Most of us know that diabetes is a killer disease, in which the levels of glucose or blood sugar cannot be properly regulated. Blood sugar levels are controlled by the hormone insulin. When somebody suffers from diabetes, his/her pancreas is unable to produce insulin or cannot use the insulin produced in the proper way. However, gestational diabetes symptoms develop only in women during pregnancy. About 5% of women are generally found to have gestational diabetes. Though it is a temporary phase and generally disappears after pregnancy, women suffering from this disease are likely to have type II diabetes in the future. The common gestational diabetes symptoms are the following:--
(a) Women with gestational diabetes may suffer from sudden weight loss. It makes her prone to other diseases.
(b) As a high level of blood sugar directly affects the eyesight, blurred vision is one of the common gestational diabetes symptoms.
(c) Women who suffer from gestational diabetes, generally feel the urge to urinate frequently.
(d) Thirst and hunger are also two gestational diabetes symptoms. A diabetic woman may feel hungry even after having frequent large meals. She should take at least eight glasses of water each day, to keep her hydrated.
(e) Fatigue, depression and recurring vaginal infections are other gestational diabetes symptoms.
Generally, gestational diabetes begins between 24th. and 26th. week ( fifth or sixth month) of pregnancy. Mothers who suffer from gestational diabetes symptoms must be very careful as these may pose some serious threats to the health of their babies. One of the major risks is excessive weight of the baby at birth. This may cause difficulty in delivery, leading to cesarean birth or injury to the baby during delivery. Another problem is that the baby may suffer from hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. Due to this, the blood sugar levels of such babies must be checked after birth. In some cases, this disease may even cause death to the newborn.
The following are some of the risk factors for the disease:--
* Family history of diabetes.
* If the mother is aged at the time of pregnancy.
* If she has suffered from diabetes during her previous pregnancy.
* Obesity.
Gestational diabetes can be detected by the glucose tolerance test which is generally done within sixteen weeks of pregnancy. If you suffer from the disease, you must have proper diet, exercise and sufficient rest to avoid aggravation of the gestational diabetes symptoms.
