Understanding Type 2 Diabetes: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Type 2 diabetes is a disease that affects the way your child's body breaks down sugar. With mounting childhood obesity and more sedentary lifestyles, more children are developing the disease than in the past. In Grants Pass, OR, Grants Pass Pediatrics, Lisa Callahan, CPNP, and Lori Simmons, FNP-C work with families to educate, manage, and support this type 2 diabetes with caring and individualized care.

What Causes Type 2 Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes develops if the body's resistance to insulin occurs or the body does not make enough insulin. Insulin facilitates sugar transport from the blood and into the cell as fuel. Without enough action by insulin, blood sugar builds up, potentially resulting in severe health complications over the long run. Type 2 diabetes in children is often associated with being overweight, eating a poor diet, lack of exercise, a familial history, and hormonal changes during adolescence.

Identifying the Symptoms

Unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 develops unnoticed. Increased thirst and urination, fatigue, unintentional weight loss, and blurry vision occur in children. Some have slow-healing cuts and dark, velvety patches on the neck and around the armpits. If your child seems more tired than usual or has a change in eating, appetite, and mood, it's worth reporting to their provider.

Diagnosing Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes diagnosis begins with a physical examination and a review of your child's symptoms. Your child's blood will be tested for blood sugar with a fasting glucose or hemoglobin A1C test. If the reading is raised, your child's health care provider will work with you to create a comprehensive treatment plan considering your family's wishes and way of life.

Managing and Treating Type 2 Diabetes

Treatment for Type 2 diabetes focuses on changing the way you live. A diet with more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, less sweetened drinks, and snacks can significantly improve health. Daily physical exercise makes the body use insulin more effectively and naturally lowers blood sugar. Some children might need oral medications or shots of insulin. Monitoring blood sugar regularly ensures the treatment works and gives a chance to make a change if necessary.

Grants Pass Pediatrics provides individualized education and counseling by staff to empower the families and support the children throughout the process.

Take Control of Your Child's Health

Type 2 diabetes does not have to take over your child's life. With the right care plan, they will thrive. Call Lisa Callahan, CPNP, and Lori Simmons, FNP-C, for professional care at Grants Pass Pediatrics in Grants Pass, OR. Get scheduled today by calling (541) 472-0021.