Pediatric Diabetes Care in Orlando

Type 1 diabetes, also called juvenile diabetes, is a chronic condition caused by a low or nonexistent production of insulin by the pancreas. Insulin is needed in order to allow sugar (glucose) to enter cells and produce energy. The root cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown; however, scientists know that a person’s immune system mistakenly destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Genetics may play a role in this process.

There is no cure for type 1 diabetes, but it can be successfully managed, allowing patients to live longer, healthier lives.

Signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes may include:

• Increased thirst and frequent urination – When excess sugar builds up in the bloodstream, fluid is pulled from body tissue, resulting in increased thirst and subsequent urination.
• Extreme hunger – Without a normal amount of insulin to move sugar into your cells, muscles and organs become depleted of energy. Without insulin, the sugar in the food you eat never reaches your energy-starved body tissues.
• Weight loss – Despite drinking more water and eating more food than usual to relieve thirst and hunger, persons with Type 1 diabetes may experience weight loss. Without the energy from sugar getting into the body tissue, muscles and fat stores may shrink.
• Fatigue – When cells in the body are deprived of sugar, you may become tired and irritable.
• Blurred vision – When blood sugar is too high, fluid is pulled from the tissues in the body, including the lenses of the eyes.

Type 2 diabetes, also known as adult-onset or noninsulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition in which the sugar (glucose) in the body isn’t metabolized properly. In Type 2 diabetes, the body resists the effects of insulin or doesn’t produce enough insulin to maintain a healthy glucose level. Left untreated, this condition can be life-threatening.

Signs and symptoms of Type 2 diabetes may include:

• Increased thirst and frequent urination – When excess sugar builds up in the bloodstream, fluid is pulled from body tissue, resulting in increased thirst and subsequent urination.
• Extreme hunger – Without a normal amount of insulin to move sugar into your cells, muscles and organs become depleted of energy. Without insulin, the sugar in the food you eat never reaches your energy-starved body tissues.
• Weight loss – Despite drinking more water and eating more food than usual to relieve thirst and hunger, persons with Type 2 diabetes may experience weight loss. Without the energy from sugar getting into the body tissue, muscles and fat stores may shrink.
• Fatigue – When cells in the body are deprived of sugar, you may become tired and irritable.
• Blurred vision – When blood sugar is too high, fluid is pulled from the tissues in the body, including the lenses of the eyes.
• Slow-healing sores or frequent infections – Type 2 diabetes affects the body’s ability to heal and resist infection.
• Areas of darkened skin – Some people affected by Type 2 diabetes may have darkened areas of skin, usually in the armpits. The condition may be a sign of insulin resistance.

Hypoglycemic disorders in children occur when a child has an abnormally low blood sugar level, which is an essential source of energy for the body. Hypoglycemic disorders aren’t diseases, but do indicate a health problem. Hypoglycemia can be a side effect of diabetes drug treatment.

Signs and symptoms of hypoglycemic disorders may include:

• Confusion, abnormal behavior or both, such as the inability to complete routine tasks
• Loss of consciousness, though uncommon
• Seizures, though uncommon
• Visual disturbances, such as double vision and blurred vision
• Anxiety
• Heart palpitations
• Hunger
• Shakiness
• Sweating
• Tingling sensation around the mouth