Diabetes is a growing problem throughout the world. With our population at an all time high in weight gain and a low in health care, the problem is only growing. It is a disease of the metabolism. Our metabolism is what the way our bodies use digested food for energy and growth.
Majority of food that is processed through our bodies is broken down by digestive juices into a sugar called glucose. Glucose is the fuel our bodies to run on. When we eat, and our food is processed, the pancreas is supposed to produce the right amount of glucose from our blood automatically and release the right amount of insulin into our blood.
In people with diabetes, little to no insulin is produced or the body's cells do not respond correctly to the insulin that is produced. So the glucose builds up and overflows into the urine and passes out of the body. This is how the body loses its main source of fuel even though the bloodstream has good amounts of the natural glucose.
There are three types of diabetes, type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes. People who have type 1 are known as insulin-dependent. It is an autoimmune disease where the body's natural system is fighting against another part of the body. In the case of type 1 diabetes, the system attacks the insulin producing cells and ruins them. Thus the pancreas can produce little to no insulin. These people are in need of daily injections of insulin to live. Five to ten percent of diabetes cases are type 1 in the US.
Diabetes In Children
Diabetes in children is known as juvenile diabetes, but more commonly known as type 1 diabetes. It is the most common form of diabetes in children with ninety to ninety-five percent who have it being under 16.
Juvenile diabetes is caused by non-capability of the pancreas to produce insulin. It is an autoimmune disease, which means the bodies own defense system attacks the body's tissues or organs.
In the last 30 years the number of juvenile diabetes cases jumped three times over and in Europe and the US we are now seeing type 2 diabetes in children for the first time.
Obesity easily explains type 2, but not why there is such increase in type 1 diabetes in children. It is believed that a mixture of genetics and environmental factors are what cause juvenile diabetes. But the majority of children don' t have a family history of diabetes.
The symptoms for juvenile diabetes are the same as in adults. A person with a potential diabetes illness experiences thirst, weight loss, fatigue, frequent urination is typical, but diabetes in children can also increase stomach pains, headaches and behavior problems. Doctors should consider the possibility of diabetes in children who have unexplained stomach pains for a few weeks, along with the typical symptoms.
If you are skeptic your child may be experiencing these symptoms you should schedule them for an appropriate examination and tell your doctor what you suspect your child may have. Be sure to tell them about any and all symptoms your child may be experiencing.
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