Diabetes mellitus type 2 in adolescents.(Disease/Disorder overview)

What is it? Diabetes (di-ah-BE-tez) is also called diabetes mellitus (MEL-uh-tus). There are three main types of diabetes. Your child or teenager has type 2 diabetes. It may be called non-insulin dependent or adult onset diabetes. With type 2 diabetes, your child's body has trouble using insulin or may not make enough insulin. Type 2 diabetes is more common in overweight people who are older than 40 years and are not active. Type 2 diabetes has recently become more common in overweight children and teenagers. It usually starts during puberty but has also been found in younger children. There is no cure for diabetes, but your teenager can have a long and active life if his diabetes is controlled.

How did my child get type 2 diabetes?

* Insulin is a hormone (a special body chemical) made by the pancreas. The pancreas is an organ that lies behind the stomach. Much of the food we eat is turned into sugar. This sugar goes into the blood and travels to the cells of your child's body to be used for energy. Insulin acts as a "key" to help sugar enter the cells.

* With type 2 diabetes, your child's body has trouble using insulin. Your child's body may also not make enough insulin. When this happens, sugar will build up in his blood. The right diet and amount of exercise will help your child control his diabetes. Your child may need to take medicine to help his body make more insulin or use insulin better.

* No one knows for sure what causes type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes runs in families. Your child is more likely to get it if someone else in your family has type 2 diabetes.

* Your child is also more likely to get type 2 diabetes if he is overweight. Being overweight makes it harder for his body to use the insulin it makes. This is called insulin resistance. In insulin resistance, your child's pancreas will keep making insulin to try to control his blood sugar but his body will not use the insulin correctly. After many years, his pancreas may just stop working and stop making insulin.

Signs and Symptoms:

* Your child may or may not experience signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes. Your child may have one or more of the following symptoms of hyperglycemia (hi-per-gli-SE-me-ah) or high blood sugar:

* More thirsty than usual.

* Urinating more than usual.

* More hungry than usual.

* Abdominal (belly) pains.…