Juvenile Diabetes Life Expectancy

Diabetes is an umbrella term for diseases that interfere with the body's process of blood sugar regulation. People diagnosed with this illness, have higher levels of blood glucose in their body, and it is this that may give rise to complications. Common known complications include diseases like cardiovascular illness, damage to the nerves, kidney damage, retinopathy (may also cause blindness), skin infections and foot damage. If all these problems are not kept in check, then they may turn to be life-threatening. There are four types of diabetes; type 1, type 2, gestational and prediabetes. If the onset of type 1 diabetes is in childhood, it is known as juvenile diabetes, although it can affect people of any age.

What is Juvenile Diabetes?
To understand juvenile diabetes in a better way, let us first see how blood sugar is utilized by the body. When we eat, the carbohydrates that we receive from the foods, is broken down into sugar molecules; glucose being one of these molecules. This glucose gets directly absorbed by the bloodstream. But when the level increases, the pancreas gets the direction to release a hormone known as insulin. The importance of this hormone is that, it signals the cells of the body to take in the glucose. This in turn provides the fuel which the cells require to function properly. Whatever amount of glucose is left out in excess, is absorbed by the liver and muscles. This stored glucose is used as a later source of energy.

Now, when a person is diagnosed with juvenile diabetes or type 1 diabetes, his body does not produce enough insulin in the body. As a result of this, the blood levels reach dangerously high thus, increasing the risk of complications, and putting the life of the person in jeopardy.

Symptoms and Causes
The most common symptoms of juvenile diabetes include:

• Frequent urination
• Excessive thirst
• Increased appetite
• Weight loss
• Blurred vision
• Fatigue

As far as the causes are concerned, scientists, have not been able to come up with a solid theory. However, what they assume is, the body's own immune system attacks the cells that produce insulin in the pancreas. Now, behind this malfunctioning of the immune system, doctors believe that genetics and certain viral infections, may act as the triggering factors.

Complications
The common complications that can be caused by this condition include:

• Diseases of the heart, and blood vessels
• Nerve damage
• Damage to the kidneys
• Eye damage (diabetic retinopathy)
• Skin problems
• Osteoporosis
• Complications during pregnancy
• Hearing impairments

Life Expectancy
Certain medical journals have quoted the life expectancy to be less by 15 years than the average life span compared to other non-diabetic peers. If we speak about the prognosis of juvenile diabetes, it could not have been regarded as a brighter one about 20 years ago. Because then, people did not have the availability of home blood glucose motoring, and so they could not have tracked the blood glucose levels. However, now, things have changed a lot, with new insulin types coming into picture, and home glucose tests getting more accurate, it's very much possible to closely monitor/administer diabetes treatment. Thus, type 1 diabetics have a better scope to control their blood sugar levels, and avoid long-term complications, such as the ones mentioned above. Considering this fact, it can be said that the juvenile diabetes life expectancy could be no less than those who are non-diabetics.

Although medical science has not yet come up with a complete cure for diabetes, it has showed ways, with the help of which people can live a healthier and a normal life, while still fighting with the condition.