Diabetes during pregnancy is known as gestational diabetes. It is interesting to note that the chances of getting gestational diabetes, is one of the most common complication of pregnancy. It has increased by almost 40%. Also, gestational diabetes not only affects the health of the mother, but also the health of the baby. What usually happens with gestational diabetes is that the blood sugar level, of both the mother and the baby go above the normal level. Ayurveda can help treat this disease. Here are the most common Ayurveda remedies for gestational diabetes.

1. Gurmaar
Gurmaar, called "The Sugar Killer" is also known as Gymnema sylvestre in medical jargon. Gurmaar also contains gymnemic acid molecules, which are crucial because they have an anti-diabetic effect. They work by combining with glucose molecules, which are in the blood stream. These stop the glucose from entering the bloodstream. 

2. Karela
Karela is commonly known as bitter gourd and its biological name is Momordica charantia. It has anti-diabetic properties and also contains many other micronutrients, which are crucial in preventing the complications which arise from gestational diabetes.

3. Vizaysaar
Vizaysaar comes from the bark of a tree whose biological name is Pterocarpus marsupium. It is very useful for diabetes. If you immerse the wood of Vizaysaar in water overnight and then drink it, your blood sugar levels are expected to fall.

4. Saptrangi
Saptrangi is biologically known as Salacia oblonga. Just like Vizaysaar, it is a tree whose bark is immersed in water and then drunk by the patient suffering from diabetes. You will know that the water is ready for drinking when it turns brown, which usually happens overnight. It is also being studied in Western herbal schools in addition to Ayurveda nowadays.

5. Tulsi
Tulsi is a holy plant in Hindu mythology and is known as Ocimum sanctum in biological terms. It is worshiped as a holy plant because it has tremendous medicinal properties including treating many types of cancers, cough, cold, sore throat as well as reducing blood sugar.

6. Ashwagandha
The medical name for ashwagandha is Withania somnifera. It is another great remedy for diabetes.

Ayurveda and Gestational Diabetes

Imbalance in the hormones is the primary cause of the polycystic ovarian syndrome. The polycystic ovarian syndrome may result in an enlarged ovary with accumulated fluids. This disorder may lead to various changes in your appearance.

The various symptoms of this disorder are:

1. Acne: This disorder may cause or aggravate acne on your skin.

2. Abnormal periods: You may face irregularities in your periods as the intervals between periods may extend for more than 35 days or heavy periods.

3. Excess androgen: The male hormone known as androgen may increase in the female body which results in facial hair and excessive body hair. It may also cause acne.

4. Hair loss: This syndrome may lead to thinning of hair on the scalp and thus, resulting in hair loss.

5. Enlarged ovaries: The ovaries may be enlarged with various fluid filled sacs.

The various causes of polycystic ovarian syndrome are:

1. Low-grade inflammation: The body's immune system produces various substances that fight foreign infections in the body. If you are affected by the polycystic ovarian syndrome, then you are more likely to be affected by inflammation which causes androgen production in the body.

2. Heredity: If someone in your family has this disorder then you are more likely to be affected by this disease.

3. Insulin: Insulin is a hormone that allows the cells the body to produce energy in the body. You may experience insulin resistance which means energy production in the body may be hampered. It may also lead to increased androgen production which may impair the ovaries&#x2019; ovulation ability.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome may lead to various complications in the body:

1. Sleep apnea

2. Irregular blood pressure

3. Type 2 diabetes

4. It may increase chances of cardiovascular diseases as it may lead to metabolic syndrome

5. It may lead to symptoms of anxiety and depression

6. You may experience heavy bleeding in the uterine region

7. It may lead to complications in the cholesterol levels in the body

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Pregnancy is that period of time in a woman's life when she is excited about giving birth to her baby. She is not only responsible to keep herself healthy, but her baby is also her responsibility. What she eats, how she lives and her daily routine will affect the baby. Thus, to have a healthy pregnancy it is necessary that you exercise regularly and eat well. You should also avoid those things that may hurt your baby. 

Take care of what you eat
During pregnancy it is important to get proper nutrition so that you and your baby are healthy. For slow and gradual weight gain, it is necessary to pay close attention to the folic acid, calcium and iron intake. However, if you are obese, then your weight gain regime will be different from others. 

The diet during pregnancy should include
1. Intake of fruit and vegetables is important as they are good sources of vitamins, minerals and even fiber. They are good for digestion and also help in preventing constipation. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables daily.

