[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row el_class=”symptomstab”][vc_column][vc_tta_tabs style=”modern” shape=”square” active_section=”1″][vc_tta_section title=”Overview” tab_id=”1568795318322-bd4d1db0-f626″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n
\nGestational diabetes usually occurs in 1\/2 out of 10 pregnancies and the number is growing.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nThe most dangerous challenge of Gestational diabetes is when glucose levels are not controlled during pregnancy.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nThe second challenge is not knowing how health optimisation before pregnancy helps to avoid Gestational diabetes so that the risks associated with increased glucose levels and high insulin dosages can be avoided during pregnancy.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nA full understanding of health optimisation has helped many gestational diabetic patients to stop insulin and medication to have a diabetes free pregnancy with its safety for both mother and child.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nSymptoms<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\nIt is essential that risks of Gestational diabetes are considered and managed in the best way before becoming pregnant to avoid complications to mother and child.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nUnderstanding possible Gestational diabetes symptoms and signs can lead to early diagnosis and treatment, which is crucial for the safety of mother and baby. Gestational diabetes starts after few months of subclinical phase and most of these patients enter the pregnancy in a prediabetic state. It is easy to reverse the disease process if diagnosed and treated at this prediabetic stage.<\/span><\/p>\n\n- Gestational diabetes – prediabetic stage:<\/strong> Prediabetic women with overweight and increased waist circumference when get pregnant or an uncontrolled weight gain in pregnancy leads to Gestational diabetes.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Previous Gestational diabetes in pregnancy and diabetes in the immediate family are also known to be added risk.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Pigmentation and dark discoloration of skin around the neck, cheek, forehead, neck, armpits, inside the upper thighs, elbows, knees and knuckles.<\/span><\/li>\n
- HbA1c test at the beginning of pregnancy helps to diagnose prediabetic pregnant women.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Monthly urine sugar check and glucose challenge test during pregnancy also helps in diagnosis.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Symptoms like fatigue, increased hunger, increased thirst and urination, red swollen gums, irritability, lack of sleep and body pain, depression, frequent infections, tingling or numbness in hands or feet etc needs screening for diabetes with HbA1c or glucose challenge test.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Gestational diabetes and pregnancy:<\/strong> Together and individually they can bring bouts of fatigue, frequent hypoglycemic attack, increased hunger and weight gain, increased thirst and urination, blurred vision, frequent urinary and respiratory infections, red swollen gums, tingling or numbness in hands or feet, irritability, lack of sleep and body pain, depression etc to make the pregnancy period difficult for the mother.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Insulin and hypertension symptoms:<\/strong> Super hyperinsulinemia induced by insulin injections as treatment promotes sodium retention leading to increase in blood pressure which complicates the pregnancy management further.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Exposure of foetus to high levels of insulin and glucose at intrauterine life makes the child prone to lifestyle diseases at a young age.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Root Cause” tab_id=”1568795318342-0ebc5401-40a3″][vc_column_text el_id=”content-tab-2″]<\/p>\n
Understanding the root cause of Gestational diabetes and the symptoms and changes in the body due to diabetes is important for the prevention, treatment and reversal of Gestational diabetes. Initiation of Gestational diabetes occurs in pregnancy as a result of varying factors. These include increased demand for insulin to meet the additional demands for foetal growth, pregnancy associated hormone changes, overweight and obesity associated prediabetes stage while entering pregnancy, excess fat accumulation etc.<\/span><\/p>\n\nGestational diabetes should be managed clinically preferably without medications and insulin.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n- Why Gestational diabetes?<\/strong> During pregnancy the need of insulin increases to meet the demand of growth and development of the foetus and is increasing with the advancement of pregnancy to second and third trimester.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Gestational diabetes starts with weight gain during pregnancy in the form of accumulation of excess fat mass in the adipose tissue. Those who have a family history will be more vulnerable.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Excess fat induced inflammation weakens the immune system and initiates an autoimmune process. If the excess fat store is in the form of omega 6 fat and trans fat the inflammatory response will be more.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Previous Gestational diabetes in pregnancy and diabetes in the immediate family also are known to be added risk.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Action of autoimmune antibodies on insulin receptors results in insulin resistance. To overcome this insulin resistance pancreas produce more insulin leading to hyperinsulinemia. At a stage when the excess insulin production from pancreas is not able to meet the demands of pregnancy blood sugar start increasing.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Gestational diabetes -development of different health conditions: <\/strong>There is no deficiency of insulin in Gestational diabetes, instead the insulin level in blood is high. Hyperinsulinemia promotes sodium retention leading to hypertension and metabolic syndrome.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Pregnancy complications associated with Gestational diabetes are contributed by two factors the excess glucose related cell damage and excess insulin related endocrine dysfunction.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Gestational diabetes, insulin and medications: <\/strong>Hyperinsulinemia of Gestational diabetes leads to excess weight gain to foetus which can lead to foetal macrosomia and increases the possibility of birth injuries to the baby, perineal injury leading to urinary and fecal incontinence in the mother, uterine rupture, cesarean delivery, uncontrolled bleeding after delivery etc.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Excess glucose acts as a toxin to all cells leading to cell damage and accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs).<\/span><\/li>\n
- The toxic impact is more on the blood vessels, especially the arteriolar lining and when the placental blood vessels are affected the blood circulation to baby may get compromised.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Gestational diabetes – insulin and medications:<\/strong> Hyperinsulinemia of Gestational diabetes and insulin injections induced super hyperinsulinemia initiate sodium retention and hypertension.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Insulin induced hypoglycemia associated increased appetite and cravings for high carbohydrate diet further complicates the management of diabetes.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Hyperinsulinemia of Gestational diabetes and the super hyperinsulinemia induced by the additional insulin injections can affect the baby with long term health implications extending to their adult life.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n