Many women may be asking themselves, Am I at risk of diabetes? This is a particularly good question, even if you can’t answer it on your own. Understanding what some of the specific risk factors are for gestational diabetes is a good place to start. Since this disease affects only pregnant women, it must be handled carefully. Your family history, will have a lot to do with the answer to, am I at risk of diabetes?
Your personal physician will likely ask you questions about your family’s health history. This information will not only focus on diabetes, but many other illnesses, as well. Since diabetes is believed to have a hereditary connection, this would have some bearing on your individual case.
Along with family history, obesity plays a role in determining risk factors for gestational diabetes. Another risk factor has to do with age, and having experienced a still born birth. If you are over the age of 25, and have experienced at least one still born birth, you may be at risk. Race is also a major risk factor related to diabetes. African Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanics, are in the top three races at risk of this disease.
Once you determine, if you’re at risk of diabetes, you will need to be tested. This is most often done by glucose screening during pregnancy. You will need to discuss the specifics of glucose screening during pregnancy, with your doctor. But typically, he or she will schedule you to have specific tests run. This is especially true, if you fit the risk factors’ criteria. It is also important to have glucose screening during pregnancy, if you are experiencing symptoms.
Most pregnant women with gestational diabetes, experience no symptoms. But for those who do, these can be extreme. A common symptom of this disease is increased thirst. Increased thirst is often followed by increased urination. Some women experience infections, as a result of gestational diabetes. The most documented of these is yeast infection, and bladder infection. Other pregnant women have complained of experiencing blurred vision. This is also a common symptom of this disease.
Experiencing any or all of these symptoms will certainly encourage a woman to have a glucose screening during pregnancy. A glucose screening during pregnancy is generally composed of a series of tests. The purpose for these is to determine the measurement of your blood glucose levels. The ultimate result is finding out whether or not you have gestational diabetes.
The first test involved in the glucose screening during pregnancy, is called the fasting glucose test. This test will measure glucose levels in a woman, who has not eaten. She will have fasted anywhere from 8 to 14 hours, before her test. If the results of this test are within the range of 126mg, further testing will not be necessary. Chances are this woman has gestational diabetes.
The other two tests are called the 2-hour postprandial glucose test, and the random glucose test. The postprandial test is performed after a woman has eaten.
