Diabetes is one of the most common problems that are caused by obesity, unhealthy and inactive lifestyle. It is a metabolic disorder in which the body is unable to store and use energy from food. Being physically inactive and eating unhealthy food are primary causes of diabetes. It is a long term condition, which causes high or unstable blood sugar levels in the body.

When a patient suffers from low blood sugar it is called hypoglycemia and if the blood sugar levels are too high, it is called hyperglycemia. Both are extremely harmful for a patient.

Type 1 and type 2 and gestational diabetes:

Type 1

In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. The condition has no known cure and is usually hereditary in nature. Approximately 10% of those suffering from diabetes have type 1 diabetes. Patients with type 1 diabetes have to take regular medication, including insulin injections as well as take care of their diet.

Type 2

Type 2 diabetes happens when the body does not produce enough insulin for its proper functioning. 90% of all diabetic people suffer from type 2 diabetes. It is usually caused by poor lifestyle choices, like physical inactivity and unhealthy food habits. The disease lasts a lifetime and is usually progressive in nature, but can be managed by taking regular medication, choosing an active lifestyle and maintaining proper body weight.

Gestational diabetes

Diabetes during pregnancy is known as gestational diabetes. This has to be managed by taking medication or in extreme cases insulin shots. If undetected or untreated, gestational diabetes increases complications during childbirth, and causes unusual weight gain in the baby. However, gestational diabetes usually ends after the baby is born and women can go back to their normal lifestyle and eating habits post delivery.

Symptoms of diabetes

 Frequent urination
 Extreme hunger or thirst
 Weight loss
 Problems with vision
 Tingling or numbness of the extremities.
 Unexplained fatigue
 Dry skin
 Cuts or sores that heal slowly
 High number of infections

Who is at greatest risk for developing diabetes?

People who:

 Are 45 or over
 Are overweight
 Are habitually physically inactive
 Have previously been identified as having ifg (impaired fasting glucose) or igt (impaired glucose tolerance)
 Have a family history of diabetes
 Are members of certain ethnic groups (including asian american, african american, hispanic american, and native american)
 Have had gestational diabetes or have given birth to a child weighing more than 9 pounds
 Have elevated blood pressure
 Have an hdl cholesterol level (the good cholesterol) below 35 mg/dl and/or a triglyceride level above 250 mg/dl
 Have polycystic ovary syndrome
 Have a history of vascular disease

What is pre-diabetes?

Pre-diabetes is a condition of elevated blood glucose level that has not yet reached a diabetic level. Along with insulin resistance, pre-diabetes causes no symptoms. An individual may be pre-diabetic for years without knowing it. Pre-diabetes increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Weight loss and exercise may halt the onset of diabetes from pre-diabetes by returning blood glucose levels to a normal range.

Diabetes: At A Glance

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

Pregnancy brings with it a set of challenges, and for a diabetic woman, these only increase further. Earlier, the risks of dealing with pregnancy and diabetes as a combination were too high. However, over the last few decades, things have changed. The age at which women are choosing to have a baby has gone up. On the other hand, the age of onset of diabetes has come down drastically.
These days, there are many diabetic women who go through pregnancy smoothly without major complications. Of course, there is extra care and precaution required, but it is not something that cannot be planned and managed well between the doctor and the mother-to-be.

The following are some rough guidelines for a pregnant diabetic woman.
Potential complications

It increases the risk of polycystic ovaries, thereby making it difficult to conceive.
Fluctuating sugar levels can be a reason for not being able to conceive, as the body does not see itself as healthy.
It increased the chances of miscarriage.
There are higher chances of birth defects in the developing baby due to very high sugar levels in the first trimester.
Preparation
If you are planning for a pregnancy, meet with your doctor to review your sugar levels. Chalk out a plan with your doctor, taking into account your diet and nutrition, exercise, lifestyle, and medications.

Diet: Ensure you cautiously decide what and how to eat ahead of your pregnancy. Moving away from refined carbohydrates and processed foods towards wholesome food items like whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables will make a difference.
Exercise: Build an exercise routine to suit your body and keep yourself active. It is very important to stay active so that diabetes is under control.
Lifestyle: Quit smoking and reduce alcohol use. This helps in managing stress also, which can help keep diabetes under check.
Medications: Check with your doctor on the medicines you are taking and if dose adjustments are required to get sugar levels under control, plan them out.
During pregnancy, constant monitoring and vigilance is required to ensure diabetes is under control.

Let your gynecologist know about your condition (stable/fluctuating), and if you are doubtful about them being able to handle your condition, do not hesitate to change.
Many consider switching to oral medications as the risk of transmission to the baby is less and the control over sugar levels is better.
Constant monitoring for daily blood sugars is essential.
A regular, healthy lifestyle in terms of eating and sleeping should help keep the sugars under check.
Constant monitoring of the baby is essential to ensure its normal growth with no developmental defects.
Read up and train yourself on how to deal with low or high sugar levels. Happy sugary pregnancy!

Diabetes During Pregnancy - Know The Best Ways To Control It!

Gestational diabetes is also known as gestational mellitus diabetes (gdm). It is a prevalent disorder which affects pregnant women and the main cause of this condition is the imbalance in the functioning of the insulin, which mainly happens due to the presence of human placental lactogen. Expecting mothers show a raise in their blood sugar level, especially during the last trimester of their pregnancy. Women who do not have a medical history of diabetes can also be affected with this condition.

