Symptoms That Could Indicate Early Onset Diabetes in Your Child
Posted on: 16 May 2016
Diabetes is typically though of as an adult illness. The truth of the matter though is that anyone, no matter your age, can have early onset diabetes. The sad news is that there is not much you can do to prevent early onset diabetes in your child. However, knowing what symptoms to look out for could lead to early detection and treatment of this illness. It is prudent to know the signs of diabetes so as to prevent a diabetic complication known as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). This comes about when your child's body has depleted all its insulin and begins to use up its fat storage instead. The following are some of the symptoms to look out for of early onset diabetes in children.
Chronic thirst
If your child has developed diabetes, one of the first signs of this would be an unquenchable thirst. Chronic thirst comes about because the child's blood-glucose levels have spiked. Due to this, the body begins to suck fluid from its own tissues, which cause your child to be constantly thirsty. Left unchecked, it could also lead to severe dehydration. If you notice that your child is constantly asking for some water, it would be best to have a GP give them a physical checkup.
Chronic urination
Whatever your child ingests has to come out. As such, with chronic thirst will come a need to urinate frequently. If your child is in diapers, you will notice that they are filling up at a much faster rate than normal. Potty-trained children, on the other hand, will have an increase in there bathroom breaks. You may also find that your previously potty-trained child has started bed-wetting when they are asleep. A sudden change in their bowel movement should be a red flag, and you should take your child for a medical checkup.
Sudden weight loss
With early onset diabetes, your child's body loses its ability to properly break down sugars to use them for energy. This translates into the body beginning to break down your child's muscle mass as well as their fat storage. A glaring indication of this would be sudden, unexplainable weight loss, which should be addressed by a GP post haste.
Chronic fatigue
In general, children tend to be balls of energy. When your child is suddenly sluggish or frequently complains of being tired, then the problem could stem from early onset diabetes. This lethargy comes about because your child's body is unable to breakdown the sugar in their bloodstream to create energy. To be on the safe side, you should take them to a GP for blood tests that will diagnose the cause of this chronic fatigue.
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