Gestational diabetes, as the name suggests, occurs during gestation or pregnancy when the blood sugar levels exceed the normal level. Gestational diabetes, like other form of diabetes, affects how your body cells use glucose or sugar during pregnancy, and usually disappears after you’ve given birth.
Causes and symptoms to look out for!
During gestation, the placenta produces hormones that lead to the accumulation of blood glucose. Under normal condition, the pancreas forms enough insulin to counter the buildup of blood glucose. The level of blood sugar rises when the pancreas fails to produce adequate insulin to manage your blood sugar.
Usually, women with gestational diabetes do not show symptoms. So, the presence of the condition can go unnoticed if they are not diagnosed during routine checkups and screening tests. Nevertheless, if the condition goes out of control, you may feel tired, feel thirsty or hungry, or feel the urge to urinate more often.
What are the risk factors?
About 2-10% of pregnant women are affected by gestational diabetes every year. The following factors are likely to put you at risk of developing gestational diabetes-
What is the treatment for gestational diabetes?
Urine tests are performed to check for ketones. In a non-diabetic person, glucagon, insulin and other hormones avert ketone levels in your blood from soaring up too high. Once you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, it’s important that you consult your doctor for treatment. Uncontrolled blood sugar level can affect you and your baby’s health after birth. This condition can be treated in the following ways-
Post treatment the blood sugar levels usually come down to normal within 4-6 weeks of giving birth.
In case you have a concern or query you can always consult a specialist & get answers to your questions!
Gestational diabetes is diabetes that arises during the pregnancy and disappears after giving birth. It is usually diagnosed in the second stage by screening or blood test. It mostly occurs in the women who previously have some traits of diabetes. Gestational diabetes affects your pregnancy and your newborn baby health, but risk can be reduced if detected before and manage well.
Gestational diabetes is caused due to an excessive amount of blood sugar level, as at the time of pregnancy placenta excrete the glucose building hormones. The pancreas excretes enough insulin to manage if not this lead to the excessive amount of blood sugar. This can be prevented by adopting healthy habits before pregnancy. The mentioned below are the symptoms, causes and prevention of Gestational diabetes.
Symptoms
In most of the cases, Gestational diabetes does not show any sign and symptoms, but it can be diagnosed through the blood test or screening. Some women may develop symptoms if they are suffering from hyperglycemia. The common symptoms are:
Tiredness
These are some symptoms shown by the diabetic patient if you are experiencing any of them then consult your doctor. Regular checkup, test and screening should be preferred to avoid this serious problem. The problem can be well managed if detected at the time.
Who is at risk?
Any women can suffer from Gestational diabetes, but you are a great risk if:
Causes
During pregnancy, the placenta excretes the hormones that lead to building up of glucose in the body. The pancreas makes enough insulin to manage them if not, then sugar level rise and cause Gestational diabetes. Usually, the hormones build up during the pregnancy work against insulin and raise the blood sugar level in the body.
Precaution
There is no guarantee t prevent Gestational diabetes, but by adopting some healthy habits, reduce the risk of future pregnancy. The mentioned below are a habit that helps to prevent or reduce the risk of Gestational diabetes.
Conclusion
Gestational diabetes is not a major issue, it can be managed well if diagnosed on time. One can prevent this disease by just adopting healthy habits of balanced diet and exercise. Some women may require medical care so regular checkup and screening is important during pregnancy.
Gestational diabetes is a condition characterized by higher than normal blood sugar levels during pregnancy. The symptoms of this disorder are mild and a blood test has to be conducted as a part of the diagnosis. In all cases, the women should be administered treatment to avoid medical complications associated with it and to be on the safer side. Proper diagnosis is absolutely essential in the case of women with prediabetes or those women who had diabetes prior to pregnancy.
When the insulin receptors fail to function normally, the blood sugar levels may rise. This is known to be one of the causes of gestational diabetes. Post-pregnancy, the symptoms of gestations diabetes disappear on their own; however, such patients are an in increased risk of suffering from type 2 diabetes at a later stage. Moreover, children born to mothers with gestations diabetes are at an increased risk of suffering from conditions such as jaundice, diabetes, and certain other health issues.
