Symptoms Of Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes which women develop only during pregnancy. In this type of diabetes, women may have had no history of this illness but develop it when they get pregnant. Diabetes is a condition in which the body is unable to regulate the blood sugar levels,
mainly due to two reasons. Either the body is not producing enough insulin, which is the sugar regulating hormone, or the insulin produced is not used in an effective manner.
It is believed that gestational diabetes is caused by the changing hormonal levels during pregnancy. These hormonal changes can lead to metabolic effects, which in turn lead to the conditions causing diabetes.
Gestational diabetes is quite common and many women develop this during pregnancy. In most cases, it is not seen as a major threat to the mother or the baby. However, it can cause some complications during delivery and after birth, which is why it is always treated.
One of the unfortunate aspects of gestational diabetes is that it does not have obvious symptoms. Most women are completely unaware that they have diabetes until they are tested. However, there may be some symptoms which can be indicators of this disease. One such symptom of gestational diabetes is gaining excessive weight.
Although it is normal for a woman to gain weight during pregnancy, excessive weight gain can be a cause of concern. Another symptom is frequent urination, as is commonly seen with most diabetic patients. Many women with gestational diabetes also complain of frequent hunger and thirst. Also, it is seen that such women are more at risk for vaginal infections.
The symptoms of gestational diabetes are not very obvious, which is why many women do not realize that they have it till later on in the pregnancy. If we look at the symptoms listed above, they are very much similar to normal pregnancy symptoms and bodily changes, which is why most women just attribute the symptoms to the fact they are pregnant. The only way to know for sure is to be tested. Many doctors test their patients for gestational diabetes in their second trimester by testing their blood sugar levels.
Most women with gestational diabetes give birth to healthy babies and do not have any health scares. However there are always risks with this condition and it is important to take them into account. One of the major risks for the mother or the child is to develop diabetes later in life. Another risk is excessive weight at birth which can make delivery difficult.
It is important to follow a good diet plan with the help of your doctor if you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Always make sure that your blood sugar level is in normal range and that you are not gaining excessive weight. Light exercise and physical activity are also good for such patients. In some cases, insulin is given to women to help the blood sugar levels stay normal.
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