Juvenile Diabetes FAQ

Juvenile Diabetes FAQ

Juvenile diabetes is becoming quite a dreaded malady. Lets take up a few frequently asked questions in relation to the disease.

What are the causes of Juvenile diabetes?

Juvenile diabetes is caused due to multiple internal and external agents. Few believe that environment is the major factor behind the onset of the disease. Others think that it might be stress related. Still others tend to believe that heredity plays a great role in occurrence of juvenile diabetes. This implies that you are more vulnerable to having this disease if one of your siblings has it. There is a school of researchers who assume cow's milk in early stages of life to be the root cause of the disease.

What are the symptoms of juvenile diabetes?

Juvenile diabetes is marked by extreme thirst, uncontrollable hunger, and frequent urge of urination. It also brings weight loss and fatigue. Symptoms that look like influenza set in too commonly in patients of juvenile diabetes. Bedwetting is also seen in young patients. A few patients also emanate a fruity smell from their body.

Why do patients lose weight fast?

Juvenile diabetes does not allow sugar to be processed in cells and hence hinders the production of energy. Thus the body starts using its own fat deposits. It leads to loss of flab from the body. Evidently, this results in weight loss.

Why is there an excessive urge to urinate?

It is because sugar remains deposited in the blood stream and does not travel to the cells. Such sugar may become toxic with time. To extricate it from the blood, body uses the defense mechanism of urination.

What is the treatment for juvenile diabetes?

Juvenile diabetes can be treated with Insulin injections, pumps and boosters. Such injections need to be applied in the thigh area preferably. While this may be good enough to control the disease, nothing till date has offered a complete cure to the disease.

Is there any non-medicinal treatment as well?

Doctors suggest moderation in diet and regular exercise regimens. Collectively, they provide relief from the disease.

Does it differ from other forms of diabetes?

Juvenile Diabetes or Type I diabetes differs from adult or Type II diabetes and Gestational diabetes. While the symptoms are mostly the same, the causes and line of treatment vary. Juvenile diabetes does not generally result from overindulgence or sedentary lifestyle. Its cause is believed to be largely hereditary.

What actually happens in juvenile diabetes?

Body loses its capacity to produce insulin. Insulin is the sugar-carrier to cells. Once, insulin production is stopped, sugar remains in the blood stream and alters the metabolism of fats and carbohydrate. This way, the disease slowly destroys all the beta cells.

What do the parents need to consider?

If parents find their children exhibiting certain traits of the disease, then it is always advisable to get them screened. It is a cheap process and helps in establishing the disease. Next, they can go for diagnosis. It is important to show kind care and a lot of love to diabetic children.


To find out more about juvenile diabetes visit http://jdef.org/