Type 1 Diabetes and Flu Season – Know the Difference

AMARILLO, Texas - Jan. 26, 2015 - PRLog -- Undiagnosed Type 1 Diabetes can be dismissed as symptoms of the flu, and especially during flu season, many children and adults are at risk of losing their lives because the symptoms of the disease and virus can initially be very similar.

Doctors, nurses and parents are likely to write off Type 1 Diabetes as the flu when a patient is experiencing fatigue, nausea and vomiting. Misdiagnosis can lead to death, and a simple blood test can prevent this.

To help avoid death by undiagnosed Type 1 Diabetes, a dad from New York, Tom Karlya, and a mom from Amarillo, TX, Kim May, have joined forces to generate awareness about the signs and symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes. Get Diabetes Right is an effort to save the lives of children and adults being diagnosed at death.

The Get Diabetes Right Facebook page was established in April, and just this week, GetDiabetesRight.org was launched. Posters and graphics can be downloaded from the site making it easier for people to share information about Type 1 Diabetes. From etiquette tips to warning signs, Get Diabetes Right hopes to educate more of the public on the often ignored and misunderstood disease.

Get Diabetes Right urges parents, grandparents, school nurses and even pediatricians and doctors to review the symptoms and warning signs of the disease. Too many times, this diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes at death occurs because so many overlook the possibility and warning signs of diabetes.  A child dying this way is unacceptable. Period.

This diagnosis of diabetes at the time of death happens because parents, the school nurse and even pediatricians and physicians dismiss symptoms as the flu or a virus, the patient goes into DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis) and dies from blood glucose levels that continues to rise. Undiagnosed Type 1 diabetes is a life-threatening emergency which symptoms include: extreme thirst, stupor, unconsciousness, frequent urination, sudden weight loss, decreased appetite, sudden vision change, fruity odor on breath, nausea or vomiting, drowsiness, lethargy, and heavy or labored breathing.

According to the American Diabetes Association website, there are approximately 25.8 million people diagnosed with diabetes; of this number, JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) reports that as many as 3 million have Type 1 Diabetes. There are no known ways to prevent Type 1 Diabetes.  Society is not equipped with a way to inform parents, pediatricians, school nurses, teachers, and doctors of the signs of Type 1 Diabetes. This is where Get Diabetes Right can help.

Let’s save lives. It's time to Get Diabetes Right.