As a part of gestational diabetes treatment, the expecting mother is advised to consume a nutritious diet, practice a daily exercise regime, and monitor blood sugar levels on a regular basis. Nonetheless, if your blood sugar levels become extremely high, you may be advised to take specific medicines to control it and avoid complications.
The following are some of the treatment methods used to manage gestational diabetes:
Conclusion: On a concluding note, you should note that the above treatments for gestational diabetes should be practised only after a thorough discussion with the doctor. Keep in mind that during pregnancy you have to adopt a precarious approach; by doing so, you can prevent you and your baby from getting adversely affected.
Gestational trophoblastic disease is a rare condition. It only happens when trophoblast cells abnormally grow inside the uterus. Also, this only happens after conception. These cells surround the egg which has been fertilized in the uterus. It is also worth note that the trophoblast cells usually connect the fertilized eggs to the uterus' walls and also form a part of the placenta. It is only when there is a tumor that this disease is diagnosed. There are many forms of gestational trophoblastic disease. Here they are:
Types
1. Complete hydatidiform moles
2. Partial hydatidiform moles
3. Invasive moles
4. Choriocarcinomas
5. Placental-site trophoblastic tumors (PSTT)
6. Epithelioid trophoblastic tumors (ETT)
It is worth note that most of these diseases have different stages. The stage of how far cancer has developed can be found out using the following techniques.
Testing for cancer
1. Chest X-ray
This is simply an X-ray of the chest.
2. MRI
An MRI is an abbreviation of magnetic resonance imaging. It makes use of a form of a magnet which transfers radio waves to a computer to find out what is going on within your body.
3. CT scan
This is similar to an X-ray except that more detailed and larger pictures inside the body can be taken and the scan has a slightly different procedure.
There are several ways to treat it depending on how far cancer has spread into the body. Here they are:
Treatment
1. Surgery
Surgery is usually done while the mole is still non-cancerous. The chances of the mole becoming cancerous are increased by pregnancy. Therefore, it is crucial that you do not become pregnant until the surgery is complete.
2. Chemotherapy
This is a less-ideal option but has to be taken if the mole has become cancerous.
Gestational diabetes is a kind of diabetes that happens during pregnancy. Diabetes is referred to a condition where your blood glucose or blood sugar is very high. Although, glucose is good as it used by your body for energy, but excessive glucose in your blood can be harmful for both you and your child.
Gestational diabetes is mostly diagnosed in the later stages of pregnancy. If gestational diabetes is diagnosed in the early stages of pregnancy, then it is quite possible that you may have had diabetes before you became pregnant. Treating gestational diabetes can help both you and your baby stay fit and healthy. You can protect both, yourself and your baby by controlling your blood glucose levels.
Here are 7 things that you need to know about Gestational diabetes:
During the time between 24th to 28th weeks of your pregnancy, you might develop a high level of glucose in your blood stream; this is known as gestational diabetes, and it affects the cells in the blood and how they absorb and use the glucose.
Ten best remedies which can prevent or control this problem are as follows:
Diabetes is often referred to as diabetes mellitus by physicians, which is used for describing a group of metabolic-related diseases. Diabetic patients have high blood sugar (blood glucose) in the blood, the cause of which might be either the inadequate production of insulin or because the body is unable to use the insulin properly. Diabetes might also be a result of the combination of both.
There are three types of diabetes:
Symptoms:
Symptoms of diabetes include excessive thirst, dehydration, increased urination and hunger. Symptoms may also include fatigue, skin problems, slow healing wounds, blurred vision and tingling in the feet.
Solutions
Acute complications of diabetes may include hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia while chronic complications may include diseases of the blood vessels which could damage the eyes, nerves, kidneys and the heart. If you think you have symptoms which suggest diabetes, consulting a doctor at the earliest would be your best option.
Gestational trophoblastic disease is a rare condition. It only happens when trophoblast cells abnormally grow inside the uterus. Also, this only happens after conception. These cells surround the egg which has been fertilized in the uterus. It is also worth note that the trophoblast cells usually connect the fertilized eggs to the uterus' walls and also form a part of the placenta. It is only when there is a tumor that this disease is diagnosed. There are many forms of the gestational trophoblastic disease. Here they are:
Types
1. Complete hydatidiform moles
2. Partial hydatidiform moles
3. Invasive moles
4. Choriocarcinomas
5. Placental-site trophoblastic tumors (PSTT)
6. Epithelioid trophoblastic tumors (ETT)
It is worth note that most of these diseases have different stages. The stage of how far cancer has developed can be found out using the following techniques.
