How to Know if Your Child Has Juvenile Diabetes
Keep track of your child’s thirst., Notice if your child urinates more frequently than normal., Pay attention to any unexplained weight loss., Note if your child suddenly has an increase in hunger., Notice if your child suddenly seems fatigued all...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Keep track of your child’s thirst.
All the symptoms of type 1 diabetes are a result of hyperglycemia, or high glucose in the body, and the body working to balance it out.
Increased thirst (polydipsia) is one of the most common symptoms.
Extreme thirst occurs as a result of the body trying to flush out all of the glucose in the blood stream since it can't be of use (because there is no insulin to escort it into the cells).
Your child may feel thirsty all the time, or may drink unusually large amounts of water that are far beyond their normal daily fluid intake.
According to standard guidelines, children should drink between five to eight glasses of fluids per day.
Young children (ages 5 – 8) should drink less (about five glasses), and older children should drink more (eight glasses).However, these are ideal guidelines, and only you can know how much water and other liquids your child actually intakes on a daily base.
Thus, the assessment of increased thirst is relative to what your child usually consumes.
If they usually drink just about three glasses of water and a glass of milk with dinner, but now constantly ask for water and other drinks and are drinking a lot more than their usual three to four glasses a day, this may be cause for concern.
Your child may feel a thirst that cannot be quenched even if they intake a lot of water.
They may even still appear dehydrated. -
Step 2: Notice if your child urinates more frequently than normal.
Increased frequency of urination, also known as polyuria, is the body's attempt to filter out the glucose with urination.
Of course, it is also a result of increased thirst.
As your child drinks more water, the body will produce more urine, resulting in considerably higher incidences of urination.Be especially vigilant about the nighttime and check to see if your child is urinating more than usual in the middle of the night.There is not an average number of times that children urinate a day; this depends on their food and water intake and so what is normal for one child will not necessarily be normal for another.
However, you can compare your child's current frequency of urination relative to his past frequency.
If in general, your child went to the bathroom about seven times a day, but is now going 12 times a day, this is cause for concern.
This is also why the nighttime is a good time for observation or awareness.
If your child never got up in the middle of the night to pee, but is now up two, three or four times a night, you should take them to the doctor for testing.
Also look for signs that your child is dehydrated from urinating so much.
The child may have sunken eyes, a dry mouth, and a loss of elasticity in the skin (try lifting the skin on the back of the hand upwards in a tent shape.
If it doesn't bounce back immediately, this is a sign of dehydration).You should also pay close attention if your child starts wetting the bed again.
This is particularly important if your child has already been potty trained and has not wet the bed for a long time. , Juvenile diabetes commonly causes weight loss due to metabolic derangements linked to increased blood sugar levels.
Very often the weight loss is rapid, although at times it may progress gradually.Your child could be losing weight and may even appear emaciated or skinny and weak due to juvenile diabetes.
Note that a loss of muscle bulk also often accompanies the weight loss due to type 1 diabetes.As a general rule, unintentional weight loss almost always warrants consultation with a medical professional. , The resultant muscle and fat breakdown, along with calorie loss, stemming from type 1 diabetes further leads to loss of energy and subsequent increased hunger.
Thus, there is a paradox here — your child could be losing weight even as they demonstrate a noticeable increase in appetite.Polyphagia, or extreme hunger, results when the body attempts to get the glucose that its cells need from the blood.
Your child's body wants more food to try to get that glucose for energy, but it cannot.
Without insulin, it doesn't matter how your child eats; the glucose from the food will float around their bloodstream and never make it into the cells.
Note that there is no medical or scientific benchmark to assess your child's hunger.
Some children naturally eat more than others.
Keep in mind that children tend to be hungrier when they experience a growth spurt.
Your best bet is to measure your child's behavior with their previous behavior to assess whether they seem considerably more hungry than usual.
For example, if your child would usually pick at their three meals a day but for a few weeks has been eating everything on their plate and even asking for more, this may be a warning sign.
If this is accompanied by increased thirst and trips to the bathroom, it is less likely to just be a sign of a growth spurt. , The loss of calories and glucose required for energy production, as well as fat and muscle breakdown, will generally result in tiredness and a disinterest in normally beloved games and activities.Sometimes children also tend to become irritable and have mood swings as a result of the exhaustion.
As with the other symptoms mentioned above, you will need to assess your child's sleeping patterns based on what is normal for them.
If they usually sleep seven hours a night but is now sleeping 10 hours and still complains of being tired or shows signs of being sleepy, slow, or lethargic even after a full night's sleep, you should take note.
This may be a sign that they are not just experiencing a growth spurt or a period of tiredness, but that diabetes may be at work. , High blood sugar levels change the water content of the optical lens and cause the lens to swell, leading to hazy, cloudy, or blurred vision.
If your child complains of blurry eyesight, and repeated visits to the ophthalmologist have been of no use, consult a doctor to rule out Type-1 diabetes.Blurry vision usually resolves with the stabilization of blood sugars. -
Step 3: Pay attention to any unexplained weight loss.
