TYPE 1 DIABETES

MOST COMMON NON-PREVENTABLE  AUTO-IMMUNE DISEASE IN CHILDREN

 

There are many children who are misdiagnosed with Diabetes the 8 year old daughter of one of my Facebook friends.  Ariyana was diagnosed this past June with TYPE 1 DIABETES, which is one of the most common non-preventable auto-immune diseases in children and can be caused by genetics or a virus.

This was written by her mother: 

Her mouth always smelled like sweet corn but I ignored it.
She was always hungry and we thought it was bc of growth spurts. (Pediatrician said so)
She was getting really thin but again it was blamed on growth spurts. (Pediatrician)
She was always drinking water and I blamed it on the hot weather.
She would always fall asleep in the car no matter what time it was and again…..we thought it was just her growing.
What started to worry me was when her hair started getting thin…..and I decided not to listen to the pediatrician and asked to see a different one that day.
That’s when we found out that she has Type 1 Diabetes and her A1C was too high to even read but thankfully not in DKA yet.

Had we ignored these signs much longer, much worse things could have happened including brain damage and death.

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening condition that develops when cells in the body are unable to get the sugar (glucose) they need for energy because there is not enough insulin. When the sugar cannot get into the cells, it stays in the blood. The kidneys filter some of the sugar from the blood and remove it from the body through urine. Because the cells cannot receive sugar for energy, the body begins to break down fat and muscle for energy. When this happens, ketones, or fatty acids, are produced and enter the bloodstream, causing the chemical imbalance (metabolic acidosis) called diabetic ketoacidosis.

 

 

Does your child have any of these symptoms?

This was posted on American Diabetic Association webpage where you can read much more on this disease.

 

 

Teachers may not realize what the symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes are in children or what to do, this is a good list to follow.

 

These are some of the signs and symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes.  There is no cure for this auto immune disease but your blood glucose levels can be managed with insulin shots or an insulin pump, exercise, nutrition and support.  Don’t let the symptoms go unchecked, it’s better to be save than sorry.  Children are our future, we need to do all we can to keep them healthy.

 

 

Credits: www.americandiabetesassociation.com, www.getdiabetesright.org, www.myfreestyle.com