Prominent symptoms of gestational pregnancy include:
Gestational diabetes does not have any prominent symptoms; it can only be diagnosed through proper and professional screening of blood sugar level. You should immediately consult a doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:
1. Increased level of blood sugar
2. Trouble to concentrate
3. Recurrent headaches
4. Increased thirst
5. Blurry vision
6. Sudden weight loss
7. Decrease in low blood sugar level
8. Anxiety
9. Dizziness
10. Pangs of hunger
11. Pale skin and dry skin
12. Excessive sweating
13. Persistent weakness

How can you manage gestational diabetes?
Modification of lifestyle pattern, healthy food habits and moderate physical exercise can help minimize the risk of gestational diabetes in expecting mothers.
In order to manage gestational diabetes, the following things should be followed:
1. The treatment when accompanied with balanced diet and routine exercises, reduces the occurrence of health problems in both mother and child.
2. A routine screening for type ii diabetes should be conducted throughout the pregnancy, to ensure early detection and treatment of the same.
3. A diet rich in fiber and whole grains minimizes the risk of diabetes in pregnancy, fresh fruits and vegetables are also known to check the blood sugar level in expecting mother, minimizing the occurrence of health problem in both mother and child.
4. Giving up the use of cigarettes and other forms of tobacco may reduce the chances of gestational diabetes in female smokers.

How does gestational diabetes affect pregnancy?
Gestational diabetes is harmful for both the expecting mother and the child. It increases the risk of complications in pregnancy that can prove to be fatal.
Potential risks of gestational pregnancy include:
1. Increased risk of needing a c-section
2. Miscarriage
3. Preeclampsia and high blood pressure
4. Preterm chance of birth.

Gestational Diabetes

Pregnancy can be a tricky time for most women, although it is not a pathological condition. One must be prepared for pregnancy with the best of health in the pre-pregnancy period. This also includes women who are suffering from diabetes. The complications during pregnancy and delivery increase manifold if one has not controlled the glucose and blood sugar levels before getting pregnant. So read on to know more about coping with the pregnancy if you happen to have diabetes.

Complications: Pregnancy with diabetes can cause severe complications if blood sugar levels are not controlled properly before pregnancy. This can cause diabetes to become even worse in the long run, with the onset of various other related ailments like kidney disease, heart disease, eye problems and more. It can also increase the risk of premature delivery, and too much birth weight of the baby as well as low glucose levels right after the baby s birth. Further, one can also lose the baby to a miscarriage due to excessively high blood sugar levels. This can also affect the glucose and blood sugar level of the baby as the glucose passes through the body.

Related conditions: If you happen to have high blood sugar levels, then you and your baby can get affected in an adverse way. To begin with, you may come down with severe depression regarding how you will be able to manage your diabetes and pregnancy together, and also due to the implications of the condition after the birth of the baby. It can also cause a condition called Preeclampsia in which the pregnant woman s blood pressure becomes high and too much protein starts to pass from the urine, which can also result in frequent urination and life-threatening defects and problems for you and the baby. In such cases, you will have to be hospitalised and the baby will need to be delivered via a C section or a Caesarean Section.



Planning ahead: If you know that you are trying to conceive, the best way is to be fully prepared well in advance. This includes planning ahead for managing the blood sugar levels and keeping the risk of other ailments at bay. You can start by losing excessive weight and seek treatment to bring down the blood sugar levels. Exercising and watching your diet are also some good ways to ensure that your Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes is in control.

Medical Team: It is pertinent to be in touch with your medical team on a constant basis. This team should include the obstetrician and gynaecologist as well as your regular doctor to whom you can report any changes.
Keep health close to your heart when you are pregnant by taking care of all existing ailments.

If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a doctor and ask a free question.

Diabetes in Pregnancy - How to Tackle it?

Pregnancy brings with it the need to be extra careful about the overall well-being of the mother-to-be. Extreme caution has to be taken in managing health, as antibiotics and a lot of other treatment modalities are best avoided during pregnancy. With diabetes becoming common in the younger ages and women choosing to delay pregnancy, there are multiple women who are diabetic and choose to get pregnant later in life.

With diabetes being a chronic and a lifestyle condition, it definitely has its effects on pregnancy. However, the key is to manage diabetes cautiously in such a way that its effects on pregnancy, both the mother and the developing baby, are minimal. The increased blood sugar levels from the mother pass on to the baby, so keeping a close watch on the blood sugar levels is very important.

The maximum effect of diabetes on the baby is during the first few weeks of pregnancy. It is when the vital organs (brain, heart, lungs and kidneys) are forming, and high blood sugar levels can be harmful. This is slightly tricky as most women realise they could be pregnant only after about 6 weeks. If pregnancy is planned, it is best advisable to keep a check on sugar levels much ahead of the pregnancy.
The baby could be used to high levels of sugar while in the womb, and once delivered, it could have too low sugar levels. This needs to be monitored.
Preeclampsia, which is increased protein in the urine and high blood pressure, can happen during the second trimester. This may require the baby to be delivered prematurely.
Babies born to diabetic mothers are often bigger. The baby s pancreas is used to higher sugar levels and so the extra sugar gets converted to fat, which is the reason for the bigger babies. This may also necessitate C-sections.
Pregnancy can induce the development of diabetic retinopathy, which may prevent vaginal delivery, as the woman may not be able to exert the required pressure.
Abnormal calcium and magnesium levels, which need to be monitored for a while after birth
Most diabetic women reach full term if the sugar levels have been under good control.
Diabetic pregnant women are high at risk. However, with advanced medical care, these risks and complications are managed very well producing healthy babies from normal deliveries with effectively no harm to the mother s health. Once a diabetic woman tests positive, it is advisable to seek medical help to plan diet/meal plan, physical activities, exercise regimen, lifestyle changes, and medication dose adjustments. This is not a one-time activity, but needs to be closely monitored with daily blood sugar levels throughout the pregnancy. 

How Can High Diabetes Affect Your Pregnancy?

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