DIABETES IN CHILDREN

Hello dears! How do you do? Hope today was not so stressful. May God continue to bless all our efforts with success. Amen.

I am here to continue with the series on #Diabetes. There are majorly two types of Diabetes viz the insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (type 1)and the non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (type 2) which was discussed in the last episode.

Today, I'm supposed to write another story which would convey my message on type 1 Diabetes but I couldn't brace my mind up enough to write it. Each time I try, I remember the cases that I have seen especially in children and I become emotional because of the effect of the disease on the children and their families. Therefore, it gives me no pleasure to write a sad story about children. 

In light of this, I just want explain in lay man's terms what type 1/ insulin dependent diabetes (IDDM) is. I hope you won't find it boring.

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus is a type of disease in which the body's immune system attacks and renders useless an organ in the body called PANCREAS. The pancreas is an irreplaceable organ in the body whose cells produce a hormone called INSULIN. The work of insulin is to mop up all the food we eat especially the carbohydrates from the blood to the cells of the body.

I hope you know that all the food we eat will digest and be broken down into smaller substances before the body can use it. The only way for the body to either use or store the sugar broken down is if the insulin is working well. Otherwise there would be high level of blood sugar. Therefore, Insulin is a very important hormone.

IDDM is the type that usually occurs in children though it can occur in adults as well. Thankfully, it occurs in only 5-10% of all Diabetes cases. There is no specific cause of this disease though some risk factors have been identified or implicated. The disease is not due to one's fault either by commission or omission.The risk factors are as follows.

- Family history: this is a strong factor as children whose parents or siblings have Diabetes tend to have the disease

- Exposure to some viruses like Epstein Barr virus, Coxsackie virus, Rubella or Cytomegalovirus may trigger the immune system to destroy the islet cells of the Pancreas.

- Drinking water that contains Nitrates

SYMPTOMS

- Frequent thirst and drinking of water

- Frequent urination

- Excessive Hunger

- Weight loss

- Tiredness

- Unusual behaviour in children

- Blurred vision

TREATMENT

There is no cure for this disease sadly, however it can be managed by injecting insulin at regular intervals as prescribed by doctors. There should also be blood sugar monitoring regularly.

COMPLICATIONS

IDDM affects nearly all organs in the body. It affects the heart, blood vessels, the nerves, the kidneys and the eyes. However, if the blood sugar is kept under control, the risk of complications is reduced. The complications include:

- Stroke

- Heart attack

- Coma from a condition called Diabetes Ketoacidosis

- High blood pressure

- Nerve damage

- Damage to eyes, kidneys and the feet

PREVENTION

This disease is not easy to prevent but early diagnosis and treatment goes a long way in preventing complications.

Thanks for reading.

References

www.webmd.com

www.mayoclinic.org

Photos from Google 

WHAT IS DIABETES MELLITUS

Hi. I guess I'm back a very long break. Hope you are all good and I hope you were still visiting the blog even though there was no new post. Please be kind enough to broadcast or invite people to read stuffs here. Thanks. 

Last year, the WHO theme was on Halting the Rise of Diabetes. This was what inspired the story below. Thanks for reading! And I hope you share it too.

My name is Bukky, I love life. We can only live once. So, I believe one should live life to the fullest. I'm a beauty if you ask me. I have all my curves in the right places. When I was a bit younger than now (well, I'm not yet old, besides being old is a thing of the mind. Or what do you think?). After all, I'm just 38 years old. Anyway, as I was saying, when I was a bit younger, men would kill to have me. Which man would see this my body and not want me? Ehn? Except if no be woman born him or if blood no dey him body!!! Lol.

I eventually married the love of my life. Or so he was when I married him. He claimed to love me so much then. He used to do boyboy behind me o. So what's now his problem. Now that I have given birth to four kids, he's now Mr head-complainant. Heeeee, my husband can so complain. Ha! I think complaining is his talent. I hope none of my children take after him in that regard.

Hmmmm, if I'm drinking my Coke jejely, he will complain that I drink too much coke that it's not good for my body. If I'm eating my meals, he will complain that the size is too much. That I will die eating. That's why I don't like eating with him, he will be eating rubbish food like salad, vegetables and fruits and be saying that that's the best food. Abeg, na food be dat, when I no be goat. I go come dey chop grass always. No be something go kill person?! Abeg, abeg that fruits and vegetables no be for me o.

See, if my husband knows that he doesn't have enough money to feed me, let him say. Abi which one is it that some will not be able to eat what one wants. Does he want me to look like Those skinny people who cannot afford to eat three square meals a day? In fact those are the people that are sick. Hmmm. They are not pretty at all. Clothes will hang on their bodies like hanger or mannequin. Imagine!!! Hmmm. No be me! Please check me out. I've got all it takes. You need to see me in Iro and Buba. You go bow. Cash madam!

Abeg, let's leave that story for another day. I noticed some strange things happening to me recently. I hope it's not my stepmother that is at work ( you know she's a witch!). If she's the one, I will show her pepper. Hmmm. Now, I wake up about four times every night to urinate. During the day Nko, uncountable. My legs feel numb like blood is not flowing in it very well again. All those ones don't even bother me as much as this big sore on my left foot. It started as one tintinni wound o, see, now it's so big and it's not responding to the dressing the nurse next door is doing for me. What will I do now oooo. My husband says I should go to the hospital but is this the kind of thing that you take to the hospital? No be hospital matter jo! There's a hand at work and I must see to the end of this matter......

Three days later.......

Bukky was rushed unconscious into the emergency room at the hospital. She was diagnosed of Diabetes Mellitus. She had already developed a complication called Diabetic foot. The doctors would have to amputate her leg. What a pity!!

The story above, though fictitious depicts one of the various manifestions of Diabetes. Hopefully soon, I will tell another story of diabetes in children. Then I will discuss the issue of diabetes at length. 

Please note, all pictures were assessed from Google.

Thanks for reading. Please share on your social platforms. Thanks in anticipation. Ciao for now