Sunday, 8 October 2017

Do you know the 4 Ts of Type 1 diabetes?



Recently we, as a family, had a worry that one of the Blogger Babies was a Type 1 Diabetic – it’s not the end of the world but neither I nor the hubster relished in the idea of having to daily inject or finger prick our child.

Blogger baby had been unwell for a long time and had already had numerous tests and has been diagnosed with Ketonemia and Hypoglacemia, but thankfully he’s not actually diabetic and we can manage his conditions with diet and nutrition.

the 4 ts of diabetesThat said too many children and young people are not diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes until they are in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a life-threatening condition that requires urgent medical attention.

It can start with symptoms of a chest infection but on reflection you notice other signs that normally may have been missed because we are not told to look out for the 4T’s.

In our case Blogger Baby’s symptoms included weight loss, drinking more and having to use the toilet more than usual (having heavier than normal nappies) and he would often be more sleepy/tired than normal.

More awareness is needed of the four most common symptoms of Type 1 diabetes (the 4 Ts) to make sure children and young people get a quick diagnosis and early treatment. The 4 Ts are:

Toilet: Going to the toilet a lot, bed wetting by a previously dry child or heavier nappies in babies

Thirsty: Being really thirsty and not being able to quench the thirst

Tired: Feeling more tired than usual

Thinner: Losing weight or looking thinner than usual

Please, share this knowledge share on Twitter #The4Ts follow @diabetesUK and help start the conversation.

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