Diabetes in Teens: Symptoms, Types & Early Signs

Diabetes is a disease in which the pancreas does not manufacture enough insulin, the hormone that converts blood sugar into energy for the body to use. There are two types of diabetes: Type 1, formerly called juvenile diabetes, and Type 2. Children and teenagers can get both types. But with Type 1 diabetes, the symptoms develop quickly over a short period of time.

Thirst and Urination

• One of the first signs of diabetes in teenagers is extreme thirst. The sugar levels build up in the blood and take fluids from all the tissues which leaves a teenager feeling dehydrated. As the teenager continues to drink water, urination increases.

Hunger

• A teenager will get very hungry because the sugar is not turning into energy. The body uses stored fat until it is depleted.

Weight Loss

• When there is not enough sugar to convert into energy, the body uses its fat reserves for energy so the diabetic teenager loses weight and muscle.

Fatigue

• A diabetic teenager does not have energy because the sugar in the blood is not being processed properly. This results in fatigue.

Vision Problems

• The eyesight gets blurry because the high sugar levels in the body take fluid from the tissues, including the lenses of the eyes.