Childhood diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes in children: 90-95 per cent of under 16’s with diabetes have this type. It is a condition in which the body's immune system 'attacks' one of the body's own tissues or organs. It is caused by the inability of the pancreas to produce insulin.

Statistics:

The last 30 years has seen a threefold increase in the number of cases of childhood diabetes. In Europe and America, Type 2 diabetes has been seen for the first time in young people. This is probably in part caused by the increasing trend towards obesity in our society. But obesity doesn't explain the increase in the numbers of Type 1 diabetes in children - who make up the majority of new cases.

Symptoms:

The main symptoms are the same as in adults. But this is the symptoms that are more typical for children:

- Tummy pains

- Headaches

- Behavior problems

Doctors should consider the possibility of diabetes in any child who has an otherwise unexplained history of illness or tummy pains for a few weeks. If diabetes is diagnosed, your child should be referred to specialist in childhood diabetes. When they are, doctors can help immediately with treatment and help you to maintain and control the diabetes.

What is the honeymoon phase?

The honeymoon phase refers to the period of time shortly after the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes during which there is some restoration of insulin production by the pancreas. This is only a temporary situation and not an indication that diabetes is either improving, in remission, or cured.

When insulin is injected, the pancreas may get a small "break" from having to produce insulin. This rest period may then stimulate the remaining beta cells to being to produce insulin. These remaining beta cells, however, will also eventually be destroyed and this temporary "honeymoon" period will revert back to a state of absolute insulin deficiency (no insulin production by the pancreas).

During the honeymoon phase blood glucose levels may improve to normal, or near-normal, levels. However, it is important that you do not stop taking insulin all together even during the honeymoon phase.

How long does the honeymoon phase last?

This varies from person to person but honeymooning occurs during the first year of diagnosis and can last for weeks, months, and on rare occasion, for a year or longer. It is not consistent to predict when, and for how long it will last. And some may never experience noticeable honeymooning.

Can I do anything to prolong the honeymoon period?

The older you are and the slower your onset of beta cells destruction the more likely you are to experience the honeymoon phase, and the longer it will last. Therefore, young children are the least likely to honeymoon significantly, and those with latent onset autoimmune diabetes of adulthood ([LADA], older teens, and young adults more likely to honeymoon than are preteens and young children.

Do Not Stop Taking Insulin

• Insulin may help protect remaining beta cells by giving the pancreas a little "rest"
• Stopping insulin and starting again may trigger an allergic reaction
• It can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis

Don't try to make these adjustments on your own. Consult with your doctor.

What is Type 1 Diabetes?

It's important to note that everyone is insulin-dependent. People without diabetes make insulin in their pancreas. People with Type 1 diabetes must inject insulin. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body destroys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Without insulin, the body starves to death.

Juvenile Diabetes

Juvenile diabetes mellitus is now more commonly called Type 1 diabetes. It is a syndrome with disordered metabolism and inappropriately high blood glucose levels due to a deficiency of insulin secretion in the pancreas.

Type 2 Diabetes

Just a few years ago, it was rare to hear about a child with type 2diabetes. It used to be thought that if diabetes occurred in childhood, it was type 1, or juvenile-onset, diabetes. Not anymore. Now, according to the CDC, over 186,000 people under the age of 20 have diabetes -- both type 1 and type 2, formerly called adult-onset diabetes.

In type 2 diabetes the cells in a child's body are resistant to the effects of insulin and glucose builds up in the bloodstream. Eventually, this causes glucose to reach dangerous levels in the body.

Over time, the body becomes increasingly less able to handle all the glucose in the blood vessels. The high blood sugar can then lead to diabetes complications, such as heart disease, blindness, and kidney failure.

Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes in Children

The following risk factors are associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in children:

- Being overweight

- Family history of diabetes

- Female gender

Is Type1 Diabetes hereditary?

It does seem that there is an increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes if a parent, especially the father has the disease and an even greater chance if a sibling has it. they should remember that even though there may be an increased risk of the disease in those with close family who have the disease there is absolutely no guarantee that they or their offspring will ever develop diabetes.

Helping Your Child Overcome the Pressures of Diabetes

Raising a child is not easy, and diabetes adds mental and physical challenges for you and your child. But don't let diabetes control the happiness of your family. With family support, daily care, and treatment, you can help your child lead a healthy, active, and fun-filled life. Be supportive. Don't try to take over if a few high blood sugar levels occur. Instead, try to solve the problem together and ask how you can help.

In addition, a relationship with an adult outside the family, such as a teacher, coach etc. may provide valuable extra support. Your doctor can recommend additional help from a psychologist or counselor.

Alternative Treatments for Diabetes

For some people this word means nothing personal. It sounds like the words “earthquake” for those who never experienced the actual it. For others diabetes is very personal. It is their lifestyle. To this category I refer people who have been diagnosed with this disease and also members of their families. Their life is a constant fight and challenge.

