DIABETES IN CHILDREN: WHAT SYMPTOMS?

Today, in France, more than 20,000 children suffer from type 1 diabetes. A chronic disease that requires daily monitoring. Know how to spot the early symptoms.

Type 1 and 2 diabetes

There are two types of diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is largely linked to lifestyle (poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, etc.) as well as to a genetic predisposition. It usually appears in adulthood and accounts for 90% of diabetes cases. Type 1 diabetes , on the other hand, often begins in childhood or adolescence. It is not linked to lifestyle but to genetic factors that are still poorly understood.

A lack of insulin

Insulin is a hormone that regulates the concentration of sugar (glucose) in the blood. It is produced by the islets of Langerhans, cells of the pancreas. In type 1 diabetes , these cells are destroyed and therefore become unable to produce insulin . Glucose does not enter the cells of the body and remains in the bloodstream. The blood sugar (glycaemia) level then becomes too high and the daily intake of insulin is necessary to bring it back to normal.

 

Symptoms of Diabetes

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes often appear suddenly. Several of these signs, in children or adolescents, should alert you.

• constant thirst,

• frequent need to urinate,

• unexplained weight loss,

• tired

 

Other symptoms may also occur:

• sour breath,

• vomiting,

• disturbances of consciousness (coma) ...

 

Faced with these signs, urgent medical advice is necessary.

 

Daily

Type 1 diabetes requires daily monitoring. The young patient must measure his blood sugar several times a day and self-inject insulin. The little ones therefore need the help of their parents and teachers. Gradually, the young patient will learn to manage his diabetes . In this context, therapeutic education programs play an important role: not only to treat oneself well but also to accept this constraining disease.