When people hear about diabetes, many instinctively assume it's caused by "eating too much sugar" or "obesity." However, some forms of diabetes are actually triggered by genetics or autoimmune issues, and their early symptoms can be highly subtle. Clinically, when children present with symptoms like unusual thirst, frequent drinking, or sudden weight loss, parents often dismiss them as signs of hot weather or gastroenteritis, delaying diagnosis. A 9-year-old girl with such symptoms lost 7kg in just two months. By the time she arrived at the emergency room, her blood sugar had soared to a dangerous 537 mg/dL, complicated by severe diabetic ketoacidosis, putting her life at risk. She was saved after intensive medical intervention.
Dr. Ma Zhi-hao, a pediatric attending physician at Fengyuan Hospital, shared the case. Two weeks before diagnosis, the girl had already been showing unusual acute symptoms, including extreme fatigue, rapid breathing, and abnormal thirst. At the time, she was drinking water excessively but losing weight rapidly – 7kg in two months – accompanied by abdominal pain and constipation. Her family initially thought it was just a common stomach bug and didn't pay much attention. It wasn't until her condition worsened, with increasingly rapid breathing to the point she couldn't speak, that her family realized the severity and rushed her to the emergency room. A blood test revealed her blood sugar was 537 mg/dL (normal fasting blood sugar should be below 100 mg/dL), leading to severe diabetic ketoacidosis, acute dehydration, and a lung infection. She required intubation, a ventilator, and inotropic medication support.
Doctors pointed out that the girl has Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease. The onset of Type 1 diabetes is not directly caused by sugar or sweet food intake. It is more common in children and adolescents. The primary cause is usually related to specific genes, with autoimmune responses triggered by environmental factors or viral infections. In this condition, the immune system malfunctions, mistakenly attacking and destroying the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, leading to severe insulin deficiency or complete lack thereof. Since glucose in the blood cannot be transported into cells for energy, it accumulates in the bloodstream, causing hyperglycemia.
Because early symptoms of Type 1 diabetes, such as fatigue and abdominal pain, can easily be confused with common colds or acute gastroenteritis, many cases are only diagnosed when they have already progressed to life-threatening conditions like diabetic ketoacidosis.
Doctors strongly urge parents that if their children exhibit the classic "three polys and one less" symptoms – polydipsia (increased thirst), polyuria (frequent urination), polyphagia (increased hunger), but weight loss – they should not take it lightly and should take their child to the hospital for a blood sugar test promptly. The girl has since been discharged safely. However, due to pancreatic damage, she will require long-term insulin injection therapy and regular blood glucose monitoring to maintain a healthy life.
According to the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder. It occurs when insulin secretion by the pancreas is insufficient, or when insulin cannot function properly, causing blood sugar to rise abnormally, leading to diabetes. Type 2 diabetes accounts for over 90% of all cases and is mainly related to poor diet, obesity, and lack of exercise. Body cells become resistant to insulin, unable to effectively absorb and utilize glucose, causing excess sugar to accumulate in the blood.
High blood sugar can lead to metabolic disorders of fats and proteins and, over time, cause damage to multiple body systems and organs, including the cardiovascular system, retina, nerves, and kidneys.
According to the American Diabetes Association's recommendations:
Early Symptoms of Diabetes:
Some patients may experience the following early symptoms:
Sources: Fengyuan Hospital, Hospital Authority (Hong Kong)
