Get to Know More About Pregnancy Diabetes
By · CommentsThe whole process of pregnancy takes up a lot of time, a whole lot of nine months in fact that denotes a lot of trials for the pregnant woman. It is not easy going through months of hormonal surges and irregularities, sometimes this occurrence could even disrupt the stability of the woman, physical and emotional that is. Adding to these is the fact that certain guidelines must be followed by the pregnant woman in order to assure that the pregnancy would end up in term and in success. However, there are also anomalies that must be anticipated and considered and one of them is pregnancy diabetes.
Diabetes is no stranger to a lot of people, to date there are millions who are affected by this disease. The reason why this is prevalent is that this could be passed on genetically, meaning if a relative of yours has this then there is a high possibility that you could have it eventually too, regardless of how far you are related with said relative. Diabetes, however, is not only exclusive to such parameters, in fact pregnancy diabetes has also made its mark among the diseases that pregnant women should watch out for while they are still experiencing the various stages of gestation.
Pregnancy diabetes or gestational diabetes has exactly the same pathology with diabetes, except that this particularly occurs during gestation, hence the name. This disease actually poses more threat since this will not only affect the mother but also the growing baby in her womb. Gestational diabetes is manifested by an increase in the mother’s blood sugar level that exceeds the normal range of this category. If this condition is left without proper medical intervention, this could disrupt the stability of the mother’s health and eventually this could lead to abnormalities that could manifest on the baby. This remarkable increase in blood sugar would affect the blood’s consistency and also its ability to travel throughout the circulatory system of the body that sometimes this disease could cause numbness of one’s extremities and even light-headedness. Pregnancy diabetes, further on, could affect the baby through the fact that the baby’s source of blood is primarily of the mother’s, which will then result to a high level of blood glucose in the baby’s blood chemistry.
It is advised that once the pregnant woman experiences symptoms that are indicative of pregnancy diabetes, she must subject herself to immediate medical check-up so that proper interventions can be initiated. Once everything is in order and initial treatment is done then rest assured, the diabetes can be controlled and the baby will develop normally. This type of diabetes will disappear right after gestation but this would then entail that the woman will have a higher possibility of actually having diabetes in the future.
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The Importance of Preventing Pregnancy Complications
By · CommentsCarrying another human being inside your womb is a challenge, in fact, it is a challenge for every woman in the world since they are all capable of doing so. The pregnancy alone causes so much stress for the woman’s body that adding more stress could stretch her own coping capabilities and it only takes a little more before her body would actually give in. What is dire about pregnancy complications is that it does not only affect one person, most importantly it affects the baby that is still in the womb of the mother and its precious life could be in danger since its only source of everything lies within its connection with its mother. Possible complications usually occurring during pregnancy should be taken seriously so that months of the mother’s dedication to her pregnancy would not go wasted in vain.
One of the most common pregnancy complications known to the entire world is gestational diabetes. Diabetes is a prevalent disease that expands worldwide and gestational diabetes does not even differ. Gestational diabetes basically have the same paramount symptoms associated with diabetes, the result of a higher than normal blood sugar level can be manifested when the person becomes more thirsty, eats more to ingest more sugar and urinates frequently with higher amounts. However, these symptoms alone cannot be indicative of the presence of gestational diabetes in the pregnant woman since these could be mistaken as normal signs of pregnancy. The only way to make sure is through the fasting blood sugar test. If the result comes out higher than normal, then the pregnant woman would likely have gestational diabetes.
What makes gestational diabetes rather common? The woman under pregnancy experiences changes of physical, psychological, emotional and physiological natures. In the physiological aspect, hormones relative to a woman’s body usually deflates and sometimes fluctuates causing various functional changes which then could lead to some pregnancy complications and one of them would be gestational diabetes. The hormone responsible for glucose synthesis, insulin, is very much affected in these changes and its sensitivity and affinity to the glucose in the blood can be affected rendering it less in function. Insulin is responsible for the transport of glucose from the blood to the cells and if this is altered then there would be a significant increase of sugar levels in the blood and the cells would not have the fuel for eliciting more energy for the body. This is why diabetes usually causes light headedness and numbness to the extremities.
