Childhood diabetes is a relatively common condition affecting young people the world over. While this disease should be treated as serious, there have been great advances in medical treatments to help young diabetics lead more normal, comfortable lives.

It’s estimated that 30,000 Americans are diagnosed with diabetes each year. On average, 13,000 of these new cases are children. That’s about 36 children diagnosed every day.

Kids With Type I Childhood Diabetes

Most diabetic children have Type I diabetes. Also known as “juvenile” or “childhood diabetes”, this is a condition present at birth, in which the body does not produce insulin. Many people born with childhood diabetes are not diagnosed until their pre-or-early teens. Those born with the condition, including children, need to learn the proper treatment methods.

Know the Warning Signs

Without warning, a diabetic attack can happen. Attacks come on suddenly, sometimes before the child has even been diagnosed. As you can imagine, this can be a terrifying episode for parents. That’s why every parent must recognize the warning signs. These attacks can have long-lasting consequences without treatment, and may be even be fatal.

Signs and symptoms of diabetes may include extreme thirst, frequent urination, increased appetite or weight loss, sleepiness, labored breathing, sudden changes in vision or a fruity smell to the breath. Knowing the warning signs can save a life.

Childhood diabetes can be easy mistaken as other illnesses. Get immediate care if you notice that your child shows one or more of these symptoms. Insist that your doctor test your son or daughter for diabetes.

The failure to diagnose childhood diabetes can result in terrible consequences. Of course, unless the condition runs in your family, you may not automatically identify the importance of knowing all the symptoms. Thirst, frequent urination,, and blood glucose levels are the three main symptoms of childhood diabetes to keep in mind at all times.

If your child seems unusually thirsty, makes frequent trips to the bathroom, or shows both of these signs, then his or her blood sugar may be high. A child that appears to be overly sleepy or lethargic, feels “clammy” or just doesn’t seem right may benefit from a visit to the doctor for a simple blood or urine test.

Your family doctor or pediatrician may evaluate your child for other conditions as well, but it’s important to rule out the possibility of childhood diabetes. If the condition goes undiagnosed and an attack occurs, you will be faced with sorting things out in an emergency situation.

Childhood Diabetes Health Risks

A long list of potential health problems is brought to light when a child is diagnosed with diabetes. Low blood sugar levels may cause your child to suffer with vision problems, kidney and liver complications and the risk of heart attack and stroke.

On the other hand, persistent high blood sugar levels can increase the possibility of infection (like an abscessed tooth or yeast infection), wounds that won’t heal, gangrene from infected wounds and a host of other ailments. There may be nerve damage to the feet or other extremities. The result is intense pain and irreversible damage.

Childhood diabetes forces kids to deal with some very grown-up concerns. Ask you doctor to perform a blood screening to ensure early detection. If diagnosed, work with your child and follow the treatment instructions carefully. It’s the best way to ensure that your child leads the happy and healthy life that he or she deserves.

Contributor Sterling Ostin loves writing for numerous popular Internet magazines, on life fitness and healthy body subjects.

Type 1 diabetes, also known as Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), occurs because of a shortage of insulin inside the body. Insulin is responsible for allowing glucose to enter the cells of the body to supply fuel. This shortage of insulin happens because the body’s immune system damages and destroys the pancreas which produces the insulin.

The best medication to treat type 1 diabetes is insulin, and there are a number of different types of insulin in the market today. Since insulin can’t be consumed through the mouth, those suffering from this disease have to take insulin injections every day and monitor their blood sugar levels on a consistent basis. Why can’t it be taken through the mouth? This is because when taken through the mouth, the digestive juices and enzymes inside the mouth destroy and kill it. Apart from type 1 diabetes, a lack of insulin is also known to cause other metabolic problems.

When our beta cells stop pumping out insulin, our bodies take in less glucose. When this happens, our liver does the exact opposite by releasing more glucose. This leads to an increase in blood sugar levels to as high as ten times above the normal level.

