Symptoms of diabetes in children (with online test)

To find out if your child has diabetes it is important to be aware of some symptoms that may indicate the disease, such as drinking a lot of water, urinating several times a day, getting tired quickly or having frequent stomach and headaches, as well as behavior problems, such as irritability and poor performance at school. Here's how to identify the first symptoms of diabetes in children.

In this case, the child should be taken to the pediatrician, to assess the symptoms and carry out the necessary tests, in order to diagnose the problem and start the appropriate treatment, which can be done with diet, exercise or use of medications, to avoid consequences long-term.

Signs of type 1 diabetes

This is the most common type of diabetes in children and can be identified by some symptoms. Check your child's symptoms:

1. Frequent desire to urinate, even at night Yes No
2. Feeling of excessive thirst Yes No
3. Excessive hunger Yes No
4. Weight loss for no apparent reason Yes No
5. Frequent tiredness Yes No
6. Unjustifiable drowsiness Yes No
7. Itching all over the body Yes No
8. Frequent infections, such as candidiasis or urinary tract infection Yes No
9. Irritability and sudden mood swings Yes No

In these cases, the child does not need to be eating the wrong food, as this type of diabetes arises due to genetic changes, not hereditary, which cause the pancreas to produce less insulin, making it difficult for the body to work to reduce blood sugar levels.

This type of diabetes can develop suddenly, with intense symptoms, however, many cases develop slowly and silently, so if one or more of these symptoms appear and are persistent, it is important to schedule an appointment with the pediatrician for a better investigation.

Signs of type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is more common in children who do not eat properly and, therefore, are usually overweight. See if your child may be type 2 diabetes by answering the following questionnaire:

1. Increased thirst Yes No
2. Constantly dry mouth Yes No
3. Frequent desire to urinate Yes No
4. Frequent tiredness Yes No
5. Blurred or blurred vision Yes No
6. Wounds that heal slowly Yes No
7. Tingling in the feet or hands Yes No
8. Frequent infections, such as candidiasis or urinary tract infection Yes No

In addition, it is possible for the child to present light weight loss without an apparent cause and dark color in fold regions, such as armpits and neck, known as acanthosis nigricans.

However, in many cases, this type of diabetes may not cause any symptoms, developing silently. Thus, even if the child does not show symptoms, but is overweight, it is advisable to consult the pediatrician to assess blood sugar levels and determine the risk of developing the disease.

Type 2 diabetes develops gradually due to the lack of control over food, with an excess of sweets, pasta, fats and fried foods, in addition to a sedentary lifestyle and, for this reason, this disease is more common in obese children.

How to confirm if it is diabetes

To diagnose diabetes, the doctor will order blood glucose tests, which can be fasting glucose, capillary glucose, with finger pricks, or through the glucose tolerance test, which is done after consuming a very sweet drink. In this way, it is possible to identify the type of diabetes, and schedule the ideal treatment for each child.

Better understand how tests that confirm diabetes are done.

How to care for the child with diabetes

Glycemic control is essential and must be done daily, it is very important to have healthy habits, such as moderate sugar consumption, eat smaller meals and more times a day, and chew well before swallowing.

The practice of physical activity is also a strategy both to control the disease and to prevent its complications on other organs, such as the heart, eyes and kidneys.

This type of control can be difficult for children who had poor eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle, but it must be borne in mind that these attitudes are right for the health of both children and anyone. Here are some tips on what to do to make it easier to care for your child with diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes

In the case of a child with type 1 diabetes, treatment is done with insulin injections a few times a day, in order to mimic the insulin naturally produced by the pancreas. Thus, 2 types of insulin are needed, one of slow action, applied at fixed times, and one of fast action applied after meals.

Nowadays, there are several insulin options that can be applied using small syringes, pens and even an insulin pump that can be attached to the body and applied at scheduled times. See what are the main types of insulin and how to apply.

Type 2 diabetes

The treatment of childhood type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, is initially done with the use of pill medicines to decrease blood glucose levels and try to maintain the action of the pancreas. In very severe cases or when the pancreas is insufficient, insulin may also be used.

The most widely used medicine to treat type 2 diabetes is Metformin, but there are several options, defined by the doctor, that have ways of action adapted for each person. Understand which medications are used to treat diabetes.

See, in the following video, very practical and important tips to help your child lose weight and control blood sugar: