The unknown cause of gestational diabetes
One of the most common complications during pregnancy is the gestational diabetes. It occurs during some women pregnancies even if there are no related symptoms or previous history of diabetes. This condition appears in about 2-5% of the pregnancies. Doctors can’t define the accurate cause of it. Many experts believe that gestational diabetes occurs because of the fact that the glucose metabolism is interfered by the placental hormones. The placenta produces the so called pregnancy hormones. Some of them, like estrogen, cortisol and placental lactogen block the activity of insulin. This is known as counter insulin effect. It appears usually at 20-24 weeks of pregnancy. The symptoms of this kind of diabetes appear in pregnant women who have family history of this diabetes or pregnant women who are overweight. Of course, there are some more factors involved. During pregnancy women put on some weight, they are not physically active as they were before etc.
It is very interesting that the symptoms of diabetes during the pregnancy are very similar with the ones in the other types of diabetes. These symptoms are: extreme hunger, unclear vision, regularly urinating, unquenchable thirst and ketoacidosis.
Nowadays to eat balanced diet food (with the right amount of carbohydrates, fats, etc. and rich of proteins) is the only working method that prevents gestational diabetes. A diet is accepted as effective when it provides the necessary calories and energy required for the correct development and growth of the baby and the mother and it doesn’t increase the glucose levels.
Each pregnant women should be very careful, because she is responsible not only for herself but for the fetus inside her either. For that reason they should go regularly to a doctor and if they think that they might have gestational diabetes, they should go and run some tests after 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy.
The placenta- cause for gestational diabetes
Some pregnant women suffer from higher glucose levels. This is a condition called gestational diabetes. The exact cause of this form of diabetes is unknown but there are many specialists who think that this is connected to the stress on the woman's body during pregnancy. Most of the women don’t know that they have this condition and they didn’t notice any symptoms.
The main cause for gestational diabetes is the placenta and how it works. In the uterus the placenta is the life support for the baby. It produces different hormones during the pregnancy. Many of these hormones affect the mother insulin negatively. This leads to high levels of blood sugar- the insulin can’t stir the glucose into the cells and out of the blood. In order to manage the placental hormones effects, the mother produces her usual amount of insulin maximum three times (insulin resistance).
The classical symptoms for diabetics are: extreme hunger, frequent urination, unusual weight loss, irritability, increased fatigue, blurry vision and excessive thirst. A few pregnant women have these symptoms but for most of them the symptoms of gestational diabetes are hidden. For that reason it is very important pregnant women to be tested for gestational diabetes a little bit before the end of the second trimester (24-28 weeks).
During the oral glucose tolerance test, the pregnant woman will drink a solution that contains fifty grams of glucose. Further testing is needed, if her level of blood glucose after an hour is greater or equal to 130 to 140 mg/dl.
After that there is a test that can help determine the gestational diabetes. This is a 3 days test. The woman eats diet food (150g of carbohydrates minimum) and the night before the test she needs to fast. The next morning she has to drink an oral glucose solution (100g). At four different intervals the doctor tests her plasma glucose.
One of the most common complications during pregnancy is the gestational diabetes. It occurs during some women pregnancies even if there are no related symptoms or previous history of diabetes. This condition appears in about 2-5% of the pregnancies. Doctors can’t define the accurate cause of it. Many experts believe that gestational diabetes occurs because of the fact that the glucose metabolism is interfered by the placental hormones. The placenta produces the so called pregnancy hormones. Some of them, like estrogen, cortisol and placental lactogen block the activity of insulin. This is known as counter insulin effect. It appears usually at 20-24 weeks of pregnancy. The symptoms of this kind of diabetes appear in pregnant women who have family history of this diabetes or pregnant women who are overweight. Of course, there are some more factors involved. During pregnancy women put on some weight, they are not physically active as they were before etc.
It is very interesting that the symptoms of diabetes during the pregnancy are very similar with the ones in the other types of diabetes. These symptoms are: extreme hunger, unclear vision, regularly urinating, unquenchable thirst and ketoacidosis.
Nowadays to eat balanced diet food (with the right amount of carbohydrates, fats, etc. and rich of proteins) is the only working method that prevents gestational diabetes. A diet is accepted as effective when it provides the necessary calories and energy required for the correct development and growth of the baby and the mother and it doesn’t increase the glucose levels.
Each pregnant women should be very careful, because she is responsible not only for herself but for the fetus inside her either. For that reason they should go regularly to a doctor and if they think that they might have gestational diabetes, they should go and run some tests after 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy.
The placenta- cause for gestational diabetes
Some pregnant women suffer from higher glucose levels. This is a condition called gestational diabetes. The exact cause of this form of diabetes is unknown but there are many specialists who think that this is connected to the stress on the woman's body during pregnancy. Most of the women don’t know that they have this condition and they didn’t notice any symptoms.
The main cause for gestational diabetes is the placenta and how it works. In the uterus the placenta is the life support for the baby. It produces different hormones during the pregnancy. Many of these hormones affect the mother insulin negatively. This leads to high levels of blood sugar- the insulin can’t stir the glucose into the cells and out of the blood. In order to manage the placental hormones effects, the mother produces her usual amount of insulin maximum three times (insulin resistance).
The classical symptoms for diabetics are: extreme hunger, frequent urination, unusual weight loss, irritability, increased fatigue, blurry vision and excessive thirst. A few pregnant women have these symptoms but for most of them the symptoms of gestational diabetes are hidden. For that reason it is very important pregnant women to be tested for gestational diabetes a little bit before the end of the second trimester (24-28 weeks).
During the oral glucose tolerance test, the pregnant woman will drink a solution that contains fifty grams of glucose. Further testing is needed, if her level of blood glucose after an hour is greater or equal to 130 to 140 mg/dl.
After that there is a test that can help determine the gestational diabetes. This is a 3 days test. The woman eats diet food (150g of carbohydrates minimum) and the night before the test she needs to fast. The next morning she has to drink an oral glucose solution (100g). At four different intervals the doctor tests her plasma glucose.
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