If you are a smart parent, you will want to know all you can about the symptoms of diabetes in children. Today, even children are not exempt from diabetes. Popularly known as juvenile diabetes, it can make the life of a child very uncomfortable and that is why it is important that you know as many of the symptoms as possible so that you can take action as soon as you notice any of the symptoms, even the mildest ones. It is also important that one know some facts about juvenile diabetes. In most cases, children will suffer type 1 diabetes, and the signs for the same develop fast, over a matter of weeks. Now this does not mean that children cannot also suffer from the Type 2 diabetes because with cases of obesity on the rise, the children too are at great risk.
Many of the symptoms that diabetic children will display are the same as what the adults will display. The children may not notice that something is wrong with them and that is why you should always keep a close watch on your children. Children will experience an insatiable thirst because their kidneys will draw a lot of water from the tissue to dilute the excess glucose. In addition, there will be frequent urination as the kidneys go to overtime. If frequent trips to the bathroom are accompanied by unquenchable thirst for water, then junior probably has diabetes.
Now, when fluid is pulled out of the tissues, there arises the problem of blurred vision too. This happens when the fluid is pulled from the eyes. For symptoms of diabetes in children, one symptom leads to another.
Insatiable hunger, especially after the child has eaten, is an indication of juvenile diabetes. In this case, the cells are not accessing the glucose that they need to burn to produce energy. Now, despite the child eating more food, he/she will lose weight fast. As the cells lack the glucose to burn so they can fuel the activities of the body, the body starts eating itself. As soon as all the fat is burned away, the body turns to the muscles.
Look out for mood swings and irritability in children. If your child has been getting into trouble lately with his siblings, schoolmates or even with pets at home, you need to monitor him for more symptoms of diabetes. If the child is fatigued for no reason, has changed their waking schedule in the morning where he/she has to be virtually dragged out of bed, then there is a reason to get worried. The good thing is that Type 1 diabetes in children is manageable and if it is treated in good time, it might even be reversed.
There are many more causes to look out for, some of them mild and some extreme. A smart parent will notice when a few things are out of order and then he/she will take the child to a doctor as soon as possible. Do you have a history of diabetes in the family? If yes, you need to be extra watchful for the symptoms of diabetes in children.