Children Diabetes-Can your child be at risk?

It is something no parent wants to hear.  And yet, children are diagnosed with diabetes every day.  But take heart, with the proper care and treatment, they go on to do many of the normal things other children are able to do.  It is important for the entire family to be involved.

Many times, it is hard for children to understand just how much of a strain this is on their bodies.  They feel fine.  Their symptoms seem so harmless, it is easy for childhood diabetes to go undetected.  Some symptoms include:  Frequent urination, excessive thirst. blurry vision, irritability, increased fatigue, and unusual weight loss. One or more of these symptoms warrants an immediate visit to the doctor.

While diabetes is treatable, it is not a disease to be taken lightly. Left untreated or improperly cared for, diabetes can lead to the development of other diseases.  Some diseases that can develop as a result of diabetes are: heart disease, kidney disease, nerve damage and blindness. Good care now can delay or prevent these complications later in life. As a parent, it is your responsibility to educate and encourage your child to learn how to take care of themselves.

Diabetes in children creates even more challenges.  The tendency with children who have diabetes is they sometimes don’t understand how they treat their disease affects the future.  Or they get discouraged and give up with the attitude “what’s the use?” Let your child vent, be supportive and let them know you are there for them, but then remind them how many people live normal lives with diabetes and they can too.

This is a disease they will live with for the rest of their lives and proper education is important.  Because your child will need insulin shots every day, look into different methods of administering their medications.  Today there are many different devices to choose from testing equipment to different ways to administer their medications.  External insulin pumps are popular, making meals easier to work around insulin treatments.  Careful meal planning and exercise also help your child reduce their dosage and feel better.