Juvenile diabetes, commonly called type I diabetes, is a medical condition where a person's body doesn't necessarily use the food he eats as it should. When you eat, your body breaks down food into glucose, used to nourish our cells and give us energy. But, something is needed to actually facilitate this transition. It is a hormone called insulin. If your body is unable to produce a sufficient amount of insulin, the glucose will remain in your blood. Once this happens, the body will begin to give certain warning signs.
Change in Urination
More often than not, a child who is suffering from juvenile diabetes produces more urine than normal. This is due to the kidneys trying to rid the blood of sugar, or at least the excess amount of it. You may even notice that your child has started to wet the bed. In this situation, the behavior is not a result of anything other than the body reacting to the elevation in sugar.
Change in Thirst
Accompanying this increase in urine output, you will most likely notice that your child has an unusual amount of thirst. This is in response to the body ridding itself of excess glucose.
Change in Hunger
Many times, your child may complain of hunger, even after she has eaten. This particular warning sign is due to the cells not receiving the nourishment they need as a result of the body's production of insulin. When there is too little (or none), the cells will become deprived of food, so to speak, and the body will tell the child she is hungry.
Unexplained Weight Loss
You may also notice a change in your child's weight, though there hasn't been a change in his diet. Again, this has a lot to do with the inability of the body to change the glucose into fuel. When deprived of fuel, the body will turn to any fat or muscle to get nourishment, resulting in a loss of weight.
Fatigue
Much like any other type of diabetes, juvenile diabetes may make your child feel overwhelmingly fatigued. This warning sign shares the same cause as hunger and weight loss.
Illness
Parents commonly confuse this warning sign with the flu, because they both present the same basic symptoms. However, just because your child seems to have the flu doesn't mean she has juvenile diabetes. Typically, this sign accompanies other indicators.
Change in Breath
At times of an elevation in blood sugar, your child's breath may have an almost fruity odor.
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