Increased blood sugar in children is a serious signal of the body about the possible development of any disturbances in the endocrine system, so such manifestations should be carefully studied. Blood tests for quantitative sugar content should exclude or confirm the presence of a threatening pathology in a child, because childhood diabetes is a dangerous disease that requires constant monitoring and full treatment.
The role of blood glucose
Glucose in the body is a unit that takes part in the construction of the main polysaccharides (starch, glycogen, cellulose). In this case, glucose is part of lactose, sucrose and m altose. It is very quickly absorbed from the gastrointestinal system and almost immediately begins to participate in the activities of organs in which it is oxidized and converted into adenosine triphosphoric acid. It is in this form that glucose becomes the main source of energy.
However, the level of sugar in the blood depends on the activity of the hormonal system, and any disturbance harms the entire body. In situationswhen blood sugar levels are higher than normal, a special diet should be considered.
Danger of high sugar in the body
Disturbances in glucose metabolism are dangerous because they can provoke acute conditions of diabetes. When the level of sugar begins to increase rapidly, it can lead to loss of consciousness and even death. An increased rate of sugar in the blood can provoke atherosclerosis of blood vessels and cause heart pathologies. In addition, an increase in glucose in the body causes complete or partial loss of vision, kidney failure, gangrene of the extremities.
Such complications in medicine are called diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperglycemic coma. However, if you follow the doctor's recommendations, you can keep your sugar levels under control. That is why when symptoms of high blood sugar appear in children, it is necessary to undergo appropriate diagnostics and prescribe adequate therapy.
Causes of high glucose in children
An increase in glucose in a child's body does not always indicate the development of pathology. Often, sugar readings are incorrect because children do not properly prepare for tests before testing for diabetes (for example, they eat food on the eve of blood sampling).
As an answer to the question why a child has high blood sugar, one can name reasons such as:
- psycho-emotional overstrain;
- stress;
- appearance of injuries and burns;
- high fever in infectious diseases;
- long-term use of nonsteroidal drugs;
- pain syndrome.
In addition, serious pathologies of internal organs can become the causes of an increase in blood sugar in a child:
- adrenal and pituitary disorders;
- overweight;
- new growths.
A hormone called insulin, which is produced exclusively by the pancreas, can lower blood sugar levels. When a small patient suffers from excess weight, the pancreas begins to work hard. As a result, its resources are gradually depleted, pathologies are formed.
A sign of high blood sugar in a child can be a persistently present glucose indicator of more than 6 mmol / l. At the same time, the clinical manifestations of the disease themselves may differ.
Symptoms of pathology development
Symptoms of high blood sugar in children leading to the development of a formidable disease are:
- feeling constantly thirsty;
- frequent urination;
- constant feeling of hunger;
- weight loss;
- vision deterioration;
- weakness and lethargy;
- fatigue;
- girls - frequent occurrence of candidiasis (thrush).
Often the child does not understand what is happening to him, and for a long time does not attach importance to the developing symptoms. Therefore, it is very important that parents pay special attention to signs of high blood sugar in children. A glucometer will help you control your glucose levels.
What happens in the body
Children with diabetes experience some dehydration of internal organs when their glucose levels are high. The body, trying to dilute the blood, takes fluid from the cells of all tissues, which makes the child constantly thirsty. Thus, an increase in blood sugar in children affects the urinary system, since fluid consumed in large quantities must be excreted. Frequent urge to urinate should attract the attention of parents and teachers, because the child is forced to go to the toilet during lessons.
Permanent dehydration of the body negatively affects vision, since in this case the lenses of the eyes suffer first of all. This leads to poor vision and a feeling of fog in the eyes.
Over time, the body loses the ability to use glucose as an energy source and begins to burn fat. In such cases, the child rapidly loses weight.
In addition, parents should pay attention to the constant weakness that appears due to lack of insulin. As a result, glucose is not able to transform into the required energy.
Increased blood sugar in children leads to the fact that the body is not able to properly saturate and absorb food. Therefore, patients suffering from diabetes are more likely to experience a constant feeling of hunger. But if appetite decreases, then this may indicate diabetic ketoacidosis.
How it manifests itselfdiabetic ketoacidosis
Diabetic ketoacidosis is an acute complication of diabetes mellitus that can be fatal. Its main features are:
- nausea;
- rapid breathing;
- smell of acetone breath;
- weakness;
- pain in the abdomen.
