Juvenile Diabetes Symptoms

Juvenile diabetes is the same thing as Type 1 diabetes and today it affects more than 200,000 children under age 20 and thousands of cases are diagnosed each year. Often this occurs in children who are between the ages of 10-14 years old, although it can occur while they are younger as well. Children who have siblings or parents with the problem are more likely to end up dealing with it as well. If you are a parent, knowing and watching out for the Juvenile diabetes symptoms is important.

This type of diabetes occurs when the pancreas is no longer able to produce insulin the way that it should. Many parents are not aware for some time that their child is dealing with this problem. While you can't prevent this type of diabetes from occurring, you can watch out for the juvenile diabetes symptoms and make sure your child gets help as soon as possible, which can reduce the risk of complications in the future.

The symptoms that come along with Type 1 diabetes are very similar to those that adults deal with, but they are hard to recognize in some cases, since they can be pretty subtle. Here is a look at some of the symptoms that can manifest themselves if your child is dealing with juvenile diabetes.

- Symptom #1 - Going to the Bathroom Often - If you notice that your child is going to the bathroom more often lately, this is could be a sign that they have juvenile diabetes. The blood sugar builds up in the blood and the kidneys try to help out by filtering it out, making your child urinate more than usual.

- Symptom #2 - Always Feeling Thirsty - Another of the juvenile diabetes symptoms is always feeling thirsty. Are you noticing that your child is drinking a lot more? Urinating so frequently will make your child dehydrated, so they will crave more water and other liquids to try to make up for all that they are losing through frequent urination.

- Symptom #3 - Eating More Than Usual - Is your child always hungry lately? This can also be a symptom of Type 1 diabetes. Since their cells can't get the sugar out of the blood for energy, the body thinks that it is not getting any foods, which makes them feel hungry all the time.

- Symptom #4 - Losing Weight - Even though your child is eating more, you may notice that they are losing weight. The body start using muscle and fat for energy because it doesn't think it is getting enough energy.

- Symptom #5 - Feeling Tired and Fatigued - Since your child isn't getting the energy from the glucose, they may feel very tired and fatigued all the time. If you notice they are always tired, you may need to get them checked out.

There are a few other symptoms that can occur as well. Some children may deal with depression or irritability and in some cases this can cause vision problems in children as well. If you notice one or more of these juvenile diabetes symptoms, take your child to the doctor right away to be checked out. It is important that they are treated quickly for the best results, and untreated diabetes in children can be very dangerous.