Testing for cancer
1. Chest X-ray
This is simply an X-ray of the chest.
2. MRI
An MRI is an abbreviation of magnetic resonance imaging. It makes use of a form of a magnet which transfers radio waves to a computer to find out what is going on within your body.
3. CT scan
This is similar to an X-ray except that more detailed and larger pictures inside the body can be taken and the scan has a slightly different procedure.
There are several ways to treat it depending on how far cancer has spread into the body. Here they are:
Treatment
1. Surgery
Surgery is usually done while the mole is still non-cancerous. The chances of the mole becoming cancerous are increased by pregnancy. Therefore, it is crucial that you do not become pregnant until the surgery is complete.
2. Chemotherapy
This is a less-ideal option but has to be taken if the mole has become cancerous.
'Congratulations! You're pregnant!' Almost all women long to hear these words and nothing should come in the way, even diabetes. So, if you are a Type 1 or Type 2 diabetic, here are a few things you should keep in mind to have a healthy baby.
Your blood sugar must be monitored regularly
The most important thing you can do to have a healthy baby is to keep your blood sugar as close to normal before and during your pregnancy. Testing is recommended a minimum of four times a day. Glucose passes through the mother's blood to the fetus and hence if your blood sugar fluctuates, so will your baby's. High blood sugar levels are especially harmful during the first 8 weeks of pregnancy when the baby's brain, heart, kidneys and lungs are formed.
Your pregnancy is considered high risk
High blood sugar levels can increase the risk of a miscarriage as well as the risks of your baby being born with birth defects. Diabetes can also increase the risk of developing preeclampsia during the second half of your pregnancy. This could result in a C section or premature birth. Thus, maintain regular checkups and keep your doctor in the loop of all your activities.
You should watch out for signs of ketosis
When you have low blood sugar, the body produces ketones that can be passed on from you to your baby. This production of ketones is a result of the body's burning of fat instead of glucose to provide energy and can develop a condition called ketosis. Symptoms you should watch out for are stomach aches, nausea, fatigue, muscle stiffness, frequent urination and fruity breath.
You need Vitamins and Supplements
Most women require vitamin and mineral supplements at the time of pregnancy. Of these, folic acid, iron, calcium and vitamin D are the most important. These supplements help in the healthy growth of the baby.
You should exercise regularly
Maintaining a regular physical activity routine is very important for diabetics who are expecting a baby. This will help you regularize your blood sugar, relieve stress and strengthen your heart. Avoid activities that increase your risk of falling and aim for at least thirty minutes of daily exercise such as walking, swimming or yoga.
Check your medication
Some medication can be detrimental during pregnancy such as cholesterol and blood pressure medication. Consult your doctor to find a suitable alternative, if needed. You may also need to change the kind of insulin you take and its frequency and amount. As you get closer to the delivery date, your insulin requirement may even double or triple.
The key to preventing complications during pregnancy is controlling your diabetes. So take your insulin regularly, maintain regular checkups and eat healthy. You need to be seen by your obstetrician more frequently. Your pregnancy will be monitored closely by more frequent ultrasounds and NST. If your sugar level remains under control and pregnancy is advancing well, a natural onset of pains is aimed for and a normal delivery is expected.
Are you experiencing high blood sugar during pregnancy? This condition is known as gestational diabetes. It is associated with hormonal changes, which occur in your body during pregnancy. Women who are overweight, above the age of 25, and have a family history of diabetes are more likely to experience gestational diabetes. In most cases, the blood sugar levels return to normal after giving birth, and proper management enables you to keep away from any complications during pregnancy as well.
Here are ways by which you can control your sugar levels during pregnancy:
Apart from these, you should take insulin strictly according to your doctor’s instructions. Your doctor will instruct you in detail about how and when to administer insulin. You will also be provided with information on storing insulin at a safe place.