If the necessary measures are not taken in a timely manner, then very soon the child may lose consciousness, fall into a coma and die after a short period of time. Knowing how to treat high blood sugar can prevent the development of such conditions. Therefore, the symptoms of diabetes cannot be ignored.
Dangerous conditions of the body: high blood sugar
Increased insulin in the body - what to do? The pancreas produces two antagonist hormones, insulin and glucagon. With an increase in blood sugar, insulin promotes its penetration into cells, and the excess tends to be reserved in the liver (in the form of glycogen). With a lack of glucose, glucagon interferes with the production of glycogen and begins to actively process it back into glucose. Thus, with the proper functioning of the pancreas, the level of glucose in the blood is constantly monitored.
In addition, insulin helps convert glucose into energy. If the level of sugar in the blood rises, and there is not enough insulin to process it, then this disrupts the work of the whole organism. Improper nutrition of a child with high blood sugar leads to the development of diabetes.
But too much insulina bad symptom, indicating the development of disorders in the body. It causes the deposition of fats in the connective tissues and stimulates the accumulation of glycogen in the liver. This is due to the development of insulin resistance, a condition in which cells do not respond to the normal effects of the hormone. As a result, they become resistant to insulin and cannot use it effectively. This causes hyperglycemia and type 2 diabetes.
Mechanisms of impaired glucose uptake in a child's body can be autoimmune pathologies that make it impossible for the pancreas to produce insulin. This leads to the fact that glucose is not able to enter the cells, since insulin receptors are not involved. A decrease in the sensitivity of insulin receptors may occur due to its increased content in the blood. As a result, the access of glucose to the cells becomes impossible.
Any of these conditions require medical supervision and drug treatment.
Tests for suspected diabetes
The amount of glucose in the blood is determined when taking material in medical conditions from a vein or a finger. You can independently determine its level in the body using a glucometer. To find out if a baby's blood sugar is high or not, blood can be taken from a toe or heel.
Take tests in the morning before eating. Before testing, the child should not eat for 10 hours. It is also undesirable to drink a lot. To get the most accurate result,The subject must be calm and not physically tired. The blood sugar level of a child depends on his physical condition and age.
What else does high sugar indicate
A blood glucose level between 6.1-6.9 mmol/L is considered prediabetes. Diabetes mellitus type 1 or 2 is diagnosed at higher rates. Nevertheless, prediabetes is a signal of the body about an ongoing disruption in the functioning of its systems, and if timely measures are not taken, this condition will gradually turn into diabetes.
When doctors diagnose prediabetes in search of an answer to the question of why a child has high blood sugar, it is necessary to understand the seriousness of this process. Normally, blood sugar in a he althy person does not exceed 5.5 mmol / l. Prediabetes and type 2 diabetes develop slowly and, unlike type 1 diabetes, may have indolent symptoms. Therefore, exceeding this limit already requires increased attention from both the doctor and the patient's parents.
What diseases can provoke an increase in sugar in the body
In he althy people, the body is able to maintain a normal level of sugar even with serious increased stress. However, with violations in nutrition and an unhe althy lifestyle, the margin of safety disappears. In this case, blood glucose levels will increase with development:
- infectious diseases;
- pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas);
- neoplasm of the pancreas (benign ormalignant nature);
- hormonal disorders.
Also, stress can be the culprit for high glucose levels.
Treatment in children
Most often, the therapy for increasing sugar in a child's body consists of several stages. First of all:
- taking medicine prescribed by a doctor;
- daily sugar control;
- following a special diet.
You should limit your intake of high-calorie foods and foods containing carbohydrates. Sweets and confectionery contained in the patient's diet should be replaced with steamed vegetables, lean meats and fish, berries and sour fruits.
We must not forget about physical activity. A child diagnosed with prediabetes needs to walk and play a lot in the fresh air. A patient with suspected such conditions should adhere to a certain diet. At the same time, it is very important to consume plenty of clean drinking water.
Prevention of high glucose
Increased blood sugar, prediabetes or diabetes is not a death sentence for a child. Such violations do not make him disabled and leave the opportunity to live normally and fully. The main conditions to be followed in this state:
- monitor blood glucose;
- stick to low-carb diets;
- follow all doctor's recommendations.
ExceptIn addition, it is advisable for parents to keep a food diary of the child, and if unusual behavior appears, measure the sugar level with a glucometer.
