Every year, World Diabetes Day is celebrated on November 14. The youngest are mainly affected by type 1 diabetes. We take stock of the symptoms to identify.
- About four million people were registered as diabetics in France in 2019.
- Type 2 diabetes is more common than type 1. This form of the disease is on the rise worldwide.
Diabetes results in a disorder of assimilation, use and storage of sugars provided by food. This chronic disease leads to hyperglycemia, a high level of glucose. There are two kinds of diabetes: type 1 and type 2.
Enuresis, fatigue… What symptoms are associated with type 1 diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes mainly affects young populations such as children, adolescents or young adults. The manifestations of type 1 diabetes are characterized by a polyuropolydipsic syndrome which causes:
- polyuria, in other words a frequent desire to urinate in abundant quantity;
- secondary enuresis, that is to say that the child begins to wet the bed again when he was clean;
- polydipsia which is illustrated by abnormal thirst;
- tiredness ;
- weight loss, despite a good diet.
These symptoms can occur several months or even years after the onset of the disease.
In the absence of rapid treatment, a complication can occur: ketoacidosis. “The lack of insulin results in an increase in hormones that counter-regulate blood sugar: glucagon, cortisol, etc. Under the influence of these hormones, the body uses liver fat to produce energy and produces acetone, which is harmful to the body: it isketoacidosis”Explain Ameli Santé, the health insurance platform.
Ketoacidosis can then lead to:
- abdominal pain;
- nausea ;
- vomitings ;
- loss of appetite ;
- drowsiness ;
- vision problems ;
- a fruity smell of the breath and an abnormal smell of the urine due to the production of ketone bodies;
- rapid breathing;
- in the most serious cases, disturbances of consciousness.
“Faced with these symptoms, it is essential to quickly consult the attending physician. Diabetes in children or adolescents requires urgent care, usually the same day! Everything must be done to ensure that the diagnosis be placed before the ketoacidosis stage”warns Ameli Health.
Type 2 diabetes more and more common among young people
Nearly 90% of diabetics are affected by type 2 diabetes, according to the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm). This form of the disease appears mainly in people over 40, but children, adolescents and young adults are increasingly affected by type 2 diabetes in France.
The progression of type 2 diabetes in young populations is linked to changing lifestyles. The occurrence of this pathology is favored by an unbalanced diet, a sedentary lifestyle, a lack of physical activity or sleep disorders. It is also associated with overweight and obesity.
“Sneaky and painless, the development of type 2 diabetes can go unnoticed for a long time: it is estimated that an average of 5 to 10 years elapses between the appearance of the first hyperglycaemia and the diagnosis”can we read on the platform of the French Federation of Diabetics. In the case of type 2 diabetes, however, it is possible to observe an increase in thirst and the frequency of urination in your child.
