Childhood diabetes: 10 tips to live with
In recent years, there has been an increase in cases of Child diabetes, due to an increase in the sedentary lifestyle, bad eating habits and genetic and environmental factors. In fact, the childhood diabetes (type 1) It is the third most common chronic disease in childhood, and in Spain, about 30,000 children under the age of 15 suffer from it, according to data from FEDE.
Diabetes in children
Diabetes mellitus type 1 is the one that most affects children and is characterized by a lack of insulin production by the pancreas, which causes an increase in the level of glucose or blood sugar. Dr. Aurora Garre and Dr. Esther Cátena, medical experts of Cinfa explain that "for this reason, and to regulate these levels, sick people need daily insulin injections".
This type of diabetes suddenly appears, usually during the first weeks of life, although it isbetween five and seven years and during puberty when the disease is usually more common. "To detect it, parents should pay attention to symptoms such as excessive thirst, the child urinating too often or presenting a sudden weight loss, weakness, constant hunger, irritability or even wet the bed at night, "says Dr. Garre.
Also, once the child has been diagnosed, the most important thing is to continue the treatment, since, for the moment, this disease has no cure, although it is being investigated in this regard. For this, together with the daily insulin injections"It is essential to have a correct and regular diet and to practice physical exercise, as well as to work on two other aspects that are especially important in the case of minors: the self-control of their disease and education in diabetes," the expert concludes.
Ten tips to coexist with childhood 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, and that cause rapid increases in blood glucose: refined sugars, honey, sweets (candy, 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 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, high-fiber foods such as wholemeal bread, natural fruit with skin and fresh or cooked vegetables they are very advisable, because the fiber is not digested, and it speeds up the passage of food through the stomach, decreasing the absorption of carbohydrates (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. Also, do five meals a day (breakfast, lunch, lunch, 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's something very simple, that they perform with the help of a glucose meter and that in most cases it consists of extracting 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. The majority of children are due toinject insulin several times a day: Quick action before each main meal and slow action, once at night.
7. Weight attention. All children, but especially those with diabetes, should have 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 examinations and examinations of the fundus of the eye, in order to detect early diabetic retinopathy, the first cause of blindness in the western world.
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.
Marta Alamillo
Advice: Dr. Aurora Garre Y Dr. Esther Cátena, medical experts from Laboratorios Cinfa. Federation of Spanish Diabetics (FEDE).
