Understanding Type 1 Diabetes in Children: Hannah's Story

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My patient Hannah is a 10 year old 4th grade student who loves volleyball and was just diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus. I’m going to explain to you what her disorder is, the signs and symptoms, causes of this disorder, body changes, economic impact, and how she will manage this disorder especially at such a young age. Type 1 diabetes mellitus also known as juvenile diabetes is a serious condition in which the pancreas produces a small amount or no insulin at all. Insulin is a hormone the body needs to transfer sugar into cells to create energy. This disease is most common in children, but can occur in adults around their late 30’s to early 40’s. Unlike patients with type 2 diabetes, type 1 diabetes patients are not usually overweight. …show more content…

Your breath can have a sweet smell caused by the high levels of ketones in the body. Being a diabetic you are also prone to losing sensation in the lower extremities causing it to be difficult to notice any pain or injury in your feet. It can also cause your skin to dry and crack on your feet. It is extremely important to keep an eye on your feet to make sure no damage is done. The main economic impact of type 1 diabetes mellitus is the cost. It is believed that that in 2012 the cost of type 1 diabetes mellitus was around 245 billion dollar. This included 176 billion dollars in direct medical cost and 69 billion dollars in reduced productivity. Researches estimated that about 15.5 million people currently live with diabetes. With Hannah being a 10 year old girl in school and active in sports, it is very important that she manages her diabetes. It is very important for a person to get plenty of exercise especially one living with diabetes. Hannah can still play volleyball and enjoy her everyday activities, she just has to pay more attention to her body. When exercising or playing volleyball she needs to check her sugar often to make sure it does not drop or get too high. She also needs to be sure that she is taking care of her feet and making sure there is no damage done to them while playing. Type 1 diabetes mellitus shouldn’t

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