What are the symptoms of diabetes and what are the warning signs you should be ready to spot?
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Eating greasy foods does not cause diabetes. You cannot give yourself diabetes by eating too much sugar or eating junk foods. These foods are not good for you because they are empty calories and will cause weight gain and increase your cholesterol.
Symptoms of diabetes include thirst, frequent urination with frothy, fruity smelling urine, blurry vision, fatigue, sometimes weight loss. You may have bouts of low blood sugar, where you feel ravenously hungry.
If you suspect diabetes, have a fasting blood test done. The sooner you get on medication, the better. You will also feel better and have more energy with your sugars under control.
Excessive take-out of greasy foods and high-carbohydrates and not eating regular well-rounded meals can cause a lot of problems.
I don't know what it is like in the UK but here in America, they are starting to offer healthier options.
I think one can eat out or get take out and still find healthier options.
Symptoms
High blood sugar levels are responsible for a variety of immediate symptoms and long-term complications.
Symptoms develop quickly in type 1 diabetes, usually over 2 to 3 weeks or less, and tend to be quite obvious. High blood sugar levels cause the child to urinate excessively. This fluid loss causes an increase in thirst and the consumption of fluids. Some children become dehydrated, resulting in weakness, lethargy, and a rapid pulse. Vision may become blurred.
Diabetic ketoacidosis occurs at the beginning of the disease in about one third of children with type 1 diabetes. Without insulinSome Trade Names
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, cells cannot use the sugar that is in the blood. Cells switch to a back-up mechanism to obtain energy and break down fat, producing compounds called ketones as byproducts. Ketones make the blood too acidic (ketoacidosis), causing nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and abdominal pain. The ketones make the child's breath smell like nail polish remover. Breathing becomes deep and rapid as the body attempts to correct the blood's acidity (see Acid-Base Balance: Introduction). The increase of ketones in the blood leads to diabetic ketoacidosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis can progress to coma and death, sometimes within a few hours. Children with ketoacidosis often have other chemical imbalances in the blood, such as an abnormal level of potassium and high levels of lipids (fats).
Symptoms in children with type 2 diabetes are milder than those in type 1 and develop more slowly—over weeks or even a few months. Parents may notice an increase in the child's thirst and urination or only vague symptoms, such as fatigue. Typically, children with type 2 diabetes do not develop ketoacidosis or severe dehydration.
Diagnosis
Doctors suspect diabetes when children have typical symptoms or when a urine test done during a routine physical examination reveals sugar. The diagnosis is confirmed by measurement of the blood sugar level. Preferably, the blood test is done after fasting overnight. A child is considered to have diabetes if the fasting blood sugar level is 126 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or higher. Rarely, doctors order a blood test that detects antibodies to islet cells to help distinguish type 1 diabetes from type 2; however, this information is rarely useful.
Because prompt measures (such as dietary changes, an increase in physical activity, and weight loss) may help prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes, children at risk should be screened with a blood test. Nothing can be done to prevent type 1 diabetes.
Treatment
The main goal of treatment is to keep blood sugar levels as close to the normal range as can be done safely. To control blood sugar, children with diabetes take drugs (such as insulinSome Trade Names
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or drugs given by mouth) and change their lifestyle. Changes include adjustments in diet, regular exercise, and, for overweight children, weight loss.
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