The medical term Type 2 Diabetes, once known as adult-onset diabetes and non-insulin diabetes, is normally associated with adults. Unfortunately, today things have changed with new Type 2 diabetes health challenges in children.
What Are The Contributing Factors?
The causes in children are related to obesity and poor lifestyle choices. In some children the disease develops gradually.
According to information from Mayo Clinic, parents and caretakers should be aware of the following potential symptoms in children:
- Increased appetite
- Increased thirst and urination
- Frequent infection
- Slow wound healing
- Darkened skin patches
- Vision problems such as blurred eyesight and problems with normal focus
- Weight loss
With the build up of sugar in a child’s bloodstream, fluid is withdrawn from the child’s body tissues. This may cause the child to experience increased thirst, appetite, fatigue, and urination from this chronic condition..
The body’s important source of fuel is glucose, which is a form of sugar. With type 2 diabetes, the child’s body either does not produce enough of the hormone insulin to maintain a normal glucose level, or it resists the insulin.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for this condition, but it can be successfully managed in many cases with a healthy diet, healthy exercise, an by establishing and maintaining a healthy weight level.
Potential Health Complications
Although the potential health complications listed below don’t usually develop quickly, they can be serious. The bottom line is that this condition is nothing that should be ignored.
Take a look at the following list of health complications, and you will understand why ongoing care is needed. Type 2 diabetes can lead to the following:
- Nerve damage, especially the walls of the tiny blood vessels that nourish nerves in the legs.
- Cardiovascular problems such as stroke, heart disease, narrowing of the arteries, and high blood pressure.
- Eye damage that can lead to blindness.
- Kidney damage.
- Severe food damage.
- Hearing problems.
Routine screening is recommended by The American Diabetes Association for people 45 and older. That being said, if your child is overweight, exhibiting a number of the symptoms mentioned above, and you have one or more family members with diabetes, it’s a smart idea to address this early on.
Pediatric challenges are different than those affecting adults. If it turns out that your child has type 2 diabetes, it’s important that he or she understands the situation. It’s also important to educate them and help make them responsible for their lifestyle.
If you do happen to have someone at home, or in your extended family suffering from complications of diabetes, you can gently point this out to older children. You can let the child know that your objective is to help them avoid these complications.
There are certain blood tests that can be given to children to obtain more detailed information. The other challenges such as normal growth and development, psychological characteristics, and the child’s current health status.
The pediatrician will also want to discuss cultural considerations, and outside care, such as in the school setting.