Type 1 diabetes symptoms generally develop over a short period of time. Type 1 diabetes symptoms manifest themselves in the form of excessive fatigue, frequent urination, mood swings, excessive thirst, and feeling hungrier than one normally would.

In children, there is the possibility that different children might have different type 1 diabetes symptoms, which may look very similar to flu symptoms.

Even though destruction to the beta cells begin a few years earlier, symptoms of type 1 diabetes normally cultivate within a very short period of time, ranging from just a few days to a few weeks. This is due to an increase in the blood sugar level in a person’s body.

Other type 1 diabetes symptoms can include weight loss and blurry vision. These symptoms are due to the lack of insulin in the body. Because there is no insulin being produced, type 1 diabetes symptoms develop and worsen very rapidly with sufferers quickly falling into a diabetic coma if the illness is not diagnosed and treated properly.

If you or your family member have these type 1 diabetes symptoms, you must make sure to drink fifteen grams of carbohydrate (three teaspoons of sugar dissolved in water).

Do not take these symptoms lightly. Remember if you ignore them, your type 1 diabetes condition will get worse and eventually lead to other more fatal health problems. These type 1 diabetes symptoms are typically life-threatening, so it is best to seek treatment immediately.

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Type 1 diabetes is typically diagnosed in childhood but can be found in older patients to age 40. The body makes little if any insulin, and daily injections of it are needed to avoid death. Lacking insulin, the blood glucose levels rise which can cause some of the more common symptoms of hyperglycemia. What causes type 1 is not completely known but lifestyle and genetics are known keys. When the disease occurs a type 1 diabetes self management program becomes necessary.

Millions of people suffer from the disease and they are all susceptible to the complications that come with it. Cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, vision problems, nerve damage, foot and skin problems and depression are a few of the major complications associated with it. Because of the seriousness of these complications a diabetes self management program is mandatory for people who are give a type 1 diagnosis.

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes include: excessive thirst, frequent urination, weight loss, excessive hunger, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue and absence of menstruation.

For those with type 1 diabetes seeking help with their diabetes self management plan, educational programs have been developed to aid patients in this endeavor. Dietitians and certified diabetes educators who are experts in diabetes management, staff the best of these programs. Topics like blood sugar control, tracking carbohydrate intake, exercise and diet recommendations and insulin self-injection are covered. These healthcare professionals put together a regimen of diabetes self management that is suited to their particular requirements. When these plans are followed closely, patients tend to have fewer complications and they feel better too. Patients are typically sent to them by way of physician referral.

Patients who follow a certain routine in their lives tend to adapt to a type 1 diabetes self management plan better than those who do not. Those with hectic and constantly changing routines have a more difficult adjustment.

Insulin self-injection is a skill that must be learned when undertaking diabetes self management. Many patients however prefer using an insulin pump that is worn around the waist. About the size of a pager, this device which is connected to a catheter implanted under the skin and injects insulin as needed in small doses. This often feels more natural to the patient and the pump is simply detached when needed for activities like taking a shower or swimming. And when blood sugar levels change it’s easy to adjust the dose.

It is of utmost importance that pregnant women who have have diabetes keep their blood sugar in check. While everyone coping with the disease should see improvements in the way they feel, proper diabetes self management is especially necessary for pregnant women because failure to control their blood sugar increases the chances that their baby could have an abnormality.

Developing a good type 1 diabetes self management plan requires becoming educated about the disease in general, understanding what the complications are, and learning the skills necessary to take care of yourself. Remember, diabetes if treated early and properly is manageable.

Daily diabetes self management is critical for those with diabetes and John Richmond who writes for YourDiabetesInfo.com has done extensive research on the topic. Please check out this site for more information.

Initially, Type 1 diabetes symptoms may not signal danger. And, sometimes they appear quickly and threatening. Once started, they can progress rapidly over a span of weeks or a few months, and if action is take promptly they are usually diagnosed promptly. The most common type 1 diabetes symptoms seen are:

Excessive thirst. This is a very common symptom of type 1 diabetes. Other symptoms (dehydration caused by excessive urination) makes the patient feel thirsty all the time.

