Diabetes Treatment

If your child has been diagnosed with diabetes, you are probably wondering what on earth you are going to do for him or her.  A diabetes diagnosis can be very frightening, especially for parents of young children.  Your health care professional has probably given you a lot of information that is overwhelming. Learning about the different types of diabetes and diabetes treatment can be frightening.

Fortunately, there are many resources available to help parents of diabetic children cope with both the disease and the treatment.  Most of the information covers things like insulin, food and exercise which are the major areas of diabetes treatment.

Even though the diagnosis and diabetes cure in children and adults is basically the same, children have different needs from adults. The treatment is usually based on the child's physical and emotional maturity level.  There are also variations in activity levels, food intake and stress levels.

While it can develop at any time during childhood, Type 1 diabetes usually manifests itself between 6 and 13 years of age.  Type 2 diabetes usually occurs in adolescence, but is becoming more common in younger obese children nowadays.  Most of the children who developed diabetes before the 1990s were diagnosed with Type 1. More recently, children who are newly diagnosed have Type 2. One interesting fact is that a family history of Type 2 diabetes or obesity is a major factor in developing Type 2 but not Type 1 diabetes.

Symptoms of Type 1 diabetes tend to develop rather quickly and can be seen as being pretty obvious. Excessive thirst, frequent urination, fatigue and possible dehydration are the things people tend to seek treatment for. The symptoms of Type 2 diabetes in children are milder and develop more slowly. Parents may notice vague symptoms such as fatigue or maybe an increase in thirst and urination.

Children with Type 1 diabetes are usually treated with insulin injections to maintain a stable blood sugar level. Type 2 diabetics are usually treated with oral medication.  Children with either type need to take their medication regularly, exercise every day, change their dietary habits and keep their weight under control.

Adolescents may have a hard time controlling their blood sugar levels because of hormonal changes, peer pressure, busy schedules or eating disorders.  Also, conflicts with parents or other authority figures may make teens ignore their eating and medication regime. Health care professionals can help teens focus on developing a regime that is beneficial to them. They encourage teens to check their blood sugar regularly to be sure they are getting the right diabetes treatment.