What are the signs and symptoms of diabetes in children, treatment?

Earlier, diabetes in a child was considered a fatal disease, modern medicine allows small diabetics to live a full life. For timely diagnosis, you need to know the main signs of diabetes in children.

• Causes
• How is diabetes in children manifested?
• Diagnosis and treatment
• Treatment with folk remedies
• Possible complications
• Prevention

Causes

Diabetes mellitus can occur in a child at any age, sometimes the disease has an innate nature. Diagnosis of pathology in 0.1-0.3% of children. The main cause of the disease is the state of the pancreas, in children the synthesis of insulin is adjusted by 5 years.

Important! Most often, diabetes develops at the age of 6-12 years.

The main reasons for the development of diabetes in a child:

• Diabetes mellitus in children 1 year old is hereditary, especially if the disease is diagnosed in the mother or other immediate family;
• the children at risk of falling above 4.5 kg are at risk;
• severe viral diseases - in case of mumps, rubella, chicken pox, the pancreas can suffer;
• obesity - children's love for sweets and overweight can become predisposing factors to the emergence of type 2 diabetes mellitus;
• sedentary lifestyle - modern children spend a lot of time near the computer, rarely walk in the fresh air, which also leads to obesity;
• malfunctions in the work of the immune system - the development of antibodies to the body's own cells, including pancreatic cells, may begin.

Diabetes in adolescents can occur because of hormonal imbalance. At this age, active growth of internal organs begins, which can cause various malfunctions in the body.

How is diabetes in children manifested?

If the parents are attentive to the health of the child, they will be able to notice the first signs of diabetes in a timely manner. Disease in children develops very quickly, delay can lead to the development of irreversible pathologies, diabetic coma. With diabetes, there is a failure in the processes of carbohydrate metabolism in the body.

Symptoms of children's diabetes:

• the child constantly wants to drink, drinks greedily and a lot, but at the same time can not get drunk;
• complains of dry mouth;
• urinary incontinence at night, more than 2 liters of light urine are released per day;
• in children up to a year on a background of diabetes often there is a nausea and vomiting;
• Vision begins to deteriorate;
• itching, pustules on the skin, the skin becomes very dry;
• severe weight loss with increased appetite;
• drowsiness, apathy, a sharp change of mood.

Important! Even at occurrence of one alarming symptom it is necessary to address to the pediatrist, to pass or take place inspection.

Types of diabetes in children are the same as in adults. Diabetes is of type 1 (insulin-dependent form) and 2 types (insulin-independent form). At children the disease on the first type for which reduction of synthesis of insulin is characteristic more often develops. With type 2 diabetes mellitus, children can sometimes normalize their condition without medication.

Diagnosis and treatment

The first question that arises in the parents of a small diabetic is whether this disease is treated or not. In modern medicine, there is no means to completely rid the child of diabetes. Therapy is aimed at normalizing the metabolic processes, parents should constantly monitor the blood sugar level.

To confirm the diagnosis, it is necessary to make a urine test for glucose - in normal urine should not contain sugar. To determine the level of sugar in the blood, you need to do an analysis on an empty stomach. Normally, the parameters for a child under 2 years of age are 2.8-4.5 mmol / L, at the age of 2-6 years - 3.3-5 mmol / l, in schoolchildren - no more than 5.5 units. Additionally, ultrasound of the pancreas is performed to detect changes in the structure.

Modern methods of treatment:

1. Treatment of type 1 diabetes in children occurs with the help of insulin preparations - Protofan, Actrapid. Insulin should be administered 30 minutes before meals. It is necessary to undergo a course of angioprotectors, take vitamin complexes, take drugs to improve liver function, cholagogue medicines.
2. Pancreas transplantation is a radical method of therapy, which is used in extreme cases. The operation is complex, expensive, there is a high probability of organ rejection, and side effects from taking immunosuppressive drugs.
3. Treatment without insulin is possible only with type 2 diabetes. Therapy will include diet therapy, preventive measures, exercise therapy and the intake of hypoglycemic drugs.

Important! Diabetics should take food 6 times a day, fasting is prohibited, the total amount of carbohydrate should not be more than 400 g. It is necessary to monitor the observance of drinking regimen - the child should drink about 1, 5 liters of clean water without gas.

Treatment with folk remedies

Nontraditional methods of treatment are especially effective in type 2 diabetes, folk remedies should be reasonably combined with medication, diet, exercise. Any herbal therapy should be agreed with the attending physician.

Useful for young diabetics are fresh beet juice - it should be taken 50 ml 4 times a day. After squeezing the drink should be allowed to stand for 20 minutes. In addition, you should eat 5 grams of mustard seeds three times a day.

Collection for Diabetes:

• leaves of blueberries - 30 g;
• bean leaves - 30 g;
• flaxseed - 30 g;
• shredded straw of green oats - 30 g.

Brew a 15 g mixture of 500 ml of boiling water, leave overnight. Take 100 ml three times a day for half an hour before meals.

Infusion of lilac buds helps to normalize the level of sugar. Raw materials should be collected in the spring during swelling, after which it is good to dry. The medicine is prepared from 5 g of kidney and 300 ml of boiling water. Drink 15 ml of the drink three times a day.

Possible complications

Without proper and timely treatment, a child with diabetes begins to lag behind in growth and development, the illness is often accompanied by mental and behavioral disorders.

Consequences of diabetes:

• enlargement of the liver against the background of excessive glycogen and fat content in the body;
• kidney failure;
• diabetic vascular changes;
• ischemia;
• ulcers, diabetic foot, gangrene;
• severe deterioration of vision until complete blindness.

Newborns with diabetes often fall into a coma, they have impaired cerebral circulation.

Prevention

Breast milk helps to form strong immunity, so you should breast-feed at least 12 months.

Important! In children who are not fed breast milk, diabetes develops more often.

It is necessary to ensure that the child is fed regularly and correctly, the minimum amount of foods with fast carbohydrates should be in the diet. But it is impossible to completely deprive the children of sweets - sugar is good for the brain. Daily on the menu should be fresh vegetables and fruits. With diabetes it is forbidden to eat semolina, rice, potatoes in any form, pasta. The daily dose of bread is not more than 100 g.

Useful for diabetes are the following foods - peas, beans, all kinds of cabbage, leafy vegetables, buckwheat porridge, zucchini and eggplant.

With irregular eating, blood sugar may drop below critical levels. The child begins to tremble, complains of a headache, the pulse becomes rapid. The face becomes pale, sweating increases, and sometimes loss of consciousness.

When hypoglycemia can not panic, you need to give the child a sweet tea, give a piece of sugar or candy. Parents of small diabetics should always have sweets in stock. If the child is unconscious, immediately call an ambulance.

Physical loads contribute to better absorption of glucose, strengthen the protective functions of the body. Training should be regular, but not intensive.

If there are diabetics in the family, the child suffers from obesity or improper metabolism, it is necessary to register with an endocrinologist and regularly undergo a survey.

Diabetes mellitus in children is rarely diagnosed, most often the disease is hereditary, it develops against the background of obesity, weakened immunity. Proper nutrition, regular moderate exercise, walking outdoors, hardening - all this helps to protect the child from the onset of a serious illness.