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Step 4: Note if your child suddenly has an increase in hunger.
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Step 5: Notice if your child suddenly seems fatigued all the time.
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Step 6: Take note if your child complains of blurry vision.
Detailed Guide
All the symptoms of type 1 diabetes are a result of hyperglycemia, or high glucose in the body, and the body working to balance it out.
Increased thirst (polydipsia) is one of the most common symptoms.
Extreme thirst occurs as a result of the body trying to flush out all of the glucose in the blood stream since it can't be of use (because there is no insulin to escort it into the cells).
Your child may feel thirsty all the time, or may drink unusually large amounts of water that are far beyond their normal daily fluid intake.
According to standard guidelines, children should drink between five to eight glasses of fluids per day.
Young children (ages 5 – 8) should drink less (about five glasses), and older children should drink more (eight glasses).However, these are ideal guidelines, and only you can know how much water and other liquids your child actually intakes on a daily base.
Thus, the assessment of increased thirst is relative to what your child usually consumes.
If they usually drink just about three glasses of water and a glass of milk with dinner, but now constantly ask for water and other drinks and are drinking a lot more than their usual three to four glasses a day, this may be cause for concern.
Your child may feel a thirst that cannot be quenched even if they intake a lot of water.
They may even still appear dehydrated.
Increased frequency of urination, also known as polyuria, is the body's attempt to filter out the glucose with urination.
Of course, it is also a result of increased thirst.
As your child drinks more water, the body will produce more urine, resulting in considerably higher incidences of urination.Be especially vigilant about the nighttime and check to see if your child is urinating more than usual in the middle of the night.There is not an average number of times that children urinate a day; this depends on their food and water intake and so what is normal for one child will not necessarily be normal for another.
However, you can compare your child's current frequency of urination relative to his past frequency.
If in general, your child went to the bathroom about seven times a day, but is now going 12 times a day, this is cause for concern.
This is also why the nighttime is a good time for observation or awareness.
If your child never got up in the middle of the night to pee, but is now up two, three or four times a night, you should take them to the doctor for testing.
Also look for signs that your child is dehydrated from urinating so much.
The child may have sunken eyes, a dry mouth, and a loss of elasticity in the skin (try lifting the skin on the back of the hand upwards in a tent shape.
If it doesn't bounce back immediately, this is a sign of dehydration).You should also pay close attention if your child starts wetting the bed again.
This is particularly important if your child has already been potty trained and has not wet the bed for a long time. , Juvenile diabetes commonly causes weight loss due to metabolic derangements linked to increased blood sugar levels.
Very often the weight loss is rapid, although at times it may progress gradually.Your child could be losing weight and may even appear emaciated or skinny and weak due to juvenile diabetes.
Note that a loss of muscle bulk also often accompanies the weight loss due to type 1 diabetes.As a general rule, unintentional weight loss almost always warrants consultation with a medical professional. , The resultant muscle and fat breakdown, along with calorie loss, stemming from type 1 diabetes further leads to loss of energy and subsequent increased hunger.
Thus, there is a paradox here — your child could be losing weight even as they demonstrate a noticeable increase in appetite.Polyphagia, or extreme hunger, results when the body attempts to get the glucose that its cells need from the blood.
Your child's body wants more food to try to get that glucose for energy, but it cannot.
Without insulin, it doesn't matter how your child eats; the glucose from the food will float around their bloodstream and never make it into the cells.
Note that there is no medical or scientific benchmark to assess your child's hunger.
Some children naturally eat more than others.
Keep in mind that children tend to be hungrier when they experience a growth spurt.
Your best bet is to measure your child's behavior with their previous behavior to assess whether they seem considerably more hungry than usual.
For example, if your child would usually pick at their three meals a day but for a few weeks has been eating everything on their plate and even asking for more, this may be a warning sign.
If this is accompanied by increased thirst and trips to the bathroom, it is less likely to just be a sign of a growth spurt. , The loss of calories and glucose required for energy production, as well as fat and muscle breakdown, will generally result in tiredness and a disinterest in normally beloved games and activities.Sometimes children also tend to become irritable and have mood swings as a result of the exhaustion.
As with the other symptoms mentioned above, you will need to assess your child's sleeping patterns based on what is normal for them.
If they usually sleep seven hours a night but is now sleeping 10 hours and still complains of being tired or shows signs of being sleepy, slow, or lethargic even after a full night's sleep, you should take note.
This may be a sign that they are not just experiencing a growth spurt or a period of tiredness, but that diabetes may be at work. , High blood sugar levels change the water content of the optical lens and cause the lens to swell, leading to hazy, cloudy, or blurred vision.
If your child complains of blurry eyesight, and repeated visits to the ophthalmologist have been of no use, consult a doctor to rule out Type-1 diabetes.Blurry vision usually resolves with the stabilization of blood sugars.
About the Author
Ryan Green
Creates helpful guides on DIY projects to inspire and educate readers.
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