diabetes , and it is caused by a combination of genes , hormone imbalances and lifestyle factors . In no situation is diabetes the sole result of eating desserts . So next time you think about making a joke about getting diabetes from eating something sweet , think twice ! It ’ s offensive to many people with diabetes , a multifaceted and difficult to manage disease that results from many complex factors .
2 .
Educate yourself about the signs and symptoms of diabetes
Children can get diabetes as early as infancy . Signs and symptoms can develop and progress very rapidly in kids , so if they are present , it ’ s important to go see a doctor . They include :
• Increased thirst
• Frequent urination . Children who were previously potty trained may start to have accidents overnight .
• Weight loss
• Extreme hunger
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Fruity smelling breath
• Yeast infections
• Dark skin over the back of the neck that can ’ t be scrubbed off ( also called acanthosis nigricans ). This is typically a very early sign of risk for type 2 diabetes .
• Nausea , vomiting , belly pain and lethargy
The first two symptoms , increased thirst and frequent urination , typically occur earliest . If these have developed and your child also develops nausea , vomiting , belly pain or lethargy , it ’ s very important to see a doctor right away , because they may be experiencing a serious complication of low insulin levels called diabetic ketoacidosis , which can be lifethreatening .
3 .
Educate yourself about daily life with diabetes
Life with diabetes can be complicated . Children and families are tasked with keeping their blood sugar within a certain range , but over 40 different factors affect blood sugar , which are sometimes out of their control . Many children have to check their blood sugars frequently through either finger pokes or a device called a continuous glucose monitor , and in many cases , they need to count all of their carbohydrates and dose insulin for what they eat through injections or an insulin pump . With all of these complicating factors on top of living daily life , we should try to make life easier for children with diabetes , not harder , which leads to my next point .
4 . them !
Don ’ t stigmatize people with diabetes , support
• People with diabetes are just that- people with diabetes . They are people first whose disease is a part of their daily life but does not define them . Many people with diabetes do not prefer the term “ diabetic ,” as in , “ she ’ s a diabetic ,” since it puts the disease before the person .
• Choose your words carefully with empathy and awareness . For example , people with diabetes are experts in their own disease . They do not need unprompted advice about how to eat ( and yes , they can eat dessert !), how to cure their disease or how to live their life .
• Diabetes management is 24 / 7 . So if someone needs to check their blood sugar or give insulin in front of you , don ’ t make them feel singled out . They should be able to inject insulin or prick their finger at a family meal , restaurant or any public place without people commenting or staring .
• People with diabetes are not to blame for their disease . Individual behaviors and choices alone do not cause diabetes . Questions and comments from individuals that imply this are hurtful and stigmatizing .
• Our medical system can often make life with diabetes harder rather than easier . The cost of insulin has soared over the last 15 years , and families of children with diabetes have five times the out-ofpocket medical costs as other families . They need our help and support to advocate for reduced costs .
Children and families make living with diabetes look easy to the outside world , but life with diabetes is anything but easy . This Diabetes Awareness Month , let ’ s come together as a community to support these amazing kids .
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