Juvenile onset diabetes is also known as Type 1 diabetes, or insulin resistance. This disease is an autoimmune disorder that occurs when an individual’s pancreas has defective beta cells and therefore cannot produce insulin. Insulin is the hormone that is responsible for removing glucose from the blood and converting it into fuel for uptake into the muscle, tissues, and other cells. Without insulin, the glucose remains in the blood, the body has no fuel, and the blood sugar remains elevated, which causes a multitude of other issues.
Physicians are still unclear what causes the beta cells to attack its own pancreas, but they do know that this disease runs in families and that in addition to family history and genetics, geography, viral exposure, low levels of Vitamin D, and lack of Omega 3 fatty acids may play a role. Individuals who have a parent or sibling with juvenile diabetes are more likely to have the disease. Genetic tests have pinpointed several genes that show a child’s potential risk for developing the disease. Researchers have also learned that people who travel close to the equator, or are exposed to mumps, Epstein-Barr, or coxsackie, or cytomegalovirus are more prone to developing the disease. In addition, children who do not receive adequate amounts of sunlight or receive Omega 3 fatty acids in infancy are more susceptible to for diabetes juvenile onset.
Juvenile Onset Diabetes Symptoms
Juvenile onset diabetes symptoms may happen quickly with no warning. Usually, a child or adolescent will experience an extreme thirst and a frequent need to urinate. Because glucose is remaining in the blood instead of being transferred to other tissues, the body must pull available fluids from tissues, which results in the body becoming dehydrated and the person drinking more fluids. The kidneys are also working extra hard to flush out the toxic sugar and in doing so, the process causes a person to urinate more often. This action, combined with a person increasing their fluid intake will cause a person to make repeated trips to the bathroom and the cycle will continue until a person becomes very ill.
Two other symptoms that may go together are hunger and weight loss. A person may feel hungry all of the time, regardless of how much and how often they eat. The body will be unable to absorb any of the calories or nutrients, which will leave the individual insatiate in addition to shedding pounds. The dehydration of tissues may also contribute to the weight loss.
Other symptoms one may notice are fatigue and blurred vision. Since the sugar is remaining in the blood, there is literally no energy and that is why a person feels tired. They may notice blurry or impaired vision because their optic nerves are also being robbed of nutrients.
In the past, medical professionals believed that the onset of juvenile diabetes was in childhood or in early adolescents. They have since discovered that Type 1 diabetes mellitus can be developed by a person of any age, although younger people are more likely to develop it. Juvenile onset diabetes mellitus is not brought on by being overweight or obese, having high blood pressure, or a sedentary lifestyle. Therefore, there is no obvious way to prevent the disease. Once a person has it though, it is vital to keep it under control in order to minimize its complications. Seeing a doctor regularly, monitoring blood sugar frequently and eating a special diet are three keys to successful diabetes management. Most parents, along with their children may need extra counseling to ensure that their child is always prepared for the highs and lows of diabetes.
