Juvenile diabetes mellitus – diabetes affecting the young

Juvenile diabetes is much the same as Type 1 diabetes. No one in the family suffered from this type of diabetes. However it is good to know about it since sometimes when you suffer from type 2 diabetes for a number of years it may lead to the onset of type 1.

Diabetes type 1 is caused by the immune system attacking the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. Whenever this happen it meant that the body cannot regulate blood-glucose levels on its own.

It is recognised that a normal healthy body will keep glucose levels within a range of 4 – 7 mmol/L. The body achieve this by using a range of hormones. The most important hormone is insulin which is the hormone that transfers glucose from the bloodstream into the cells to be used for energy.

In type 1 diabetes mellitus the blood-glucose levels will consistently go and remain outside of the normal range because there is either insufficient or a total absence of insulin.

When blood-glucose levels are too high the body will attempt to remove the excess glucose from the blood in any way it can.

This leads to a chain of events including the following:

• The body will try to get rid of the excess glucose by pushing it out in the urine – resulting in the need to go to the toilet more often
• Because more urine is being passed there is increased thirst
• Because the cells aren’t getting the energy they need there will be tiredness and eventually exhaustion
• Because the body still needs energy it will start to break down fat stores so there will be weight loss
• If this continues for any length of time there will be a build up of ketones which are toxic to the body and can cause the breath to smell ketotic (like pear drops), stomach pains and ultimately loss of consciousness

You should be on a constant look out for these symptoms of juvenile diabetes mellitus. The common signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes are:

• More frequent urination
• Thirst
• Tiredness
• Weight loss
• Ketones

Onset of these symptoms is quite rapid, over days and weeks rather than months, although the process of the damage to the insulin producing cells in the pancreas may have taken months or years to develop.

If you experience the symptoms of juvenile diabetes mellitus you should visit your doctor quickly. For more information visit: http://www.jdrf.org.uk

I have put together the common juvenile diabetes symptoms on one page for your convenience and if you would live to see it just click on the link.

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