Pregnancy complications, as much as possible, should be avoided. Pregnant mothers must always be vigilant about their health for this will also reflect the health of their babies. Routine medical check-up is a must by a competent physician and it must always be advocated that prevention is the key to a healthy pregnancy.
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Nine months of pregnancy pose a challenge for the pregnant woman, drastic hormonal changes occur in her body which will result to further changes in all aspects of the woman and the most evident are the physical and emotional changes. However difficult this process may be, a woman’s is necessarily equipped for her to cope through the given stress this pregnancy poses. Even though the female body is attuned to such stress, there are still other diseases that may pose a great deal of stress during pregnancy or even more specific to it. Pregnancy and diabetes do go hand-in-hand and sometimes it may cause some serious effects on both the mother and the child.
The correlation of pregnancy and diabetes has long been sorted out and gestational diabetes is no longer a disease that a lot of people have no knowledge about. Basically, this type of diabetes occurs only and exclusively during pregnancy and whatever occurs after that will no longer warrant the term. This diseases is characterized by a significant increase of the pregnant woman’s blood sugar level that is significantly exceeds the normal range. According to research, this may be caused by the hormonal changes occurring during pregnancy which disrupts the insulin’s normal affinity to glucose. Insulin, after all, is the hormone responsible for the transport of glucose from the blood to the cells and this glucose serves as energy that keeps the body’s functions intact. If there is a disturbance in the activity of insulin, then an increase on blood glucose levels should be expected.
Pregnancy and diabetes, together, renders the pregnant woman at risk for birth anomalies. An increase in blood glucose levels could cause numbness and tingling in the extremities, the feeling of constantly being thirsty, weakness, light-headedness and even frequent urination. What’s troubling about this is that these symptoms could be masked by the normal symptoms that could be associated with the pregnancy, so unless the woman submits herself for a blood chemistry check-up, she will continually consider such symptoms benign in nature. It must always be remembered that the only proof that a pregnant woman has gestational diabetes is through her fasting blood sugar results and nothing less.
The effects of both pregnancy and diabetes should be taken seriously since it greatly affects both the mother and the child. If no intervention is rendered right after proper detection then gestational and birth anomalies can occur and one of them could be rebound hypoglycaemia and a higher than normal weight for the child which could become fatal in the long run. It is highly advised that all pregnant mothers get their regular medical check-ups to assure that proper pregnancy progression can be observed and threats will be eliminated early on.
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How Gestational Diabetes Can Be Controlled
By · CommentsIt is said that three to eight pregnant women out of a hundred have a possibility of getting gestational diabetes during the span of their respective pregnancies. This is obviously a great threat to a pregnant woman’s health because the pregnancy alone could cause enough distress for the woman to actually endure and if more stress is afflicted to her, then it would affect both the woman and the baby drastically. A normal gestation spans for nine months and throughout these nine months, the pregnant woman experiences changes physically, psychologically, emotionally and physiologically. These changes will cause due stress which the woman will fight to endure to keep her baby safe from any gestational abnormalities.
Diabetes affects a lot of people in the whole world, in fact, this is a disease that is acknowledged worldwide and people are educated about the important points that must be discussed with regards this. Gestational diabetes is no different to diabetes itself, it is actually a type of diabetes that only occurs exclusively during pregnancy. The woman’s body experiences a lot of changes during gestation and one of them would involve blood glucose synthesis where for some reason, insulin becomes insensitive or inadequate. This occurrence results to glucose being unutilized and thus remains in the bloodstream.
Diabetes is primarily characterized by a higher than normal blood glucose level which could then lead to physical symptoms manifesting. Gestational diabetes is exactly the same and the symptoms may be more pronounced since the woman is going through some pregnancy related hormonal changes in her body. Usually, if the woman has gestational diabetes, she would feel thirsty most of the time, she may feel quite light headed, there might be tingling or numbness in her extremities and sometimes she may urinate more often but this could be disqualified since this is also a normal symptom of pregnancy. The definitive factor of pregnancy diabetes is always the fasting blood sugar result where evidence of high sugar levels will indicate that the pregnant woman may be experiencing the said disease.
Gestational diabetes’ primary intervention is always control; control of food and sugar intake should be the first priority while still maintaining the required caloric intake of a gestating woman. It is always essential to take into account the health of the baby and what is best for it. It is best to consult a specialist or a physician if symptoms of gestational diabetes are experienced and through this the pregnant woman will be guided to a better control of her health. With proper medical consultation, the woman will be able to know how to maintain optimal health through diet, exercise, necessary medication and others which collectively control the woman’s condition and reduce its effect on both the mother and the child.
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The Importance of Early Detection Diabetes in Pregnancy
By · CommentsEverybody practically knows that a woman in her gestational stage is usually in a critical condition since she will have to fend and take care of herself for the betterment of her baby. Nine whole months of keeping her health up could take its toll and sometimes with this much stress comes more stress with the knowledge that there are certain diseases that could pose a greater risk on herself and her baby. Diabetes in pregnancy is no rare occurrence among pregnant women and diabetes itself is fairly common all around the world. A lot of people know what denotes of this disease but it does not hurt to be further educated regarding this, pregnant women most especially.
What is most curious about the disease that is gestational diabetes is that its symptoms mask that of the normal ones occurring during pregnancy and this may make its detection harder than the usual. Diabetes is primarily indicated by an increase in the blood sugar level of a person. In this case, the pregnant woman may exhibit a higher than normal blood sugar level after a fasting blood sugar test. This will be a standard operating procedure during routine pregnancy check-up. Diabetes in pregnancy must always be a priority during this medical check-up since this can result to some dire effects on both the woman and the baby and treatment must be planned as early as possible if ever necessary running tests prove of its existence in the pregnant woman’s blood work.
Most of the symptoms indicative of the occurrence of gestational diabetes overlap with those of the normal symptoms exhibited by normal pregnancy. This is the reason why sometimes pregnant women would not complain about any abnormalities until this disease already has exhibited some of its more serious effects. This is also why a routine blood work and medical check-up is imperative upon the declaration of pregnancy. It is important to check blood glucose levels and when it show abnormal results, the physician can think of interventions that could hinder the disease from progressing into something unmanageable. Diabetes in pregnancy also has some serious effects on the woman’s baby because continued exposure to high blood sugar levels can cause rebound hypoglycaemia after birth and the baby may even exhibit a higher birth weight compared to the normal value with respect to the gestational age.
It is imperative that the pregnant woman should be educated regarding diabetes in pregnancy. There are many interventions that could be done that prove to be effective in maintaining the health of both the woman and the baby. Gestational diabetes can be managed and the early detection of the disease can further improve the health management of the ones involved, this will eventually lead to a safe delivery of the infant from the woman’s womb to the world.
If you want to know more and be guided as to the right diabetic diet, visit here: diabetesdietnurse.com
Diabetes is a disease condition where glucose (sugar) cannot be absorbed by the cells of the body and converted into energy. This condition is due to the lack of the hormone insulin or, if there are any, it is ineffective. Insulin aids the absorption of glucose into the cells where they will be converted to energy to power up the cells in other parts of the body. Diabetes and pregnancy are conditions which are not rare. Incidence of diabetes during pregnancy often occurs in 2-4% among pregnant women. It is usually termed as gestational diabetes, a condition only termed when diabetes is recognized during pregnancy for the first time.
Like any other disease, diabetes and pregnancy have its risks. Below are some of the known risks which could likely lead to diabetes during pregnancy:
* 25 years old and older
* Overweight
* Smoking
* A family history of Diabetes
* Belongs to a minority or ethnic group
* A history of unexplained stillbirth
* A history of giving birth to a large baby (10 lbs and more)
Generally in diabetes, no matter the type, all have similar signs and symptoms. Independently, they are thought to be unthreatening and often go on unnoticed. Noting these signs and symptoms can be very beneficial in arriving to a true diagnosis. Here are some of the common signs and symptoms:
* Frequent urination
* Excessive thirst
* Excessive hunger
* Fatigue and irritation
* Numbing and tingling of hands and feet
* Blurring of vision
Diabetes and pregnancy can bring about complications which can harm the mother and the baby’s health, and ultimately their lives as well. It is important to follow strict treatment and diet regimen in order to reduce the risks. Listed below are some of the complications the mother and the baby may experience:
(1) Complications Affecting the Mother:
* Pre-eclampsia – high blood pressure during pregnancy
* Increase in amniotic fluid
* Premature labor – giving birth on the 37th week or earlier
* Increased risk for a cesarean delivery
(2) Complications Affecting the Baby:
* Larger in size (Macro baby)
* Increased risk for shoulder dystocia during labor
* Hypoglycemia for a few days after birth
* Increased risk for Jaundice
* Premature
* Respiratory Distress Syndrome
* Increase blood pressure
* Prone to infections
* Increased risk of obesity (in later years)
* Increased risk of acquiring Diabetes (in later years)
Diabetes and pregnancy makes the condition a lot more threatening than it hold because it involves the lives of both the mother and child. Thus, it is always an advantage to be health conscious and seek a medical consult once one experience unfit signs and symptoms. This could probably be the perfect treatment for any disease, recognizing and treating it as early as possible
If you want to know more and be guided as to the right diabetic diet, visit here: diabetesdietnurse.com
The Common Signs of Gestational Diabetes
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Diabetes is a disease where the hormone insulin is very low, absent, or ineffective which results in increased blood glucose levels. There are several types of this disease and one of them is Gestational Diabetes. Women with gestational diabetes often proceed with the disease for months without noticing it. The reason behind such is the fact that signs of gestational diabetes are independently harmless or mild and are often nonexistent. Even thought the signs are as non-threatening as other disease would have presented, it can cause harm not only to the mother’s health but as well as to the baby’s.
It is essential for the mother to always be prompt with regards to her prenatal visits and the signs and symptoms she is experiencing throughout her pregnancy period. In this way, she is fully aware of her health state and will be able to address health problems as soon as they are recognized. Given that signs of gestational diabetes are vague and often continue unknowingly, diagnosis is acknowledge through proper tests which are routinely conducted during prenatal visits.
The recognition of gestational diabetes does not entirely rests on clinical screening tests. It is also the duty of the mother to be aware of the common signs of gestational diabetes as this would greatly help in the affirmation of the diagnosis. The most common signs of gestational diabetes are enumerated below:
(1) Frequent urination – A condition experienced because the kidneys extract extra water from the blood in order to dilute the saturation of the glucose in the blood. This causes frequent fullness of the bladder.
(2) Increased Thirst – A compensatory mechanism by the body from the increased water lost due to frequent urination, as stated above.
(3) Increased Hunger – Since most of the glucose which was broken down from the food eaten cannot be absorbed by the cells, cellular starvation takes place. The body will have to trigger a sense of hunger as cells are not able to receive proper and sufficient nutrients.
(4) Unusual Weight Loss – The cells’ main source of energy comes from absorption and conversion of glucose which will then be distributed to the cells located in other parts of the body. Because the main source of energy is now gone, the cells will break down muscle tissues and fat, instead, to generate energy and allow the body to perform its daily function, resulting to reduction in weight.
(5) Fatigue – As the depletion of energy sources decreases, all the more will the person feel weak and tired on most times. The body will not be able to perform the normal daily activities and will naturally feel weak and look weak.
These signs of gestational diabetes can greatly help in combating the disease at its earliest. Once the disease is recognized and is duly diagnosed, a strict diet plan should be observed by the mother to prevent presence of high blood glucose.
Fast Facts on the Early Symptoms of Gestational Diabetes
By · CommentsWhat is Gestational Diabetes?
Gestational Diabetes is a type of Diabetes that develops during the course of a woman’s pregnancy and is, at the same time, realized for the first time having had no background or history of Diabetes. It is generally begins on the third trimester of pregnancy. The disease is usually recognized during prenatal consults, when a series of tests are done to check the health of the mother and the baby, because the symptoms are very common and many tend to pass it off as something unthreatening, moreover, normal. The symptoms of gestational diabetes is typically the same as the other types of diabetes. Meaning, the main problem is typically the same as well, which is the deficiency or inability to properly function of the hormone insulin that disables glucose from being absorbed in the cell and left to accumulate in the bloodstream.
What are the symptoms of gestational diabetes?
As mentioned above, the common symptoms of gestational diabetes is the same as the other types of Diabetes and, if not equally, then more gravid to the health of the mother and baby if treatment measures are not initiated immediately. Realizing the common symptoms as early as possible can influence greatly the health and safety of the mother and child. Below are the most common and detectable symptoms of gestational diabetes to note for:
1) Polyuria – It means frequent urination. The mother may experience more than usual trips to the toilet. This condition is due to the great concentration of glucose in the blood that is being filtered by the kidneys. The kidneys draw out excess water from the bloodstream to reduce the glucose concentration thereby keeping the bladder full most of the time.
2) Polydipsia – A medical term that means excessive thirst. Having frequent trips to the toilet can result in dehydration and thirstiness. The mother will be drinking a great deal of water in order to compensate all the fluids lost.
3) Polyphagia – Another medical term that means extreme hunger. Food which is broken down into glucose cannot be absorbed and digested by the cell because of deficiency or ineffectiveness of insulin can create a condition of cellular starvation. This situation can yield a sense of hunger in the part of the mother, making her feel hungry no matter how much had been eaten.
4) Unusual Weight Loss – This condition takes place when cells cannot absorb glucose and convert them into energy. The body will have to compensate by breaking down the muscle tissues and fats instead in order to generate energy for the other cells of the body to function. The more muscle tissues and fats being broken down, the more weight is lost.
5) Fatigue – A condition that occurs due to insufficient energy being generated by the cells which makes it difficult for the other cells in the body to perform its everyday function or activities.
Upon detecting these symptoms of gestational diabetes, it is important to consult the doctor and get a proper diagnosis. When the diagnosis had been confirmed, the mother will have to strictly adhere to treatment, diet, and exercise to uphold both her health and the baby’s. For some, Gestational Diabetes resolves when the baby has been born.
All About Pregnant Diabetes and its Complications
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By the name itself, pregnant diabetes, one could already surmise that it is a type of Diabetes acquired by women during the course of their pregnancy. pregnant diabetes is categorized into such because it is recognized only during pregnancy and no previous diagnosis nor history of having such disease. Similar to other types of Diabetes, its main problem is insulin insufficiency or inefficiency that leads to a great increase of blood glucose. The condition usually appears on the third trimester of pregnancy and will resolve once the baby is born. There are instances, though, where pregnant diabetes becomes a precipitating factor to an imminent and irreversible type 2 Diabetes.
The symptoms of pregnant diabetes may not be obvious to some and will accidentally be realized after undergoing routinized prenatal tests during visits to the health care facility. But, for some, the symptoms may be very well evident which will lead the mother to consult a doctor. Here is a quick review of the common signs and symptoms of pregnant diabetes:
- Frequent Urination
- Extreme Thirst and Hunger
- Unusual Weight Loss
- Fatigue and Irritation
- Numbness and Tingling of Hands and Feet
- Blurring of Vision
If pregnant diabetes is not dealt immediately, it can lead to ominous complications which can endanger not only the mother but the baby’s health and life as well. It is crucial for the mother to seek treatment once the condition is recognized so that risks and problems can be reduced. The main goal of the treatment is to control the blood glucose.
Here are list of complications which can happen to the Mother:
- Pre-eclampsia – Abnormal state of pregnancy characterized by hypertension and fluid retention and albuminuria
- Increase in amniotic fluid (too much)
- Premature labor – giving birth before the 37th week of pregnancy
- Increase risk to cesarean section of delivery
- Increase risk to Pregnant Diabetes in future pregnancies
- Increase risk in developing type 2 Diabetes
As for the baby, below are the list of complications that can happen:
- Macro-Baby – growing larger than expected and may make labor and delivery difficult
- Reduced blood glucose for a few days after birth
- Jaundice – Yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes caused by an accumulation of bile pigment (bilirubin) in the blood. Bilirubin is a substance produced when red blood cells are damaged.
- If born prematurely, may experience respiratory distress syndrome due to underdeveloped lungs.
- Increase risk to being obese in later life
- Increase risk of having Diabetes in later life
In the beginning, the doctor and dietitian will advise the mother with pregnant diabetes to undergo dietary changes and exercise in order to keep the blood glucose at bay. Usually, a balance diet and exercise is all that is needed to correct the range of one’s blood glucose and prevent further complications. But after two weeks and the glucose is still uncontrollably high, this may be the time for the doctor to prescribe glucose-reducing medicines.
