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What Is Gestational Diabetes?

By: SWilson

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Gestational diabetes is loosely defined as any degree of glucose intolerance, in a pregnant woman. This condition is brought on during pregnancy. They’re some women who are particularly at risk for developing gestational diabetes. One set of women, who are at risk, are those who have a family history of diabetes. In reality, gestational diabetes affects 3 -10% of all pregnant women.

Women, who have experienced one or more still born births in the past, are also susceptible to gestational diabetes. There are other risk factors that are connected with this disease. If the pregnant woman has experienced either of the other risk factors, and she is over the age of 25, she fits into another category of risk.

Race also plays an important role, in determining what women are vulnerable to gestational diabetes. African American women are at the top of the list, as it relates to the racial connection to this type of diabetes. Next are, Native Americans, and Hispanics. Pregnant women, who meet some, or all of these criteria, should be on alert. They should also monitor any unfamiliar symptoms, and report them to their physician.

The symptoms, pregnant women experience, are especially important in tracking this disease. This is important particularly, because there is no known cause for gestational diabetes. It is believed, however, that hormones play some role here. Since hormones during pregnancy increase quite a bit, some women become develop a resistance to insulin. As a result of this, their glucose tolerance becomes impaired and gestational diabetes and pregnancy is a concern.

Most women, who go on to be diagnosed with this form of diabetes, experience no symptoms. There are a smaller number of women, who experience some very specific symptoms. These women are increasingly thirsty, and urinate a lot. They, also, experience fatigue issues, as well as, vomiting. Some pregnant women have been known to have either yeast or bladder infections in connection with gestational diabetes.

Another common symptom is to experience blurred vision. If any of these symptoms have been noticed by a pregnant woman, she should consult her physician. He or she would be able to determine exactly what the problem is, and how best to treat it. This form of diabetes is most often discovered through the administration of screening done during pregnancy.

There is a combination of screening done before gestational diabetes is diagnosed. Screening in essence detects if there are inappropriately increased levels of glucose in the pregnant woman’s blood samples. These tests, which are performed, fall under the non-challenge blood glucose form of testing. A pregnant woman would be administered tests like, the fasting glucose test, the 2-hour postprandial glucose test, and the random glucose test. These tests not only show what a woman’s glucose levels are, but if she has this form of diabetes.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

You can find helpful information about gestational diabetes and everything you need to know about gestational diabetes and pregnancy at Aha! Baby.

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