For a very long time, type 2 diabetes was considered an adults-only condition. However, this trend has now changed. There has been a rapid rise in the number of children diagnosed with this condition. Type 2 diabetes in kids is a chronic state that affects how the child’s body processes sugar.
Why is it important to manage type 2 diabetes? This is because the long-term consequences can be disabling and, in many cases, life-threatening. What is fueling this condition in children is primarily the obesity epidemic. Before we jump to that, let’s first understand the symptoms of this condition.
Type 2 Diabetes in kids: Symptoms
Diabetic symptoms do not generally show up immediately in the case of a child. However, there are a few over-the-time signs you need to watch out for are:
- Increased thirst with frequent urination– This happens because your child’s bloodstream pulls fluid from tissues. As a result, the child can constantly feel thirsty and urinate more often than usual.
- Rapid weight loss– Without energy supplied from sugar, the tissues in the muscle and fat stores can shrink, leading to weight loss. Though in children with type 2 diabetes, this is fairly uncommon. This is something you are likely to see more in type 1 diabetic cases.
- Excessive fatigue-The lack of sugar in the cells can make your child constantly tired and lethargic.
- Blurry vision-If blood sugar levels are very high, then fluid may be pulled or absorbed back from the eye’s lenses. This may cause the focus to become unclear or blurry.
- Slow healing and frequent infections- With this condition, your child’s ability to recover and resist infections drop drastically.
When to seek help?
As soon as you notice any of these symptoms in your child, it is best to get in touch with a doctor. If left undiagnosed, it can have serious health repercussions.
Rather than waiting for signs and symptoms, start making it a practice to feed your children healthy. Moreover, they should indulge in physical activities to avoid weight problems and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Type 2 Diabetes in Kids: Causes
Now getting back to the causes. Although the exact root cause of type 2 diabetes is not known. However, obesity is a primary contributor to this metabolic disease. Moreover, there can be other reasons like family history and genetics that can also give rise to type 2 diabetes in your child.
One thing for sure is that an unhealthy lifestyle in children or adults can trigger this condition causing the body to become resistant to insulin or causing the pancreas to not produce enough.
Read More: Ideal Blood Sugar Levels in Children with Diabetes
Before this life-threatening complication arises, it is best to tab the condition from the start. Keeping a regular check on your child’s blood sugar levels can also be helpful. Get yourself a glucometer, with which you can regularly monitor and track blood sugar levels from the comfort of wherever you are.
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