Factors That Trigger Juvenile Diabetes
About 35 children in America are diagnosed with juvenile diabetes every day. For them, childhood will be a time of learning to manage a disease that has no known cure. Entire families are affected by a diagnosis of juvenile diabetes and there has been much research done to try to determine a cause and thereby eliminate this dreaded illness.
What is Juvenile Diabetes?
Juvenile diabetes, also known as Type 1 diabetes, is an auto-immune disorder. Basically, the function of the beta cell is destroyed, making it impossible for the body to produce the proper amount of insulin. Beta cells are responsible for creating insulin, which must be present to break down carbohydrates. This creates an integrated imbalance in the endocrine system with the net result being elevated blood sugar levels.
What Causes Juvenile Diabetes?
The most prevalent belief is that juvenile diabetes is triggered by an infection in a child whose immune system is already compromised. This view strongly equates the child's predisposition to juvenile diabetes with heredity. Apparently, a child with certain genes will have an immune system that is set up to malfunction, attacking not only an external virus but specialized cells in the pancreas. These cells are known as islet cells, and it is within them that the beta cells are located. When the islet cells are destroyed, the function of the beta cells decreases or becomes nonexistent. Carbohydrates are not properly broken down and glucose begins to build up in the body. If this condition is left untreated, serious damage to the body will result, with the most extreme complication being death.
While researchers try to understand the causes of juvenile diabetes, several ideas have been discussed. Stress or environmental factors may trigger the onset of this disease, and some scientists even believe drinking cow's milk may be a cause. Heredity seems to be the most likely reason why a child will be diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, although there are cases where one twin will have the disease and the other one won't. Unfortunately, this disease has no cure, making the diagnosis of juvenile diabetes especially difficult. Those who have this condition must learn to regulate the body's sugar levels with appropriate amounts of insulin. Daily monitoring of the blood has to be done, and special attention paid to diet, exercise and weight. There are many children that are waiting for a cure for juvenile diabetes, but until then they learn to cope with this condition through education and encouragement from family, friends and healthcare professionals.
