Recognizing the Symptoms of Gestational Diabetes

Women who are pregnant and have higher then normal blood glucose levels suffer from condition known as gestational diabetes. Although it is not known what causes this particular form of diabetes doctors and scientists believe it is linked to the additional stress that pregnancy puts on a woman's body. Most women are asymptomatic, meaning they have no symptoms of gestational diabetes, and are unaware that they may have this dangerous disease during their pregnancy. This is why all women are tested at their 24 week of pregnancy.

The placenta, which is the life support system for the fetus, is thought to be the underlying cause of this condition. It produces a vast amount of hormones during a pregnancy and some of these hormones alter the effectiveness of the mother's insulin. Insulin's primary responsibility is to transport glucose (sugar) out of the blood stream and into the cells for energy. If it can no longer do this it results in high blood glucose levels and the body responds by producing more insulin, in many cases up to three times the normal amount, which is known as insulin resistance.

If a woman does exhibit the signs and symptoms of gestational diabetes they are normally the more well known type that affect all diabetics, including:

1. Frequency of urination caused by high blood glucose levels.

2. Being extremely thirsty all the time because of the increased urination.

3. Extreme hunger caused by the inability of the insulin to move sugar into the cells. Even though there is enough sugar in the blood stream the cells are unable to use it and this causes hunger.

4. Weight loss caused by the body breaking down protein and fat because it thinks it's hungry.

5. Fatigue as a result of an energy decrease.

6. Blurry vision caused by swelling of the lens due to the increased blood volume.

7. More irritability and moodiness.

As was stated before the majority of women show no signs of gestational diabetes. This is why it is so important for all women to be screened for this condition at 24 to 28 weeks into their pregnancy.

The test used is the oral glucose tolerance test where the woman drinks a drink that has 50g of concentrated glucose in it. Two blood draws are taken, one before she drinks the glucose concoction and one an hour later. If her blood glucose level is higher then 130 to 140 mg/dl she will need to do further testing.

This is known as the three hour, 100g oral glucose tolerance test which starts three days before the blood draws. For these three days the woman eats whatever she wants consuming no less then 150g of carbohydrates per day. The night before the test she stops eating at least 12 hours before and in the morning drinks a solution containing 100g of glucose. She then has her blood drawn four times, once before drinking the glucose, and then at 1 hour intervals after. Her blood glucose levels can not exceed the following levels for more then two of the tests.

Fasting - 95mg/dl

1 hour - 180mg/dl

2 hours - 155mg/dl

3 hours - 140mg/dl

If the symptoms of gestational diabetes are absent and a diagnosis is made because of the test results the pregnant woman will need to start a diet and exercise plan as outlined by her health care team. This plan is individualized to each woman and is necessary for the healthy outcome of her pregnancy.

For more information about the symptoms of gestational diabetes please visit the web site Diabetic Diet Plans by Clicking Here.

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Recognizing Gestational Diabetes Symptoms And Signs

Gestational diabetes is a temporary form of diabetes that occurs in a small number of pregnancies, actual statistics are uncertain but in the United States it is estimated that about 3 to 8% of women develop the condition during their pregnancies.

When a woman becomes pregnant she is concerned about the health of her baby. Most pregnancies do not have any medical problems. However, it is important to recognize gestational diabetes symptoms and signs when pregnant because it can impact the health of both mother and child. Discovering these signs early can help to keep a pregnancy safe.

If a woman, who is pregnant, suddenly wants to drink water all the time it should be investigated further. This is one of the signs for gestational diabetes symptoms. Excessive thirst can lead to swelling of the hands and feet, especially if foods are eaten with plenty of sodium. The mother will want to reduce the amount of sodium in her foods.

One might think that being pregnant is the main reason for going to the bathroom all the time. It is common knowledge that the baby will increase the need to urinate. As the baby grows, he or she will often apply pressure to the bladder making the mother feel the need to evacuate her bladder. While this may be the cause of the urge to urinate, it may instead be a gestational diabetes symptom to be aware of.

A lot of changes occur during pregnancy. The mother-to-be, prior to pregnancy, would not usually have any form of diabetes, but her pancreas may not produce enough insulin to meet the needs of both herself and the baby, just like often occurs in diabetes. When there is insufficient insulin, the blood sugar level will spike and increase. It is also a combination of the additional hormones that the mother is producing to create the baby that also hinders the production of insulin. When women contract these symptoms they will normally arise during the last three months of pregnancy.

To determine with certainty whether gestational diabetes exists, it is necessary to be tested. Most doctors will have the expectant mother eat a certain amount of carbohydrates for a specific period of time and test her blood sugar levels during certain time periods after eating. If the levels do not fall to normal levels, she may be provided with methods or drugs to help lower it. A high reading is considered above 140 mg/dl.

It should be noted that it is possible that a pregnant woman might exhibit no symptoms of the disease at all, even though she may actually be gestationally diabetic. In this case, if not treated, harm can be caused to the baby and also the mother. There are certain factors that can increase the chance that a mother will develop diabetes symptoms during her pregnancy. If she currently has high blood pressure, a family history of diabetes, is overweight, over age 30, and even carries too much amniotic fluid, these are all key factors that call for being tested, even if no outward symptoms show.

Gestational diabetes symptoms will only develop in pregnant women. Even though the time that the female might have the disease is limited until the baby arrives, it is not any less dangerous or harmful to herself or the baby. Excessive thirst and frequent urination are some of the signs that one needs to look out for. Many other women might not have comparable signs, so it is necessary to get tested if there are any of the known associated risk factors which may cause the disease.

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For more information on this important topic, check out Gestational Diabetes Symptoms and for related topics, please see Gestational Diabetes Diet

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