Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high.
Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose from food get into your cells to be used for energy. With diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t effectively use the insulin.
We often hear about elderly people/adults with Diabetes. Have you ever thought that children get Diabetes at an early age?
The two major types of diabetes are:
- Type 1 diabetes, in which the immune system attacks the pancreas and destroys the cells that make insulin.
- Type 2 diabetes, in which the pancreas can still make insulin, but the body doesn’t respond to it properly.
Both types can occur at any age, but children are more likely to be diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
No one knows for sure what causes Type 1 diabetes, but scientists think it has something to do with genes. But just getting the genes for diabetes isn’t usually enough. In most cases, a child has to be exposed to something else -like a virus- to get Type 1 diabetes.
Unfortunately, Type 1 diabetes can’t be prevented and doctors don’t have any way to stop a child from developing the disease.
Unlike the past, Type 2 diabetes usually happens only in adults. But now, more kids and teens are being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, due to the rapidly increasing number of overweight kids. How can you protect your kids from developing Type 2 Diabetes?
- Make sure kids eat a healthy diet
- Limit sugary foods and beverages
- Encourage lots of physical activity
Remember:
Regular check-ups are especially important to identify and treat diabetes in children as early as possible.
* All content published is for general information purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice.