Gestational Diabetes Symptoms
Gestational Diabetes occur in a normal, non-diabetic women during the stages of pregnancy and when it comes to Gestational Diabetes Symptoms associated with pregnant women, it can be a little bit difficult to easily diagnose the same at initial stages, but with the proper precautionary tests taken at the right time, this can be achieved.
First of all, Gestational Diabetes Symptoms occur in about 3 to 6 percent of pregnant women and starts around the fifth or the sixth month of pregnancy, when they are around 24th to 28th week along.
Since diabetes means low insulin or unresponsive cells to the insulin secretion in the pancreas, the Gestational Diabetes Symptoms include insulin resistance occurrence.
This means that even though the pregnant woman eats well and is producing the required amounts of insulin, some hormones block the effective absorption of the same into the bloodstream, like progesterone, prolactin, estrogen or cortisol hormones as well as human placental lactogen that are produced in the placenta.
An increase in weight can also contribute towards this lack of proper absorption and thus lead to Gestation Diabetes.
In other words, the pancreas are working well and are producing the right amount of insulin, but this insulin is not absorbed properly due to the presence of the above said hormones in the blood, resulting in the women showing Gestational Diabetes Symptoms and this hormone production is increased as the pregnancy advances.
These Gestational Diabetes Symptoms could be:
• High Blood Sugar Levels
• Frequent thirst
• Intermittent urination
• Extreme hunger and fatigue
• Loss of weight even after regular and sufficient food intake
• Nausea in some cases
• Irritability
• Blurred vision in rare cases
• Sweating, nervousness, trembling
• Palpitations
• Inability to speak properly
• Frequent infections of vagina or bladder
Generally, overweight women, women with a history of diabetes or women above 25 years of age are prone to Gestational Diabetes Symptoms.
In case of women who have had miscarriages too, Gestational Diabetes Symptoms can occur and it would be advisable to check out the entire family history, along with previous delivery details to form a conclusive report about the symptoms that occur during pregnancy.
Doctors do advice a routine test for Gestational Diabetes to prevent hypertension, problems during delivery or breathing complications at the time of delivery for pregnant women and Gestational Diabetes Symptoms can be diagnosed through a glucose tolerance test done during the 24th to 28th week of pregnancy.
The procedure involves the mother drinking a glass of glucose and then after a lapse of an hour, a blood sample is taken to check the glucose levels, which should not be over 140 mg/dl.
If a woman is diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes Symptoms, then she should immediately be treated for the same for offering protection to both mother and the baby and to avoid any future complications during delivery.
Regular and consistent prenatal checkups are a must for women who have been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes Symptoms and with a little care and attention, even these can be avoided for the safety of the baby.
When a woman shows Gestational Diabetes Symptoms, the treatments could include procedures like:
• Close monitoring of the mother and the baby
• Constant check on the blood glucose levels
• Diet restrictions along with healthy and nutritious tips
• Regular exercise and therapy under the guidance of a good practitioner
• More frequent checkups with the gynecologist at regular intervals for keeping constant tabs on the progress made and also the glucose levels
Gestational Diabetes Symptoms
Generally, it is believed that women who display Gestational Diabetes Symptoms are more prone to develop type II diabetes later on in their lives.
It would also be advisable to know the cons of ignoring or not diagnosing and treating Gestational Diabetes Symptoms and this could include large birth weight of the baby, premature delivery, mother has to be operated on under a C-section and a rare risk of neonatal death.
However, the above is only a reference to what are the risks involved, but, it is a well known fact that with the advancement of technology and the diagnostic methods available today, treating Gestational Diabetes Symptoms is child’s work for many doctors and it is left to expecting mothers to take proper care of themselves and their babies by taking these prenatal tests and cooperating with their gynecologist at every stage of pregnancy.