Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a disorder in which women that previously did not carry diabetes test positive for high blood glucose levels during their pregnancy.

Though not uncommon, it is thought that anywhere between three and ten percent of pregnant women are diagnosed with gestational diabetes sometime during their pregnancy.

But just what does this diagnosis mean to the health and welfare of the mother and her unborn child?

Since no specific cause has been identified for gestational diabetes, scientists don't know how to prevent it. The closest they have come to understanding is that it is believed that hormones produced during pregnancy reduce a woman's sensitivity to insulin and the result is high blood sugar levels.

Every pregnant woman is tested for gestational diabetes during her prenatal care visits because generally there are very few symptoms.

If the mother has gestational diabetes, babies are at a higher risk for complications. These are typically growth abnormalities and low blood sugar.

The good thing is that gestational diabetes is completely reversible and women who otherwise have good control over their glucose levels can decrease the risk of these birth problems.

In fact, women who can keep their gestational diabetes under complete control are known to give birth to perfectly healthy babies.

The down side is women who develop gestational diabetes during their pregnancy now run a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes post-pregnancy. Some children are prone to develop childhood obesity and develop type 2 diabetes later in life.

Pregnant women who develop gestational diabetes are generally treated with diet modification and exercise, but in some extreme cases they are administered an anti-diabetic drug, such as insulin. The goal of treatment is to reduce the risks for both m other and child without endangering either. …Read more >>

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form found in the US. Ninety to ninety-five percent of people diagnosed with diabetes have this type.
Usually developed later in life, it is most commonly diagnosed in people over the age of fifty-five, but in many cases as young as forty or even younger.

This is because eighty percent of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are overweight. With obesity at an all time high, the diagnoses for type 2 diabetes is also at an all time high.

In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas is still producing insulin, but for some unknown reason, the body is not able to utilize it effectively. As a result, just as in type 1 diabetes, type 2 people develop a dangerous buildup of glucose in the blood and the body is not able to utilize it for fuel.

People who have type 2 diabetes may see their symptoms develop over time. They are not usually as noticeable as the type 1 symptoms.
Symptoms include fatigue, frequent urination, especially throughout the night hours, unusual thirst, weight loss, frequent infections and slow healing sores.

In fact, sores may never heal and if not treated it is common for people to have limbs amputated. This usually occurs in the legs, feet and toes.

Also as with type 1, if the symptoms go untreated and insulin is not administered when necessary, the patient runs the risk of slipping into a diabetic coma, which can be fatal.
It is important if you have any symptoms of type 1 or 2 diabetes you speak with a health professional and get tested. …Read more >>

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes accounts for five to ten percent of diabetes cases in the United States. A person who is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes must receive insulin shots daily in order to live.
Scientists are not exactly sure why the body attacks the immune system and the production of insulin, but it is believed that both genetics and viruses are involved.

Type 1 diabetes is most commonly found in children and young adults, but can appear at any age and symptoms can develop over a short period of time. Symptoms include increased thirst and urination, extreme fatigue, weight loss and constant hunger.
If a person with type 1 diabetes is not diagnosed and treated with insulin, there is a risk of that person slipping into a diabetic coma that may prove life threatening.

The key when first diagnosed with type 1 diabetes is to arm yourself with information. Being diagnosed is not the end of the world. In fact, most people go on to live normal, healthy lives as long as they stay aware of their condition and continue to treat it.

After being diagnosed with diabetes, it is important to maintain your general health paying special attention to the care you give your eyes, feet and skin as well as your heart and oral health.
This basic care could prevent complications brought on by diabetes later in life. Other recommendations are to stop smoking and reduce the amount of alcohol you consume. …Read more >>