Several Common Symptoms of Gestational Diabetes

Gestational Diabetes is found in almost 4% of the pregnant women. It occurs in the second trimester of the pregnancy and can only be detected by the blood glucose tests which are done between the 24th-28th weeks of pregnancy. The blood sugar level is high when a person has diabetes. The insulin hormone which is formed in the pancreas is responsible for consumption of the sugar into the cells to perform various bodily functions. The sugar is formed by breaking down of the various nutrients that is eaten. In some diabetic people the insulin is not formed at all and in some it is formed but could not be used by the body the way it should be so the level of sugar in the body becomes high. In the pregnant women, due to hormonal imbalance the body is not able to utilize insulin fully causing gestational diabetes. It is very difficult to find out whether the pregnant woman has got gestational diabetes or not as the symptoms of gestational diabetes are not very prominent but still there are some symptoms which are similar to the symptoms of diabetes mellitus.

Gestational diabetes could be identified only when the blood sugar tests are performed and by proper diet planning, exercises and medicines, it is possible to keep a control on the gestational diabetes. Some of the symptoms of gestational diabetes are-

• Frequent thirst
• Frequent urination
• Fatigue
• Loss in weight though appetite is increased
• Blurred vision
• Nausea and vomiting
• Infection in the vagina, bladder is quite frequent

Usually the symptoms of gestational diabetes are not prominent so it is very important to go for the oral blood sugar test or any other test advised by the doctor to identify gestational diabetes early so that the treatment could be started early. Diabetes in pregnant women could be the cause of potential risk in the child who could suffer from-

• Body of the baby is larger than usual causing problem during the birth
• The baby has low blood sugar level in the body
• The skin of the baby becomes yellowish even the white portion of the eyes  become yellow which is called jaundice and must be treated well otherwise could result in serious  condition
• The baby could have breathing trouble

The gestational diabetes could be treated with medicine, proper exercise and planned diet.