Gestational Diabetes

February 15, 2009 by admin
Filed under Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is not as familiar to many people as the other forms of diabetes. Thanks to articles like this, you can get informed and not be surprised if you are a new Mother who is diagnosed with this deceitful disease. If you think you may be susceptible to this disease, and especially if you do not think you may susceptible to this disease, read on and find out in this short article how to recognize gestational diabetes and its symptoms.

The American Diabetes Association says that about 135,000 cases of gestational diabetes are diagnosed each year. The body of a pregnant woman is under more duress during pregnancy and this may cause the body to lack enough of the insulin that is needed for normal health. The pancreas is the organ in the body that produces this insulin. Insulin allows glucose to enter cells and be used for energy. If gestational diabetes is forming, the blood glucose level will rise to an unhealthy level because not enough insulin is produced by the body to allow the glucose to enter the cells. When glucose can not enter the cells, and builds up, the body will attempt to eliminate it through the kidneys and bladder. This is what causes the extreme thirst and frequent urination of diabetes.

Some good news about gestational diabetes is that it usually temporary. After the child is born, the symptoms ( again usually ) will disappear. The common symptoms of gestational diabetes are; extreme thirst, extreme hunger, chronic fatigue, nausea, frequent infections, sugar in the urine, and blurred vision. Vomiting may also be a symptom of gestational diabetes. These symptoms are of course seemingly normal for a body making a baby. The hunger and thirst are normal for a woman who has a little person forming inside her. Even the vomiting can be attributed to "morning sickness". Taken together though, the symptoms of gestational diabetes can be identified. If a major portion of the above symptoms is happening, a simple test can be given to determine if it really is gestational diabetes or not.

If you have the question; " What is my risk of gestational diabetes ?", you have the answer right here. If you have a family member with diabetes, you are or Hispanic, Asian, American Indian, African, or Pacific Islander descent, are 25 years or older, or are overweight, you are in a high risk category. All the former attributes are risk factors for gestational diabetes. Of course if you have had gestational diabetes before you are naturally at risk of it again during another pregnancy. If you are heavily overweight, you are at even higher risk.

Now that you know about gestational diabetes, use this information to help prevent it from happening to you and to your baby. It will make your pregnancy and delivery that much happier.

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