Type-2 Diabetes: Children under 15 years of age are also vulnerable to diabetes, is your child also a victim of it?
Type-2 diabetes was considered a disease that occurred with aging till a few decades ago, then it gradually started making people under the age of 40 its victims. Many recent studies show that now not only adults but children are also becoming its victims rapidly. Till now most of the cases of diabetes in children were seen as type-1 diabetes, however, now the risk of type-2 diabetes is also increasing rapidly in children under the age of 15. Having diabetes at an early age can affect the quality of life, about which health experts are expressing concern.
Health experts say that type-2 diabetes is a chronic disease. If it is not diagnosed and treated on time, then over time it starts affecting many parts of the body such as the eyes, nerves, and kidneys. This is the reason why all parents are advised to keep paying serious attention to the health of their children and the possible symptoms of diabetes.
If we look at the data, it is found that type-2 diabetes is more common in adults. However, due to many risk factors, children under the age of 15 are also becoming its victims. Is your child also a victim of diabetes?
The danger of diabetes in children
Why is the risk of diabetes increasing in children, is your child also suffering from this disease? To understand, we tried to understand this by talking to Dr. Aamir Sheikh, a diabetologist at a private hospital in Mumbai.
Dr. says, that increasing cases of obesity in children have also increased the risk of diabetes at an early age. If your child is a victim of obesity, along with this, one of the parents has already had the problem of diabetes, then this risk increases manifold.
If both these conditions are there, then definitely meet a doctor and get yourself tested once. In most cases, the symptoms of diabetes in children are not very clear in the initial stage, in such a situation, the alertness of the parents plays a very important role.
Increasing obesity in children is dangerous in many ways.
Dr. Aamir says, increasing cases of obesity in children have been quite worrying. Many earlier studies have alerted us about the increasing risk of blood pressure and heart diseases at a young age due to this. Increasing obesity in childhood is no longer just a problem related to weight, but it is becoming the cause of many serious diseases.
If there is a family history of chronic diseases along with being overweight and the lifestyle and diet of children are not good, then the risk of diabetes and heart diseases can be many times higher even before the age of 20.
What are the symptoms of diabetes in children?
Doctors say that type-2 diabetes develops very slowly in children, due to which no special symptoms are seen in the initial stages. Sometimes, it is diagnosed during regular checkups. If the child's blood sugar level is often high, then it becomes important to pay attention to some problems caused by it.
If the child is feeling thirsty frequently, is urinating frequently, often feels tired without much physical effort, or has started seeing blurred, then such signs should not be ignored at all. Unexpected weight loss or frequent infections can also be a sign of diabetes.
If such problems occur, then one should get tested once.
How to protect children from diabetes?
Health experts say that healthy lifestyle choices can help prevent type-2 diabetes in children. If any of the parents have had diabetes, then you should be especially careful about this.
Give low-fat and low-calorie food items to the child. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains must be in the diet.
Encourage the child to be active. Send them to play outside.
Reduce screen time, instead encourage physical exercise and sports.
If the parents have had diabetes, then consult a doctor to protect children from it.
To keep weight under control, keep paying attention to both diet and lifestyle.
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