2. During pregnancy carbohydrates are also important as they act as an important source of energy. Different food items that are rich in carbohydrates are potatoes, bread, breakfast cereals, pasta, rice, noodles, millet, maize, oats, yams, sweet potatoes, and corn meal. It is better to eat whole grains and potato with the skin on as they are rich in fiber. 

3. Intake of protein is very important during pregnancy, and thus you should take lean meat, pulses, beans, nuts, fish, and eggs. All these items should be cooked well so that you do not face any problem in digestion during pregnancy. 

4. It is also necessary to eat dairy products like milk, cheese, butter and yoghurt during pregnancy. They are important because they contain the calcium and nutrients that are necessary for the growth of the baby. 

What to avoid?
Just as you should eat certain food items to be healthy, there are certain foods that must be avoided to be fit and healthy. Avoid the following during pregnancy

-  Drugs and alcohol
-  Medicines that are not prescribed by your physician
-  Smoking tobacco
-  Fried and oily food
-  Fishes those are rich in mercury like shark, tilefish, swordfish and those fishes that are caught in local waters are not considered safe. 
-  Too much intake of caffeine is also hazardous for a pregnant lady. 

Thus, by following the above-mentioned  diet tips you can keep your baby and yourself healthy. Always get advice from your physician for any decision that you take during pregnancy.

Are You Pregnant? Take Care of Your Diet

Pcos or polycystic ovary syndrome is an endocrine disorder in women, in which the female hormones, progesterone and estrogen, are imbalanced. This imbalance leads to the formation of cysts (benign masses) in the ovaries. Pcos tends to affect your heart functions, fertility, menstrual cycle and appearance.

There are certain symptoms, which can be indicative of pcos; these symptoms tend to begin as a woman's menstrual cycle starts. In certain cases, however, pcos may also affect a woman in her mid age. Pcos can also cause excessive hair growth in unwanted places like above the upper lip, chin, arms and chest like a male.
The symptoms are:

Increase in the production of male hormone, leads to development of male characteristics
The size of the breasts may reduce
The tone and the texture of the voice may change and become similar to a man's voice
Hair may start to fall
You may suffer from acne and pimple breakouts on your face
It can lead to sudden weight gain
It may affect a woman's fertility
It may lead to pain in the pelvis
Other symptoms: apart from these symptoms, a woman may also experience other health complications such as high levels of bad cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Causes: the causes of pcos are not well known, however, the likely causes are genetics and hormonal complications. If someone in the family has pcos, then the risk of being affected by pcos rises significantly. The other likely cause is the overproduction of the male hormone androgen in the female body. Although androgen is a male hormone, the female body also produces it in trace amounts. However, in some cases, when it is overproduced, it might impair the ovulation process.

Diagnosis and treatment: once the condition is diagnosed, there are certain treatments, which are recommended for the patient. The condition in itself does not have a cure, but the symptoms can only be controlled. Medications to control the androgen levels in the female body may be administered if you have androgen hormone complication. A balanced diet and an exercise regimen can be chalked out to control body weight and regulate blood sugar levels. If pcos leads to ovulation problems, then medications to facilitate ovulation may be advised.

PCOS: What You Need to Know About It

Polycystic ovary disease or PCOD is a kind of hormonal disorder in which a woman produces a surplus of male hormones like testosterone.
High levels of male hormones produce symptoms like irregular ovulation or no ovulation at all. In simple words, women with PCOD or PCOS don t release a mature egg from their ovaries every month resulting in infertility. PCOD affects one in 10 women worldwide.

Women suffering from PCOD suffer from symptoms like heavy vaginal bleeding. This is because, as they don t ovulate and produce the hormone Progesterone like normal women do and have normal periods, the lining of their uteri becomes thick leading to heavy bleeding and sometimes uterine cancer.

The other common symptoms of PCOS are:

Acne
Weight gain
Oily skin
Heart problems
Irregular periods
Migraines
Hirsuitism
Infertility
Mood swings and depression
There is a propensity for developing diabetes as well in PCOS affected, as a number of women with PCOD are resistant to the action of the hormone insulin used for sugar metabolism. This means that it takes larger than normal amounts of insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels. Though fairly common, PCOD has no surefire cure in mainstream allopathic medicine but Ayurveda can help alleviate PCOD symptoms in a big way.

PCOD - How Ayurveda Can Help?

