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Symptoms of Gestational Diabetes |
Symptoms of Gestational DiabetesGestational diabetes is a type of diabetes, which is diagnosed in pregnant women.
It is diagnosed during the 24th and 28th month of pregnancy. The primary condition in gestational diabetes is that the blood sugar level of the pregnant women increases above the normal level. This has mild consequences for the mother but may prove to be dangerous or even fatal to the child/ foetus inside the mothers’ womb.
The symptoms of gestational diabetes occur due to the glucose intolerance during pregnancy. The gestational diabetes symptoms include mainly frequent urination and excessive thirst similar to other types of diabetes.
Since, the glucose level rises in the blood the excess sugar is excreted through urine. This causes dry mouth and thirst. The energy is low, as glucose is not converted into fuel for the body functioning. This causes another symptom of gestational diabetes – increased hunger and appetite.
Weight loss occurs inspite of increased appetite. There may be nausea, vomiting, tiredness and fatigue. Blurred vision and recurrent infections (of the vagina) is one of the symptom of gestational diabetes.
These signs of gestational diabetes do not occur all at the same time. The mother with these gestational diabetes symptoms is not in a life-threatening situation.
But the child may suffer from hypoglycemia, large size at birth, jaundice, trauma at birth or even death.
What is it that causes the risk for a pregnant woman to have these signs of gestational diabetes? Late pregnancy, obesity, death of the previous child or foetus, recurrent infections, congenital malformation in previous child, belonging to certain communities like African or Hispanic ancestry are all the reasons that increase the risk of gestational diabetes in pregnant women. The symptom of gestational diabetes increases one by one. So it is better that a pregnant women is checked for the gestational diabetes test during the 24th week of pregnancy.
The blood sugar level usually comes back to normal once the pregnancy is over.
However, it is estimated that upto 40% of the women who have gestational diabetes get diabetes type 2 five to ten years after the delivery.
Once the symptoms of gestational diabetes are identified and the diagnostic tests determine gestational diabetes in the pregnant women, ensuring appropriate treatment becomes necessary for the health of the mother and the child.
Consult a registered nutritionist/ dietician to lay down a diet plan. A balanced diet gives the mother and thus the child adequate nutrients and minerals.
Self-monitoring of glucose levels during the period of pregnancy helps to keep a constant check on the blood glucose levels. Both the mother as well as the child should be tested. An ultrasound or sonography is used to assess the foetus. Insulin therapy is the last resort if the case of gestational diabetes mellitus symptoms is extreme.
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