Could you child's excessive thirst, or other symptoms be a sign of diabetes? What are the symptoms you need to know as a parent and when should you call your pediatrician?
Diabetes in Children
Parents often worry about diabetes, but most are really concerned about type 1 diabetes—the kind that typically starts in childhood and requires treatment with insulin shots.
Type I diabetes, however, is actually the least common type of diabetes, affecting only five percent of people with the disease.
Type 2 diabetes, which used to be thought of as "adult-onset" diabetes, is much more common. In fact, with the increase in childhood obesity—a major risk factor for the disease—pediatricians now actively look for type 2 diabetes in teenagers and even preteens.
Diabetes Symptoms in Children
Many parents bring their children for an evaluation for diabetes because they have frequent urination and increased thirst. The only problem is that many children, especially toddlers and preschoolers will ask for and drink as much juice as you let them have, even if they aren't necessarily thirsty. And if they drink a lot of juice, they are going to have to urinate a lot.
That's why kids who go to their pediatrician with just those symptoms usually don't end up having diabetes. This Symptoms of Diabetes quiz can help you determine whether a doctor visit could be necessary.
Type I Diabetes Symptoms
The symptoms of type 1 diabetes, which typically develop over a short period of time (days to weeks) often include:
Frequent urination (polyuria)Being very thirsty or drinking a lot (polydipsia)
The chances increase if you add other diabetes symptoms, such as:
Eating a lot or extreme hunger (polyphagia)Unusual weight lossExtreme fatigueIrritabilityBlurred vision
Weight loss is an especially important red flag symptom for type 1 diabetes.
If a child has the classic symptoms of diabetes such as frequent urination, increased thirst, and weight loss, then a pediatrician will likely suspect diabetes even before a urinalysis or blood sugar test is completed. On the other hand, if a child has other diabetes symptoms without weight loss, it's still important to do these tests, but the chance that diabetes will be found is much lower. At any rate, don't hesitate to see your pediatrician if you think your child might have any symptoms of diabetes.
Also keep in mind that when children have frequent urination associated with diabetes, it is usually large amounts of urine each time. Children who have to urinate frequently, but only void a small amount each time, likely have another cause instead of diabetes, especially if they don't have other diabetes symptoms. (It is still important to see your pediatrician as conditions such as a urinary tract infection might be causing the symptom.)
Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms
Unfortunately, children with type 2 diabetes may have no symptoms at all, which can make early diagnosis difficult.
Many type 2 diabetes symptoms are actually late symptoms of the condition, which develop gradually, after many years of having diabetes.
These signs and symptoms can include:
Type 1 diabetes symptoms, including frequent urination, increased thirst, weight loss, and extreme hungerFrequent infectionsIncreased risk of infections - For example, catching viruses very easily compared with beforeCuts and bruises that heal slowlyBlurred vision (a possible symptom of retinopathy due to diabetes)FatigueNumbness or tingling in the hands and feet (symptoms of diabetic peripheral neuropathy)
Because children with type 2 diabetes may not have any classic diabetes symptoms, pediatricians and parents should instead look for other signs and risk factors for type 2 diabetes.
These can include being overweight, having acanthosis nigricans (areas of darkened skin—usually on the back of a child's neck) or striae (stretch marks), and a positive family history of type 2 diabetes. These high-risk kids then get routinely screened for diabetes, including a hemoglobin A1C test, a test which gives an average reading of blood sugar over a period of weeks to months.
Infections in Kids with Diabetes
Children with type 1 diabetes also may have symptoms of an infection, such as fever, cough, vomiting, or a sore throat, as it is often an infection that triggers the diagnosis.
The infection doesn't cause the child to have diabetes, but before the infection—whether it is the flu, strep throat, or a stomach virus—the child may have been able to drink plenty of fluids to keep up with his frequent urination, but falls behind once he gets sick. That can lead to dehydration and worsening symptoms, even progression to diabetic ketoacidosis, which can be a medical emergency.
Additional Information to Know About Diabetes
It is important to know how to recognize diabetes symptoms as kids with type 1 diabetes can end up in a diabetic coma if the diagnosis is delayed too long. Unfortunately, some symptoms, such as being thirsty and urinating a lot, are very non-specific symptoms that many children normally have.
In addition to knowing the classic symptoms of diabetes, parents should know that:
About 10 percent of children with diabetes have type 1 diabetes.The peak ages to be diagnosed with type 1 diabetes are between ages five and seven years and then again at the start of puberty.Although genetics is a risk factor for developing type 1 diabetes, as the risk is about two percent if a child's mother has type 1 diabetes and seven percent if his father has diabetes, 85 percent of kids (the vast majority) with type 1 diabetes have no family history of diabetes.The weight loss in children with type 1 diabetes can occur because of dehydration (water loss from urinating a lot) or from a loss of body fat (calorie loss from increased sugar in the child's urine) or from both.Most children with type 2 diabetes have a family history of type 2 diabetes.Craving sugar is not typically a symptom of diabetes. In fact, children with diabetes have too much sugar in their blood.Frequent infections and having cuts and bruises that heal slowly are not usually early symptoms of type 1 diabetes, but instead may be symptoms of type 2 diabetes if frequent urination, increased thirst, weight loss, and extreme hunger are also present.Bottom Line on Symptoms of Diabetes in Kids
If your child is exhibiting any of the symptoms mentioned above, it is important to talk to your doctor. Many of these symptoms, even if not related to diabetes, should be addressed by your pediatrician as they could be caused by other important medical conditions as well. As a final reminder, it's important to note that kids are not just "little adults" and they often have unique symptoms related to illness. If you feel anything is just not right with your child, even if you can't describe exactly what that is, trust your instinct as a parent and call or make an appointment to see your pediatrician.
Sources
Kliegman, Robert M., Bonita Stanton, St Geme III Joseph W., Nina Felice. Schor, Richard E. Behrman, and Waldo E. Nelson. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 20th Edition. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier, 2015. Print.Pociot, F., and A. Lernmark. Genetic Risk Factors for Type 1 Diabetes. Lancet. 2016. 387(10035):2331-9.
No comments:
Post a Comment