In Ayurveda, PCOD is caused due to an imbalance of any of the two doshas - Pitta (Fire) and Kapha (Water). Aggravated Pitta causes contamination of the dhatus or tissues like blood and plasma. This causes a buildup of toxins or ama in the body.
In PCOS patients, these toxins get accumulated in the channels of the mind, leading to an imbalance of hormones secreted by the pituitary gland. This results in an imbalance of female hormones and causes the formation of ovarian cysts which is nothing but a collection of fluids within the ovary, anovulatory periods or periods with no ovulation etc.

Ayurvedic herbal remedies for PCOD

Ayurveda works on these problems:
-Correcting hormonal imbalance
-Reducing obesity
- Reducing high cholesterol levels
-Treatment for insulin resistance
Herbs like Ashoka (saraca asoca), Dashamoola are amongst a group of herbs which are used to prepare Sukumara Kashaya like Ashwagandha, Eranda, Shatavari etc for correcting hormonal imbalance.
Other drugs for curing PCOS are-
1. Shatavari or Asparagus racemosus
This helps mainly in promoting normal development of ovarian follicles. It also regulates periods and aids in revitalizing the female reproductive system. Shatavari also helps in controlling high levels of insulin due to PCOS, due to its phytoestrogen or natural plant based estrogen levels.
2. Guduchi
Guduchi is a powerful anti- inflammatory herb. We know that chronic inflammation in body tissues is the root cause for insulin imbalance and ovarian cysts in women. This herb helps in revitalizing body tissues and lowering insulin resistance.
3. Shatapushpa or fennel
Fennel seeds are used as a supplement as the phytoestrogens in them bring down inflammation and control insulin resistance.
4.Triphala
Triphala is rich in vitamin C- a powerful natural antioxidant that helps in reducing inflammation by reducing free radicals. Hence this remedy is excellent for cleansing and detoxifying systems and is therefore best taken prior to taking any other Ayurvedic medicines to improve outcome.
5. Aloe Vera- Kumari (Aloe barbadensis)
Aloe Vera is yet another Ayurvedic herb that is extremely beneficial in treating PCOS as it helps in regularizing menstrual cycles and promote normal menstruation. It also normalizes hormonal imbalance.

PCOD - How Ayurveda Medicines & Treatment Is Beneficial For You?

Recurrent pregnancy loss is termed as the occurrence of three or more miscarriages. Recently, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine has altered the definition and limited the number of miscarriages to two. A pregnancy loss can only be termed so if the pregnancy is clinically recognized and is ends involuntarily before 20 weeks. The pregnancy loss must be identified by a registered doctor to term it as pregnancy loss.

What are the major causes of Recurrent Pregnancy Loss?
There could be a lot of reasons behind recurrent pregnancy loss. Most of the pregnancy failure happens from reasons such as abnormalities of the genes, chromosomes and other random events. It is estimated that close to 15 percent of the pregnancies end up in miscarriages. While 30-60 percent of the pregnancies expire within the first 12 weeks, fifty percent of the women are believed to be not aware of the pregnancy in the first place. The risk of miscarriage, however, is less than 50 percent.

An advanced maternity age is another crucial factor towards recurrent 2pregnancy loss. The risk of miscarriage dramatically increases among these women owing to their poor quality of egg, abnormalities in the chromosome etc. At a time, it has been observed that either the father or the mother might have irregularities in the gene leading to early miscarriage.

An abnormality in the uterus might also be a reason for a miscarriage. Poor blood supply and inflammation of the uterus are two of the topmost reason for miscarriages among many women. While some women born with a defective uterus, some develop uterus anomalies due to lifestyle and unhealthy life practices.

Last but not the least, a woman s immune system might also play a pivotal role towards a miscarriage. Certain hormonal irregularities, diabetes and thyroid diseases might lead to a miscarriage. Then there are the environmental factors such as stress, occupational factors, lifestyle practices etc that contributes towards a miscarriage.

What are the tests conducted?
To evaluate the exact reason for repeated miscarriages, a doctor performs a detailed physical and surgical examination. Some other areas where a doctor sneaks into include family history, genetic history etc. A karyotype test might also be prescribed in case a doctor feels the need of doing so. The uterus cavity and the uterus are closely monitored to understand any potential lack in the anatomy. This is followed by a list of imaging tests that a doctor might prescribe. These include MRI, X-ray, hysteroscopy etc.

What are the treatment options?
The treatment options are decided based on the finding of the tests. Sometimes plain medicines along with antibiotics can cure the condition, while sometimes surgery might be required to fix any potential threat within the uterus. In any case, the probability of future pregnancy after treatment goes as high as 77 percent.


Recurrent Pregnancy Loss - Things You Should Avoid!

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