Type 1 diabetes will grow in the coming years
The increase in cases of overweight and obesity has caused other health problems such as diabetes Type 2 grows to the point that many nutritionists predict an epidemic of this disease. However, in recent times, more and more cases of diabetes Type 1, less frequent but which is becoming an increasingly common issue.
In fact the specialists who participated in the National Congress of the Spanish Society of Diabetes They explained that this upward trend continues in the coming years and, therefore, the cases of children with type 1 diabetes increase. A problem that must be addressed to find the reasons why this situation is occurring.
Diabetes type 1
Although type 2 diabetes is usually associated with obesity and overweight, type 1 is an autoimmune disorder that can appear any age. It is usually more common in children and consists in the cessation of insulin production by the patient's pancreas, whereby the glucose processing by this organism is altered and this ends up accumulating in the bloodstream.
Type 1 diabetes has a strong genetic component. Parents with this glucose processing problem are more likely to have their child as well. In Spain today, of all patients with diabetes, only between 5 and 10% have type 1. Although the expectations are that this percentage will increase in the coming years.
Need to monitor
Experts from this congress explain that this increase in type 1 diabetes has occurred in developed countries. Areas in which medical advances they have given patients a longer life expectancy with this glucose processing problem, which has allowed their families to form. This is related to the genetic component of this disorder, which makes the birth of a diabetic child more likely.
In this sense it becomes necessary monitor this situation in Spain. Create a real registry of people with type 1 diabetes to take real awareness of the situation and establish protocols to ensure a good quality of life for future generations. Focus medical efforts to treat these young people and teach parents measures to solve situations in which the welfare of children is compromised.
These are some tips for live together with diabetes:
1. Knowledge and normalization of the disease. When the child has received the diagnosis, a work of education in endeavor is needed both for the patient himself - the one who should know better his health -, as well as for his relatives, friends and teachers, who can also intervene in the pharmacological control and emotional of diabetes. The environment must also know the guidelines for action and participate in the habits and schedules of the patient. In this sense, the work of sensitization and normalization in all the environments of the child is basic so that this one adapts and learns to coexist with his illness.
2. Caution with sugar. For people with diabetes, it is essential to limit the amount of simple sugars consumed to a maximum, that is, those that are rapidly absorbed by the intestine, causing rapid rises in blood glucose: refined sugars, honey, sweets (candies, nougat. ..), cakes or pastries in general. On the other hand, they can take every day, milk and some dairy products, and fresh fruits, although these are not in excess.
3. Balanced feeding. However, the diet is not limited so
only to the control of sugar. Thus, both at home and at school, the consumption of fats should be moderate and prevent the elevation of blood cholesterol. On the contrary, fiber-rich foods such as wholemeal bread, natural fruit with skin and fresh or cooked vegetables are highly recommended, as the fiber is not digested, and speeds the passage of food through the stomach, decreasing the absorption of hydrates of carbon (sugars). Also the proteins present in meat, fish, eggs, cheese or milk are necessary for the growth of the body and the repair of tissues.
4. The meal schedule, as regular as possible. It is important that the child performs meals always at the same time, contributing to better diabetic control. In addition, making five meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack and dinner) balances blood glucose levels.
5. Control of glucose levels / glycemia. In general, diabetic children need to perform a self-analysis of glucose several times a day that provides information about their blood glucose level, which allows their autonomy and self-control of the disease. It is very simple, they perform with the help of a glucose meter and that in most cases is to extract a drop of blood from the yolk of a finger.
6. Pharmacological treatment.The medication is a basic pillar next to food and exercise. Thus, insulin is the pharmacological basis in type 1 diabetes, children themselves can usually apply the necessary injections, with the supervision of an adult in the case of the smallest. Most children should be injected with insulin several times a day: fast-acting before each main meal and slow-acting, once in the evening.
7. Weight attention. All children, but especially those with diabetes, must maintain a normal weight, according to their age and physical characteristics. If we detect excess weight, it is recommended to limit the amount of calories consumed per day.
8. Bet for physical exercise. Children with diabetes can play sports like any other child. In fact, exercise carries several extra benefits for them: it favors the decrease in blood sugar, improves insulin sensitivity and helps lose weight.
9. Periodic ophthalmological reviews. Sight is another important aspect in children with diabetes. Beyond the own revisions of the infantile population, in them it is necessary to check periodically the state of the retina with explorations and examinations of the bottom of the eye, in order to detect early diabetic retinopathy, the first cause of blindness in the world western.
10. React to hypoglycaemia and hyperglycemia. Hypoglycaemia is a crisis caused by low blood sugar levels, and manifests with paleness, drowsiness, tremors, hunger or even loss of consciousness. In these cases, it is important to quickly raise glucose levels, giving the child some sugary food such as a soft drink, fruit juice or cookies and letting it rest. Otherwise, when the blood sugar level is very high, there is talk of hyperglycemia, and may have fatigue, gut pain, desire to urinate and much thirst, but may also be asymptomatic. In these cases, treatment with insulin should be applied.
Damián Montero