Pharmacological science, endocrinology and dietetics have made huge steps in conquering the disease. The scientific research is rapidly doing big progress. New methods of treatment and new prescription drugs are constantly being invented and implemented into practice.

Alongside with the scientific traditional methods there have always existed so-called non-traditional or alternative methods of treatment of different diseases. Diabetes also has its alternative methods. Many of them work, some don’t. People diagnosed with diabetes are usually ready to try every accessible kind of treatment, because each of them gives additional hope. This approach especially applies to parents of diagnosed children who feel desperate and do their best to get the best treatment ever for their kids, which is absolutely understandable.

Non-traditional methods, such as acupuncture, aromatherapy, massage, yoga and hypnosis help to cope with such symptoms as nervous breakdowns, blurred vision, poor blood circulation and also kidney and heart problems. Other symptoms of diabetes, experienced by patients at different stages of the disease are also successfully treated with the help of alternative methods, such as, for example, herbal treatment. Herbs are good for eliminating the feelings of thirst, mouth dryness, excessive appetite, muscle weakness, loss of weight, excessive volume of urine and skin itching.

Herbal treatment of diabetes was known in different times and different places. For example, the Russian Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov, who lived at the end of 16^th and up to the middle of the 17^th centuries and suffered with diabetes, was treated with rhizomes Elecampane, boiled in water. Well known herbs for diabetes are lilac buds, camomile flowers, black currants, eucalyptus leaves, calendula flowers and many others.

Especially useful is cinnamon, grown in India and Burma. The Latin name of the herb is Cinnamomum tamala. It’s pharmaceutical effect is very high, it changes its status from local to global and quickly gains popularity all over the world.

Herbal treatment is considered to be very effective. It does not just eliminate the undesirable symptoms, but also makes the metabolism system of the body much healthier. Herbal treatment is that it does not show immediate effect. Herbs should be taken regularly for a very long period of time. They work slowly, but very efficiently. The problem with most of the patients who give it up is lack of patience and persistence.

If herbs have been used for centuries, supplements are relatively new remedy. Supplements become more and more popular in diabetes treatment in many countries. Cod liver oil contains Omega 3, very essential fatty acids. Less than two grams of fish oil per day can increase insulin level in the blood. Omega 3 is also good for treatment of cardio-vascular pathology, caused by diabetes.

Nowadays yoga is gaining popularity in diabetes treatment. It used to be applied to symptomatic treatment. According to some yoga specialists it can cure diabetes because yoga offers a very healthy and natural method of regulating the breathing process. According to some theories, the surplus of sugar in the body is accumulated because the oxygen contained in the human body does not burn the sugar as it should.

Oxygen, which is transported to different parts of the body by haemoglobin, is not delivered properly due to the broken balance between carbon dioxide and oxygen. Russian scientist Buteiko proved that all metabolism processes in the body are well performed on condition that oxygen exceeds three times carbon dioxide. Otherwise oxygen hunger causes diabetes and other metabolic diseases.

For this reason it is crucial for diabetic patients that they know how to regulate the breathing process. It’s impossible to overestimate yoga’s role in teaching how to breathe in the right way in order to make the metabolism healthy. It is a rather complicated breathing method: it is breathing through the mouth, with a longer exhalation and shorted inhalation time, and also there should be a certain pause after exhalation. I would say it is a kind of art and one should take time to learn how to do it properly.

Physical training is important for diabetes treatment. Yoga knows methods of giving the muscles a very precise dose of work. As a result insulin from depots under the skin goes directly to the blood. There also other albumins organic matters which go to the blood when muscles work. There is no enough research data, but scientists consider those substances to have insulin-like effect.

When compared with traditional fitness, yoga system, skilfully applied, is harmless for diabetic patients. Again, yoga does not give immediate result, it requires patience. The reward is weight gain for skinny patients, weight loss for obese ones, and also the considerable reduction of insulin doses.

No matter how hope-inspiring alternative methods are or could be, dieting and insulin treatment are still the mostly used methods. New alternative methods play subordinate role, reinforcing traditional methods.

The attitude to this particular diagnosis is undergoing transformation throughout decades. If in my childhood diabetes sounded like the end of the world, nowadays the word itself does not scare any more. If back in the middle of last century people with diabetes were considered doomed, today the situation is different: men and women diagnosed with diabetes are able and active members of the society.

Statistics shows that the patients who follow the recommendations prescribed by their doctors all through their lives tend to feel better that the rest of the mankind, who do not have diabetes. It happens because diabetic patients pay proper attention to their nutrition, their body and keep their bodies in better shape. Consequently, they have a good chance to live longer than those who have chaotic lifestyle and don’t pay proper attention to their well-being.