Frequent urination, while a symptom of type 1 is also a sign of many other medical conditions such as urinary tract, bladder, and prostate conditions to name a few.

Extreme hunger. Hunger that is not satisfied even after consuming a large meal because, without insulin, the glucose produced from carbohydrates in your food never reaches your body’s energy-starved tissues.

Weight loss. Even though a patient is eating more they are losing weight, perhaps rapidly. This happens because the body loses fat and muscle muscle when attempting to supply fuel to the body’s cells.

Extreme fatigue. This type 1 diabetes symptom occurs because the cells aren’t getting a sufficient supply of sugar .

Your vision may become blurry if you have excessive blood sugar. The lenses of your eyes can become deprived of fluid and focusing becomes difficult.

Nausea and vomiting: High blood sugar causes this type 1 diabetes symptom.

Type I Diabetes is no longer considered as juvenile-onset, childhood or juvenile diabetes as it once was. Be sure to consult your doctor if you’re concerned about diabetes or if you notice any type 1 diabetes symptoms.

Being aware of type 1 diabetes symptoms is very important and John Richmond has written several articles about diabetes and writes for YourDiabetesInfo.com. Please visit this site for a more in depth look at the disease.

Nothing can throw you into a tailspin as fast as finding out that your child has a chronic disease like Type 1 diabetes. As a parent, you may go through the whole gamut of emotions from angry to fearful to confused to depressed.

You find yourself full of questions about the future life of your child. How do I tell my child that he/she has this disease? What do I tell the school, friends, or family? Can my child still have a normal life? Keep in mind that all of these questions are normal and it is up to you to learn how to cope.

After the diagnosis, you find that you are thrust into a world of injections, testing blood sugars, and changing eating patterns. How do you deal with all of this? Being overwhelmed with questions is normal and it is a good idea for you to connect with other parents who have been where you are.

There are many support groups for parents and children that you can join to help you find answers. By sharing your own experiences and learning from others, you will find that some of your anxiety will start to dissipate.

A great part of joining a support group or organization is that you can learn more about dealing with diabetes by encouraging others, learn ways to deal with the diabetes of your child, and you can trade sugar-free recipes. If you cannot find a support group in your town, then look on the Internet for an online support group.

A diabetes diagnosis requires increased attention to your family health care by you and your doctor. Learning all that is possible about diabetes will help you to take an active role in the care of your child. You will know what questions to ask and will understand better what the doctor tells you. Your physician and your family needs to work together to control this disease.

It is important to talk to the teachers and administrators so that you will be aware of any special issues that your child may encounter at school. It will fall on them to watch what your child eats and to monitor what snacks are brought in.

The shock of a diabetes diagnosis will take a while to completely understand. It will be a time full of different emotions and it is the time that your family needs to come together for the best interest of your child.

It is possible for your child to live a more normal life with diabetes. There are many sugar substitutes, sugar-free recipes, and sugar-free candy varieties that will give your child the sweets that they want, but keep them healthy. Eating meals that are healthy and well balanced will help keep the blood sugar levels of your child under control. Adding exercise to the mix will help both your child and your family, especially if you make it fun.

You child may need to use manufactured insulin to keep their blood glucose levels under control. This works differently for each person and your physician may have to do some experimenting to find the right combination and dosage of insulin for your child. You will probably have to give the injections, so it is important that you learn as much as possible about insulin and its purposes and injection methods.

You may want to purchase a good diabetes dictionary because it will help you with the medical talk that is common with a diabetes diagnosis. Learning more about the diabetes related terms will help you to become more knowledgeable so that you can take care of your child.

You can find many useful websites that are full of information about diabetes and coping with the disease, whether you are a child, parent, or teenager. Connecting with others who are going through diabetes will help take some of the stigma out of the diagnosis and you will be able to learn more about it. Learning is the key to coping with diabetes.

The incidence of diabetes is on the rise. Learn more about diabetes treatment on this site here at http://www.diabetes-treatment-research-hub.com.