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types of diabetes
Juvenile Diabetes |
Juvenile Diabetes Juvenile diabetes occurs in childhood.
It is also known as type 1 diabetes.
In juvenile diabetes, the child has to take insulin dosage / injections from childhood. Hence it is called insulin-dependent diabetes.
In juvenile diabetes, the body produces little or no insulin. Therefore, glucose gets deposited in the body and the rest is excreted from the body through urine.
Although juvenile diabetes generally occurs in children and adults upto 30 years of age, it may also be seen in older people.
The exact cause of juvenile diabetes is still unknown.
The symptoms of insulin-dependent diabetes are frequent urination and thirst, tiredness & fatigue, nausea and vomiting, increased appetite and hunger, weight loss, blurred vision/ eyesight, abdominal pain and absence of menstruation in case of women. Sometimes due to severe symptoms the patient may also be hospitalized to bring down the blood glucose levels.
Urine analysis test determines the glucose and ketones in the urine. This test cannot be relied upon completely so a blood test for juvenile diabetes must be undertaken. Fasting blood glucose test diagnoses juvenile diabetes if the blood sugar level is more than or equivalent to 126 mg/dL.
In Non-fasting blood glucose test if the blood sugar level of 200 mg/dL may have chances of juvenile diabetes. But this has to be confirmed by doing a fasting blood glucose test. C-peptide test is considered one of the most reliable tests. If the levels of C-peptide in the blood are found out to be negligible or low, then it is juvenile diabetes.
In the Insulin test, zero or low levels of insulin is positive for juvenile diabetes.
A Diet plan should be taken from a registered dietician. There should be balance between the diet and the insulin to be taken. In case of ketoacidosis, consult a doctor immediately and get the urine test done to identify the level of ketones. Ketoacidosis is the condition wherein the amount of ketones is very high in the body, which can also turn out to be poisonous.
The symptoms for ketoacidosis are nausea, vomiting, dry skin and flushed face, stomachache, etc. If left unattended, ketoacidosis can lead to coma or even death. Insulin has to be injected into the body everyday. Another extremely important point is to balance the amount of insulin and glucose in the body.
Parents can learn to give injections to kids since it is required to do so atleast 1 – 4 times per day. Regular exercise is required for obese or overweight people who have juvenile diabetes. Learning to check the sugar levels by self or family members is essential to have a constant report. Special care of any injuries/ infections especially in the feet needs to be taken. This is because in juvenile diabetes wounds get healed very slowly. Excessive care may also result in low blood sugar level (hypoglycemia). In case of dizziness, weakness, headache, sweating, nervousness take some sugar, milk, fruit juices to immediately recover.
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