Why is diabetes thought to be one of the most common chronic illnesses of young people?
According to several organizations that specialize in diabetes, diabetes is one of the most common chronic illnesses of young people.
This is because it is estimated that 5 percent of all new diabetes cases are type 1, and most of those affected are children and adolescents.
It is also estimated that more than 18,000 people under age 20 are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes each year.
The numbers are also high in terms of type 2 diabetes, with estimates of more than 5,000 new cases of type 2 diabetes in young people each year.
At this writing, these figures are often translated as meaning that one of every 350 children has diabetes, although some recent studies show this trend may be slowing.
What are the challenges of treating a toddler (one to three years old) who has type 1 diabetes?
The challenges associated with treating a toddler ages one to three who has type 1 diabetes is similar to that of an infant less than a year old.
In addition, as children get older, they tend to refuse to eat certain foods, meaning there is a chance of hypoglycemia.
Discipline and temper tantrums are also known to be issues at the toddler stage, possibly making it difficult for the parent to measure the child’s blood glucose levels.
The best way to overcome such challenges is for the parent or guardian to better understand the disease (through education) and to get the overall support of a diabetes team and the child’s health care professional.
One challenge of having a toddler with diabetes is getting them to eat foods low in sugars.
What are some challenges of preschool and early school-aged children (three to seven years old) to school-aged children (eight to 12 years old) who have type 1 diabetes?
A child (ages three to seven) with type 1 diabetes still needs help managing injections and blood glucose readings.
But in many cases, children in this age group are ready to participate in certain activities that will help them manage their diabetes.
In particular, many parents ask their child to participate in the testing and keeping records of the child’s glucose measurements, along with helping to make meals for the child.
These responsibilities often make a child gain confidence in helping to manage diabetes.
For school-aged children (ages eight to twelve) with type 1 diabetes, the challenges are somewhat different, especially if they have been diagnosed with the disease at a later age.
If the child has had diabetes for a while, the tasks include continuing to manage blood glucose levels with injections and maintaining nutritional balance.
For those who are diagnosed at an older age, the challenge becomes learning to cope with not only a different way of eating but also taking medication each day.
There is also the psychological challenge of managing the disease every day, dealing with their peers’ understanding (and misunderstanding) of diabetes, and realizing the disease will not go away.
Why is it often difficult for children (ages six to twelve) with type 1 diabetes while at school?
One of the most difficult challenges for children ages six to twelve with diabetes, type 1 or type 2, is managing their blood glucose levels while they attend school.
Younger children’s challenges at school include assistance in administering insulin (including if the child uses an insulin pump) and supervision in managing glucose levels.
For older children, school becomes more of a challenge as they increase their activities while keeping their glucose under control.
In addition, there are often problems stemming from peers, many who may not understand diabetes and what challenges it entails.
DIABETES AND TEENS THROUGH YOUNG ADULTS
Has type 2 diabetes increased in teens and young adults?
Yes, according to most diabetes research, type 2 diabetes, which usually develops in adulthood past age 40, has become increasingly common in children and teenagers. Some studies also indicate that along with this rise in type 2 diabetes cases is an increased number of teenagers and young adults who are also obese. Although one study indicated that a rise in obesity was slowing down, there are still enough teens and young adults who are at risk to become obese and develop type 2 diabetes to prompt concern.
What are some challenges faced by parents or guardians of adolescents and young adults with diabetes?
The parents or guardians of adolescents and young adults with diabetes can face several challenges. One of the biggest challenges is in helping a young person gain the independence and confidence he or she will need in the future, without too much parental involvement that may alienate the young person. Parents must also realize that the young person (especially an adolescent) will need help now and then with the management and decision making of diabetes (for example, with insulin adjustments and eating habits).
Psychologically, peer pressure may be hard on a young person with diabetes. In such cases, parents need to be understanding, give guidance, and even obtain counseling if necessary to help the young person. Plus, it is good to know that parents and the young person are not alone. There are others who can help a young person with diabetes, including teachers, health care professionals, dietitians, and diabetes educators.
Why is a Diabetes Medical Management Plan (DMMP) important to a student with diabetes?
A Diabetes Medical Management Plan (DMMP) consists of the medical orders or diabetes care plan developed by the student’s personal diabetes health care team.
The main reason for having such a plan is that every student who has diabetes needs different methods of treatment.
Because of this, a student’s doctor orders for school care need to be specifically designed for that student.
