Introduction
Type 2 diabetes in children has increased due to the increased number of children and teens with obesity. It is a chronic disease that affects how your body processes sugar (glucose) for body fuel. Insulin, a hormone that allows the sugar that comes from digested food to enter the cells from the bloodstream, lowers the amount of sugar in said blood. Insulin is produced by an organ in the abdomen called the pancreas. Insulin is produced when the blood sugar is high and reduced when the blood sugar is low. In type 2 diabetes, this process does not work well, either because the pancreas does not make enough insulin or the body cells become resistant to insulin and so they do not allow much sugar in.
Without proper control, the resulting high blood sugar leads to serious long-term complications.
Symptoms
Some symptoms of type 2 diabetes may include fatigue, blurred vision. Increased thirst, frequent urination, increased hunger, frequent infections, unintended weight loss and darkened skin in the neck, armpit and groin areas. There also may be no symptoms, the diagnosis being determined on a routine medical check-up.
Causes and risk factors
The exact cause of type 2 diabetes is unknown. A family history of the same and genetics play an important role. The risk factors are being overweight, inactivity, being black, red meat and processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, a family history of type 2 diabetes, being born preterm or low birth weight, having a family history of maternal gestational diabetes and being an adolescent girl.
Complications
Complications related to type 2 diabetes include nerve damage, kidney disease, eye disease including blindness, heart and blood vessel disease, stroke and high cholesterol.
To prevent these complication, maintain good blood sugar control as much as possible, learn the importance of healthy eating and participating in regular physical activity and schedule regular visits with your diabetes treatment team.