Expert Iconexpert advice MORE  Mom Worried About Diabetes
Pediatrics Expert Advice from Henry Bernstein, M.D.  Q: I am
concerned that my six-year-old son may have diabetes. He is
always thirsty and will drink two to three glasses of water in
an hour. He gets hyper almost instantly after consuming anything
high in sugar, and occasionally complains of a stomachache after
having even a small amount of sugar. I have cut back on the
amount of sugar he consumes because of this. Diabetes does run
in our family. Should I have him tested or am I overreacting?
A: Diabetes is a metabolic problem that results from not enough
insulin in the body and/or the insulin that is in the body does
not function as well as would normally be expected. This leads
to elevated levels of sugar in the blood, which can acutely
cause life-threatening problems and then long term can cause
damage to different organs in the body like the eyes, kidneys,
and nerves.  Diabetes is grouped into two types — Type 1 used to
be called insulin-depende