Juvenile diabetes or simply called diabetes in children is on the rise today. It was earlier believed to be the disease effecting only the elderly. But now it is found in children and younger people as well.

Diabetes – two types – Type 1 and Type 2. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not make insulin while in type 2 diabetes, the body does not make sufficient insulin or does not use the produced insulin effectively. Significantly, type 1 diabetes is more common in children.

The primary cause of juvenile diabetes is genetics. Let’s discuss the symptoms of diabetes in children.

• Frequent urination

• Increased hunger and thirst

• Fatigue

• Fruity-smelling breath

• Sudden weight loss

• Hazy vision

• Irritability.

Diagnosis 

Although symptoms are enough to prove diabetes mellitus in children but for proper confirmation, certain diagnostic tests are recommended by the paediatric diabetologist. So, the question arises, what are the diagnostic tests performed to confirm juvenile diabetes.

The diagnostic tests for diagnosing diabetes in children are as follows:

• Blood Sugar Test (both fasting and random)

• Glycated Haemoglobin (A1C) Test

• Urine Test.

Treatment 

Diabetes treatment in children as generally prescribed by the paediatric diabetologist includes the following:

• Medications

• Insulin injections

• Regular monitoring of blood sugar levels

• Changes in diet and lifestyle.

Prevention

We believe prevention to be always better than cure. Is there any way to prevent diabetes in children? Sure, there are many ways you can prevent your children from getting diabetes. Some of them are as follows:

• Encouraging them to be more active

• Feeding them healthy meals

• Cutting back on their sugar intake.

Getting timely diabetes treatment is vital for your child. Hospitals in Kolkata and Agartala offer Juvenile diabetes treatment from the best diabetologists.