Although we are making huge strides in technology and science, some medical conditions still remain a mystery. What causes juvenile diabetes is one of those still unsolved mysteries. The exact cause or trigger is still not able to be defined, but researchers are narrowing in on what causes juvenile diabetes and are a lot closer to the answer than they were even at the turn of the century.

Juvenile diabetes is more commonly referred to now as type 1 diabetes by the experts, but most laymen still call it juvenile diabetes. It is the least common of all the diabetes types, with about 10% of the total number of diabetes patients having type 1, or juvenile diabetes. And even though nobody can say with certainty what causes juvenile diabetes, the mechanisms and course of the condition are pretty well understood. Risk factors are pretty well defined too, but some of the risk factors identified are still a source of controversy.

 

What Exactly is Juvenile Diabetes?

 

Juvenile diabetes is a condition usually diagnosed in younger people, under the age of 20. It is an auto-immune condition that causes the body’s own defense system to attack itself, specifically cells in the pancreas, where insulin is produced. When the pancreas is damaged in this way it is unable to produce the insulin, a needed hormone that helps convert the sugar in the blood to energy by helping the sugar absorb into the body’s cells. This blood sugar is called glucose, and glucose is the fuel the body’s cells need to survive. Without this the hormone insulin, the glucose remains in the blood and the levels become too high. What causes juvenile diabetes to trigger this potentially fatal chain reaction is not exactly known, but the search for the answer continues. High blood glucose levels over a period of time damages the main organs of the body, causes blindness, and is the reason many infections become so severe that amputation is required. People with type 1 diabetes need to get their insulin by injecting it, or sometimes in other oral medications.

 

Researchers Believe Some of the Following Risk Factors Contribute To What Causes Juvenile Diabetes

 

  • A history of diabetes in the family
  • Heredity factors probably play a role. People with a genetic predisposition to develop rubella, mumps, or coxsackie seem to be more likely to develop juvenile diabetes.
  • Environmental factors like Vitamin D deficiency in the mother during pregnancy could part of the answer to what causes juvenile diabetes. The environmental factor theories are where most of the controversy and disagreement occurs. There is clearly more research needed in this area.
  • Rarely, a hormone problem or other medical condition

 

Because nobody is sure of what causes juvenile diabetes, many myths continue to survive. Among them are that what causes juvenile diabetes is eating too many sweets, too much stress, or that it is caught from someone else. None of these are true, but until we are certain about what causes juvenile diabetes, the myths and speculation will likely not go away.