
symptoms. One of the most noticeable juvenile diabetes
symptoms is increased urination. The body is still producing
glucose, but since insulin isn't transporting the glucose to
the appropriate cells, it amasses. The kidneys attempt to
resolve the problem by getting rid of the extra sugar the
glucose build-up leaves, which causes frequent urges to
urinate.
Increased
thirst is another important symptom that parents usually
assume accounts for their child's increased urination.
Unfortunately, the real explanation for their child's sudden
inability to drink enough is the fact that he is constantly
letting anything he drinks out of his body via urination.
Children
with juvenile diabetes are often constantly hungry no matter
how much they eat, since without insulin to carry their
body's fuel source, glucose, they are technically never
actually “fed.”
Another
telling symptom of juvenile diabetes is significant weight
loss. Since people with Type 2 diabetes tend to be
overweight, diabetes is usually associated with weight gain,
but with Type 1 diabetes, circumstances are just the
opposite. The child in question is not receiving any fuel in
the form of glucose, so the body has nothing to create fat
from. His appetite increases monstrously, but his weight
drops at an entirely disproportionate rate – distinct
potential warning signs of Type 1 diabetes.
Other
symptoms logically stemming from those listed above but not
necessarily present in children with juvenile diabetes
include fatigue, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting,
confusion, a peculiar fruity type of odor in the breath,
absence of menstruation in girls, and bed-wetting. Parents
should be especially concerned when children who normally
don't wet the bed at all begin to do so quite frequently.
Juvenile
diabetes is a very serious, chronic disease that must be
treated immediately. Do not try to excuse frequent thirst
and hunger as the natural cravings of a growing child,
especially when paired with any of the above symptoms. The
onset of juvenile diabetes is extremely fast, and can be
deadly, so the instant you suspect something is amiss with
your child, get him screened by a professional and, if
needed, properly treated without delay.
