Unfortunately, when it comes to sickness and diseases, children can be subjected to it too. As much as you would like to protect your child from any hurt, harm, danger or illness, there are some things parents just can’t protect their children from. If you have a child who lives with diabetes, there was most likely a huge shift in both you and your child’s everyday life. The feelings of anger, confusion and even helplessness could have developed with this new diagnosis and that’s understandable. Though the feelings are valid, it’s important to know your options on what you can do to help your child.
How Living With Diabetes Affects A Child
Living with diabetes as a child changes their life in more ways than one. One way they are affected by diabetes is through their blood flow.
Children living with type 1 diabetes have a higher risk of developing narrow blood vessels making it harder for the blood to move throughout the body.
They’re also at a higher risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and strokes once they get older. No longer can a child binge on sugary sweets because too much sugar can cause damage to the walls of a child’s blood vessels, which are used to nourish the nerves.
Diabetes can also affect a child’s learning due to it creating difficulties for children to pay attention, how their brain processes things and their memory.
This can cause issues when a child is in school and living with diabetes because if they have no proper support from the school, the child’s development might start to be in jeopardy.
Forget What You Heard: Diabetes Does Not Run In Your Family!
Important Facts You Should Know As A Parent
It’s important to know everything you can about a disease you or your child may be struggling with. Now, this doesn’t mean going overboard with consuming knowledge to the point that you start to obsess. Simply learn the important points of the specific type of diabetes your child is living with so you know what to expect and prepare for.
Fact 1: There are two main types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. Most children have Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is when the blood