Diabetes is a condition that we usually associate with adults. Isn’t it distressing and heart-wrenching to see a small child suffering from diabetes? Continue reading to know more about juvenile diabetes, complications that can arise due to diabetes in children and some home remedies to prevent it.
Diabetes In Children
There are basically three types of diabetes that affect children:
- Diabetes Type I: This is a condition where the child’s body is unable to produce insulin that is required to convert the carbohydrate and sugar into energy that is necessary for your child. When the body is unable to sufficiently produce insulin, the blood sugar levels in the body spike leading to a situation called diabetes. Diabetes Type I is normally triggered due to the destruction or damage of beta cells located in the pancreas
- Diabetes Type II: This is a kind of progressive case that occurs when your system is unable to respond to the hormone insulin or becomes resistant to it. Despite the presence of insulin in the body, the blood sugar levels keep increasing. If this condition is ignored it leads to all kinds of dangerous complications like blindness, failure of kidneys and heart disease
- Prediabetes: This is the third kind of condition where the blood sugar levels are higher as compared to the normal levels but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. If treated and controlled, this condition can delay the commencement of Type I or Type II diabetes in children
Symptoms Of Diabetes In Children
- Child feels extremely thirsty
- Frequent urination
- If you child is extremely tired all the time without any valid reason
- Mood swings
- Complains about pain in abdomen
- Numbness or tingling sensation in hands and feet
- Wounds that take time to heal
- Weightless without any reason
- Dry and itchy skin
- Blurred vision
Complications Of Diabetes In Children
Severe complications that can rear its head if your child happens to be a diabetic. Some of these complications include damage to the nerves or kidney damage, cardiovascular damage and even damage to the eyes. Some of the complications that need immediate medical attention include:
- Hypoglycemia: This is one complication that can crop up if your child does not have meals on time or skips his meals but is given his medicine or the daily dose of insulin. The main indications of low blood sugar or hypoglycemia include
- Tension
- Headache
- Sweating
- dizziness
- Paling of skin
- Speech getting slurred
- Rapid beating of the heart
- Loses consciousness
- Diabetes Ketoacidosis: Another serious condition that could develop if the blood sugar levels are not controlled properly. The body releases toxin called ketones. Main indications of this are:
- Tiredness
- Loss of weight
- Severe thirst
- Stomach pain
- Increased urination
- Difficulty breathing
- Flushed and dry skin
- Confused state of mind
This condition can be diagnosed easily by testing urine with ketone strips that will tell you if the number of ketones has multiplied. If the test is positive take your child to the doctor immediately.
How To Prevent Complications Due To Diabetes In Children
Simple steps if adhered to properly can to a big extent avert all kinds of unnecessary complications related to diabetes in your child. Make your child an active participant to deal with this condition. Make sure that you take these precautions for your child to ensure that the blood sugar levels are controlled. These include:
- Make your child exercise regularly. Encourage him for outdoor play. Go for a run with him or enroll him in classes like basketball, tennis or badminton
- Ensure you keep up the regular check ups and appointments with his or her doctor so that the doctor is able to monitor them closely for any kind of complications that are likely to develop
- Make sure that all the medication or injections are given to your child daily and on time
- Consult a dietician about a healthy and balanced diet plan for your child and make sure you stick to the diet as far as possible
- Take extra care to make sure you give your child has his meals on time
- Teach your child the importance of diabetic care and the seriousness of this disease
- Teach him the importance of eating healthy snacks
- Let the school authorities know about your child’s condition and tie up with the school nurse to help check your child’s blood sugar levels and administer insulin on time
10 Simple Home Remedies For Diabetes in children
- Indian gooseberry: Amla or gooseberry that is loaded with vitamin C and has been found to be extremely effective in treating diabetes in children. Try feeding your child with gooseberry juice as a home remedy to bring sugar levels down
- Jamun: Jambul or Jamun fruit is regarded as a conventional medication to treat diabetes. The fruit has been found to have wonderful properties to keep in check the conversion of starch into sugar. The best means is to powder the seed of the fruit and give your child a spoonful of this powder mixed with curd or milk or even plain water every day
- String bean pod tea: This is found to be a perfect substitute for insulin and very effective for treating diabetes. It has been found that having a single cup of this tea is equivalent to a unit of insulin. Make your child drink this tea every day to keep the sugar levels in check
- Celery garlic, onions and cucumber: These are other wonderful veggies that are excellent home remedies for diabetics and so ensure you include these veggies in your child’s diet on a regular basis
- Basil: Basil leaves are known to contain essential oils that help to improve glucose tolerance in the body. Boil some leaves of holy basil in a bowl of water and give it to your child to drink every morning. You can even extract the juice from these basil leave and give two teaspoons of this juice to your child on empty stomach every morning
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon is proved to improve the blood glucose levels. Add one gram of cinnamon powder in your child’s diet every day to get maximum benefits. You can also boil some cinnamon in water for around 15 minutes. Give this decoction to your child every day
- Ginger: It has been seen that ginger helps to reduce the complications related to diabetes. So add ginger to your child’s food. But remember that too much of ginger can cause heartburn so check with your child’s doctor on the quantity
- Aloevera: Aloe Vera is a miracle plant and one of the benefits is its anti-diabetic property. Making your child drink a tablespoon of aloe Vera juice every morning can help to keep the blood sugar levels under control
- Fenugreek seeds: Fenugreek seeds are known to reduce the fasting blood sugar levels. Soak one spoonful of fenugreek seeds in water overnight and give it to your child first thing in the morning for desired results. You can even powder the fenugreek seeds and add it to your child’s milk or yogurt for improving the insulin production
- Bittergourd: This is an age old remedy know to control the blood sugar levels. Extract some bitter gourd juice and give it to your child every morning on empty stomach to reap maximum benefits. But then as the name suggests it’s a bitter juice and a lot of kids will be reluctant in consuming it. You can try making chutney or curry this vegetable and add it to your child’s diet
Along with these remedies it is important that you keep encouraging your child and instill confidence in him that this disease can be easily dealt with. Watching your child go through his life with diabetes is very painful but then a lot of people have managed this situation very well and are leading a happy life. So why not your child?
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