Gestational Diabetes Testing and Pregnancy

If you are pregnant, you may be suggested to undergo gestational diabetes testing. In most of the cases, it is nothing but a routine health check-up, considered as an integral part of prenatal care. Gestational diabetes testing is done typically during 24th through 28th weeks of pregnancy. Although it is a common experience for all women to experience some level of impaired glucose intolerance during pregnancy as a result of hormonal imbalance, doctor may suggest you to undergo for diabetes testing as early as first prenatal visit if you have already developed risk factors of diabetes.

Risk Factors

Many pregnant women with gestational diabetes lack any apparent symptoms, but for others, doctors generally recommend early diabetes testing after noticing few significant symptoms such as being overweight or obese, family history with type 2 diabetes, over 25 years, multiple conception, personal history of gestational diabetes during earlier pregnancy and belonging to specific ethnic group like American Indian, Alaska native, Asian, African American, etc.

Complications

If left untreated, gestational diabetes may lead to a wide array of complications for both the mother and the child. These may include macrosomia, a condition characterized by oversized baby; birth defects; increased risk for miscarriage; stillbirth, etc. In addition, the baby may develop a condition during which the blood glucose level of the baby falls down very rapidly following birth. The condition is referred to as hyperinsulinemia.

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Selected Diabetes Articles

Type 2 Diabetes Complications

Type 2 diabetes is referred to as non-insulin dependent diabetes. In majority of the cases, type 2 diabetes is preventable, but its prevalence is on rise. If you are suffering from type 2 diabetes, it means your body becomes resistant to the actions of insulin, a bodily hormone responsible for the regulation of sugar absorption in the body. Type 2 diabetes can not be diagnosed in early stages as it comes with fewer complications, however, as it progresses - it brings several complications along with. [Read full article]
 

All About Diabetes Education

With the Internet giving you access to billions of pages of information, it is no wonder that this is the place to go when trying to bring diabetes education into your life or the life of someone you care about. But it doesn't stop there, as must be a need for the information in order to get someone educated on the subject. More and more people must learn that one of the key factors in preventing and treating this illness is through diabetes education. There are so many people walking around with little or no knowledge on the subject matter and it is important for your nation and for our future for us to be more informed. [Read full article]
 

Recognizing The Common Symptoms Of Diabetes

Diabetes is a condition of the human body wherein the person has a problem regarding his or her insulin production or insulin absorption. This malfunction renders the individual with elevated blood sugar levels. This is actually the main symptom of diabetes. Other signs of diabetes may vary from each person but they are primarily similar and may or may not be noticeable immediately. [Read full article]