According to the American Diabetes Association, along with the National Diabetes Education Program (under the National Institutes of Health), there is now a DMMP that can be customized for every student who has diabetes, whether it be type 1 or type 2. (To obtain this template, visit the American Diabetes Association website at http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/parents-andkids/diabetes-care-at-school/written-care-plans/diabetes-medical-management.html .)
What are some ways to help adolescents and young adults with diabetes eat right, especially at school?
There are several ways to help adolescents and young adults with diabetes cope with eating right, especially while they’re at school. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (under the National Institutes of Health), several approaches will help a student plan meals and take care of his or her blood glucose levels during school. The following lists some of those ways (for more about diet and diabetes, see the chapter “Diabetes and Eating”):
Carbohydrate (carb) counting , This is a popular meal-planning approach for children and adolescents with diabetes. It involves calculating the number of grams of carbohydrates (also called carbs), or choices of carbohydrate, eaten at meals or snacks.
It can be hard to keep an active teen away from high-carb foods like French fries and sodas. They also need to know about other sources of carbs that seem unlikely, including sandwich wraps, raisins, smoothies, bagels, and bananas.
Changing-carb-intake meal plan , This is a method of meal planning used by students who take multiple daily insulin injections or have an insulin pump. Students who use this method do not have to eat the same amount of carbs at every meal or snack, but they must adjust their insulin doses (with either rapid- or short-acting insulin) to cover the amount of carbs they consume (they often use this method in conjunction with a basal/bolus insulin plan; for more about basal and bolus insulin treatments, see the chapter “Taking Charge of Diabetes”).
Consistent-carb-intake meal plan , This is a meal plan in which students aim for a set amount of carbohydrates at each meal and snack but do not adjust their mealtime insulin for the amount of carbohydrate intake. These students follow a traditional or fixed insulin-dose plan.
Overall, these methods can be used in conjunction with the student’s Diabetes Medical Management Plan (DMMP; see above) developed by the student’s personal diabetes health care team.
DIABETES AND MIDDLE-AGED ADULTS
What is the average life expectancy of a person with type 1 diabetes?
According to a study conducted in 2012, men with type 1 diabetes had an average life expectancy of about 66 years versus 77 years among men without it. Women with type 1 diabetes had an average life expectancy of about 68 years compared with around 81 years for those without type 1 diabetes. Of course, these are merely statistics, as many men and women with type 1 diabetes live well into their eighties, nineties, and even past the century mark.
What study connected type 2 diabetes with female puberty?
I n research conducted in 2013, scientists studied more than 15,000 middle-aged women from eight countries in Europe, asking when the women started their periods.
On the basis of their statistics, they determined that women who began menstruating between the ages of 8 and 11 years had a 70 percent greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes in adulthood than those who started their periods at the average age of 13.
When the women’s BMI (body mass index; for more about BMI, see the chapter “Diabetes and Obesity”) was taken out of the equation, only about 42 percent had a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes if they began menstruating at an early age.
Although the researchers believe that early puberty in women somehow affects the women’s diabetes risk (no matter what the weight), it seems this study also does not factor in lifestyles or medical histories, thus the results are highly debated.
What percentage of adults develop type 1 diabetes?
Although type 1 diabetes is commonly diagnosed in childhood, around 25 percent of people with type 1 diabetes are diagnosed as adults, some even into their nineties. If an adult develops type 1 diabetes, the symptoms usually occur suddenly and are similar to those symptoms in children who develop the disease. These include weight loss, nausea, constant thirst, and urination. (For more about type 1 diabetes in adults, see the chapter “Type 1 Diabetes.”)
Does type 2 diabetes occur suddenly in middle-aged adults?
No, a person develops type 2 diabetes gradually over a number of years, at middle age or any age. Internally, it usually begins when muscle and other cells in the body stop responding to insulin. The reason it seems to occur more often in middle-aged adults is that it develops gradually and because more middle-aged people develop problems with weight gain, blood pressure, and other conditions that can lead to type 2 diabetes.
What is the average age a person is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were a total of 1.7 million new total diabetes cases in 2012 (the latest data available). In addition, adults (both male and female) ages 45 to 64 were the most-diagnosed age group for type 2 diabetes.
How does type 2 diabetes affect the life expectancy of a person with the disease?
According to several studies, type 2 diabetes cuts about eight and a half to ten years off the life of the average 50-year-old person (male and female) compared with a 50-yearold without the disease. (These numbers often differ for type 2 diabetes because of gender, how healthy the person is before the diagnosis, and lifestyle differences, such as smoking, blood pressure, etc.) Of course, these are merely statistics, as many men and women with type 2 diabetes live well into their eighties, nineties, and beyond.