In the past, most teens have been affected by juvenile diabetes. Also known as insulin-dependant or type 1 diabetes, the body lacks the ability to produce insulin which is used to convert sugars and starches into energy. Without the ability to complete this conversion, the body will not have the energy it needs to maintain everyday functions and life processes. Because of this, a teen diagnosed with this disorder will require insulin injections for the rest of their lives.
Today, treatment has become increasingly complicated with more teens developing type 2 diabetes. Compared to the former type of the disease, this condition can be triggered by genetics or poor lifestyle choices that encourage sedentary behavior, improper diet, weight gain and obesity. However, there are a wider range of diabetes treatment options available for type 2 diabetics, including oral medication, combination therapy (the use of oral medication and insulin injections), change of diet and addition of exercise.
Regardless of which form of the disease a teen has, coping with diabetes treatment can be difficult during this stage. But there are methods that can make daily life easier during those trying teenage years.
The Importance of Parental Involvement
As a child, parents are involved in all aspects of monitoring and treatment of either type of this disease. Eventually, your child will want to learn about all of the diabetes treatment options for teens – including devices that can encourage higher levels of independence such as the insulin pump.
Teenagers will also insist on monitoring glucose levels, performing injections or taking prescribed diabetic medications on their own. However, parents should stay actively involved and engage their child in conversations about their monitoring and treatment habits. Otherwise, accidental or intentional non-compliance to treatment may occur resulting in moderate to dangerously high blood sugar levels.
Diabetes and Puberty
Every teenager has difficulty coping with the changes their body is making during puberty, but this transition can be especially complicated when dealing with diabetes treatment. During this stage of life, the bodies’ sensitivity to insulin increases which can make preparing the proper doses of insulin harder to determine.
Also, mood changes triggered by fluctuation hormones can cause feelings of frustration, sadness and depression in teens as they cope with their changing body, lifelong treatment and complications of this disease. During this time parents should be increasingly aware of their teen’s behavior to prevent issues related to non-compliance.
Telling Others
Every teen wants nothing more than to fit in with their peer group. But diabetes can make a child inadvertently stand out from the crowd because of the constant monitoring and maintenance of blood sugar levels. Parents and peers can help ease the tension caused in specific situations by explaining what this disease does, the various diabetes treatment options for teens and why this process is important.
As a teen, integrating diabetes treatment options into daily life does not have to be a challenging task. Even though this disease impacts the bodies function and ability to metabolize glucose, having the support and understanding of parents, friends and family can ease the difficulties being faced.
For more on lowering high blood sugar levels this post can get you started in the right direction. Alternatively if your teen has low blood sugar this post on hypoglycemia treatment guidelines may be of help.
