Banjarnegara (ANTARA) – Pediatrician who practices at the Islamic Hospital (RSI) Banjarnegara dr Aris Sunardi SpA appealed to parents to be aware of the early symptoms of diabetes in children because the disease does not only affect adults.
“Basically the symptoms are the same as diabetes experienced by adults. Signs that are easily recognized are frequent urination and excessive thirst,” he said in Banjarnegara, Central Java, Friday (7/1).
According to him, other early symptoms of diabetes are increased appetite but decreased weight, if injured it takes longer to heal, blurred vision, looks more lethargic, and blackened skin.
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Furthermore, Aris said that frequent urination is due to high blood sugar levels, so that the kidneys remove the excess sugar levels by filtering it from the blood.
“With frequent urination, children will be easily thirsty or feel excessive thirst,” he said.
Associated with blackened skin, he said it usually occurs around the neck and armpits due to insulin resistance.
According to him, skin disorders characterized by changes in skin color to darker or blackened are commonly known as acanthosis nigricans.
“Treatment of children with diabetes must be adjusted to the type of diabetes. For type 1 diabetes, insulin therapy will be given, while for type 2 diabetes, antidiabetic drugs will be given and insulin therapy can also be given,” he said.
In this case, he said, type 1 diabetes occurs because of an autoimmune disorder in which the child’s immune system damages or destroys its own pancreas, so that the function of the pancreas is disrupted.
As for type 2 diabetes, he continued, it was caused by insulin resistance or a condition when a child’s body cells have difficulty using insulin to utilize blood sugar as energy.
“Type 1 diabetes can occur in infants, children, and adults, while type 2 diabetes usually occurs in children aged over 10 years or teenagers. We ask parents to help their children in managing their diet and exercise patterns,” he said.
He said if diabetes is treated too late, it will lead to serious complications that can harm the child.
Therefore, Aris urges parents to immediately take their children to a pediatrician if they experience symptoms of diabetes.
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