Diabetes and adolescence

DIABETES AND ADOLESCENCE

Many parents rather dread their children's adolescence. They have probably heard about rebellion, poor diabetic control and difficult behaviour. They know that they won't have the same control over their child's health and diabetes management as they become increasingly independent.
This is true to some extent. On the other hand the teenage years can be fun for the family, and there will be more freedom for parents, especially mothers, who previously had to be responsible for their young child all the time.
The rapid growth that occurs during adolescence and the changing hormone levels in the blood that accompany this growth and sexual development may make diabetes more unstable. Moreover, the teenager tends to have a more variable life-style than before - very vigorous sport one day, sitting around watching television the next. Out late for a party one night, impossible to get out of bed the next day. Too busy for blood tests but plenty of time to monopolize the family telephone.
Naturally all this leads to variable blood glucose levels and less perfect control.
Adolescence is a time when most girls put on weight - often more than ideal. This may also lead to poor diabetic control, but then they think they are too fat (even when they aren't) and try 'diets' which don't coincide with the diabetic diet they are supposed to be on.
All these factors may upset diabetes control for a while, but they are a natural part of adolescence and neither parent nor teenager has much control over the body's physical and physiological changes at this time. Regular medical check-ups will help to reassure you and your teenager that things haven't got out of hand.

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DIABETES

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