Gestational Diabetes: Its Symptoms, Treatments And Causes

What is Gestational Diabetes?

It only happens during pregnancy. Even if you have gestational diabetes, you can have a healthy baby. To maintain blood sugar levels, you would need to consult with your doctor and perform basic things on a regular basis. You might not develop diabetes when the baby is born. Gestational diabetes raises the probability of acquiring type 2 diabetes, although it is not required.

What are the warning signs of gestational diabetes?

Gestational diabetes is characterised by elevated blood glucose levels throughout pregnancy. It occurs in 5% of all pregnancies but normally goes away after the baby is born. Women who have had gestational diabetes during pregnancy are at a high risk (up to 40%) of developing type 2 diabetes.

The patient is screened for gestational diabetes between the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy. The test measures blood glucose levels following a glucose load. Pregnant women have few distinct indications of gestational diabetes that are comparable to diabetic features.

The following are symptoms of gestational diabetes:

• Feeling thirsty: Pregnant women are thirstier than normal, even if they haven’t done anything that would necessitate a drink of water.
• Being tired: Tiredness, particularly early in the day, might be an indication of gestational diabetes.
• Having a dry mouth: Another subtle symptom of increased thirst is dry mouth. Dry mouth and greater push may be signs of gestational diabetes.

What are the symptoms of gestational diabetes?

Women with gestational diabetes may have a variety of symptoms, including:

• Unusual thirst
• Blurred vision
• Fatigue
• Extreme hunger
• Frequent urge to urinate
• Weight gain during pregnancy
• Frequent bladder, skin or vaginal infections
• Sugar in the urine(detected through a routine practitioner visit)

Any pregnant woman who is having strange symptoms should consult her doctor, who will be able to assess if the symptoms are caused by gestational diabetes or another health problem.

What Causes Gestational Diabetes?

When the body is unable to create enough insulin or fails to utilise the insulin that is produced efficiently, a high level of glucose in the blood follows (hyperglycemia). Diabetes is classified as Type I, Type II, gestational, and pre-diabetes. Hormonal changes during pregnancy are the primary cause of gestational diabetes. The placenta secretes chemicals that make cells less susceptible to the effects of insulin. This causes elevated blood sugar levels during pregnancy.

Gestational Diabetes Risk Factors

Gestational diabetes affects between 2% and 10% of pregnant women. If a woman has the following criteria, she is more likely to develop gestational diabetes:

• Was overweight or obese before getting pregnant.
• Is Asian, Native American, African-American or Hispanic.
• Has a family history of this condition.
• Has given birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds.
• Have had gestational diabetes before.
• Has high blood pressure or other medical issues.
• Has given birth to a child who was born with particular birth abnormalities.
• Is over the age of 25.

Gestational Diabetes Treatments

Your doctor may ask you the following questions about gestational diabetes treatment:

• To check your blood sugar four or more times each day.
• Tests are used to look for ketones in your urine.
• To exercise on a regular basis and make it a habit.
• To eat healthily and in accordance with your doctor’s recommendations.

After observing weight fluctuations, your doctor will be able to tell you whether you need insulin or any other medications.

What Is The Management Of Gestational Diabetes?

During Pregnancy

Controlling blood sugar levels throughout pregnancy can minimise the odds of developing gestational diabetes. Because of this:

• It is critical to check your blood sugar level on a frequent basis.
• Making dietary modifications can help regulate blood sugar levels. It is necessary to eat on a regular basis and to prevent skipping meals. Whole wheat pasta, brown rice, bran cereals, pulses, beans, lentils, muesli, and porridge are examples of starchy and low glycemic index meals that release sugar slowly. Eating enough of fruits and vegetables and limiting sugary meals can also assist with blood sugar control.
• Exercise: Pregnant women should engage in low-intensity exercise.
• Medication: Metformin or insulin injections may also be prescribed by the doctor to regulate blood sugar levels. After giving delivery, these drugs will be discontinued.

GIVING BIRTH

If a woman has gestational diabetes, the best time to give delivery is generally around 38-40 weeks. If your blood sugar levels are normal, there are no worries about your or your baby’s health, and you may wait for labour to begin spontaneously.

AFTER BIRTH

It is critical for a woman to feed her infant as soon as possible after birth and at regular intervals until the baby’s blood sugars stabilise. Blood sugar levels in the newborn should be checked two to four hours after delivery, and if they are discovered to be low, the baby will need to be fed temporarily by a tube or a drip.

A woman should get a blood test for diabetes 6-13 weeks after giving birth. This is due to the fact that some women develop gestational diabetes or have elevated blood sugar levels even after giving birth. Even if the result is normal, a yearly diabetes test is still recommended. This is because women who had gestational diabetes throughout their pregnancy are more prone to develop type 2 diabetes.

What are the home remedies for gestational diabetes?

The following are some home cures for diabetes management:

1. Bitter gourd or karela: Charatin and Momordicin are components of bitter gourd. These two important chemicals are extremely helpful in lowering blood sugar levels.
2. Fenugreek: Fenugreek assists in diabetes management by reducing blood sugar levels, increasing glucose tolerance, and promoting the release of glucose-dependent insulin.
3. Mango leaves: Fresh mango leaves can be cooked in a glass of water and cooled overnight. This water should be drank on an empty stomach the next morning.
4. Indian gooseberry or amla: One of the finest sources of vitamin C is Indian gooseberry or amla, which aids the pancreas in producing optimal levels of insulin to keep blood glucose levels balanced.
5. Drumstick or moringa leaves: The drumstick or moringa leaves are most recognised for their ability to regulate blood sugar levels and increase energy levels.

What can you not eat when you have gestational diabetes?

Avoid any processed foods, such as white bread, and anything with a lot of sugar in general. Fast meals, alcoholic beverages, baked goods such as muffins, donuts, or cakes, fried foods, sugary drinks such as soda, juice, and sweetened beverages, and starchy foods such as white potatoes and white rice are also advised to be avoided.

So, this is all about Gestational Diabetes from our side. And we hope that it will be helpful to you. But if in any case you wanna ask anything from us regarding it. Then you can comment below without any hesitation. We will answer you as soon as possible.

Also Check:

What Should You Know About Diabetic Ketoacidosis

 References

• Diabetes and Pregnancy- Medline Plus, Health Topics, NIH, U.S. National Library of Medicine [Internet]. medlineplus.gov 2019 [Cited 31 July 2019]. Available from:
• https://medlineplus.gov/diabetesandpregnancy.html
• Gestational diabetes- Genetic Home Reference, NIH, U.S. National Library of Medicine [Internet]. ghr.nlm.nih.gov 2019 [Cited 31 July 2019]. Available from:
• https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/gestational-diabetes
• Gestational Diabetes- NIH, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases [Internet]. niddk.nih.gov 2017 [Cited 31 July 2019]. Available from:
• https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/what-is-diabetes/gestational