Conditions in which high glucose levels are recorded during pregnancy are quite common. In some cases, they arise in the expectant mother for the first time in her life precisely during the carrying of the baby.
This situation requires mandatory intervention by doctors.
Reasons for the increase
A variety of causal factors can lead to an increase in glucose in the female body during pregnancy. Quite often it happens that they act simultaneously, enhancing each other's action. Doctors call a persistent increase in blood glucose hyperglycemia.
According to statistics, 5% of pregnant women develop gestational diabetes mellitus while carrying babies. This pathology is accompanied by a constant elevated blood sugar level. This disease can be dangerous for both mom and her baby.
For a long time, researchers have tried to establish why it is during pregnancy that the risk of developing diabetes increases so significantly. The main reason was associated with altered hormonal levels.
Progesterone metabolites, as well as other pregnancy hormones, have a pronounced effect on metabolic processes, including glucose metabolism in the body.
A change in the concentration of some hormones in the blood of a pregnant woman leads to the fact that she has the phenomenon of insulin resistance. This condition contributes to high blood glucose levels.
Sugar in this pathology rises almost constantly. The severity of violations depends largely on how much the hormonal background is changed, and whether the woman has any concomitant diseases of internal organs.
Quite often it happens that the blood sugar level of the expectant mother begins to rise by the second half of pregnancy. This feature is largely associated with altered kidney function. The growing uterus puts pressure on these urinary organs, leading to the appearance of congestion in them.
Reducing the excretion of glucose by the kidneys contributes to its accumulation in the blood, which also enhances the manifestations of hyperglycemia. In this case, the increased concentration of sugar is also determined in the urine, when it is submitted for examination to the laboratory.
Glucose appears when its plasma concentration is above 9 mmol / l. This situation is extremely unfavorable and requires urgent medical correction.
Diseases of the pancreas are another common cause of gestational diabetes mellitus.
Such diseases, as a rule, appear even before pregnancy.
Chronic pancreatitis, occurring with frequent exacerbations, can contribute to the development of persistent hyperglycemia during gestation. In this case, you cannot do without prescribing treatment.
Scientists have found that in the development of persistent hyperglycemia, heredity plays a huge role. In women with a family history of diabetes mellitus, the risk of developing a gestational variant increases by 50%.
All expectant mothers with risk factors must be monitored by a therapist. Women already suffering from diabetes mellitus or frequent episodes of hyperglycemia are registered with an endocrinologist, including during pregnancy.
Many concomitant diseases of internal organs can also cause the development of persistent hyperglycemia in the expectant mother. Usually, this is caused by persistent pathologies of the liver, gallbladder, metabolic disorders in the endocrine system, chronic kidney disease. Injury to the gastrointestinal tract or previous surgery can also contribute to an increase in blood glucose.
Scientists have found that prolonged prolonged stress has a negative effect on the functioning of the endocrine system. This is manifested by a persistent rise in blood sugar.
Many pregnant women report that they first develop hyperglycemia after experiencing severe stress in their lives. During pregnancy, even moderate exposure is sufficient to increase blood sugar.
Symptoms
The complex of various clinical signs that occurs in a pregnant woman who has signs of high blood sugar levels is quite large. It includes many different symptoms that can bring significant discomfort to the expectant mother and change her habitual behavior.
Women who have high blood sugar feel:
- Increasing and constant thirst. This symptom manifests itself much more clearly if the blood sugar exceeds the norm by more than 30%. It leads to the fact that the expectant mother begins to drink much more water and various drinks. Women who have a strong tendency to develop puffiness may at this time complain of the appearance of edema on the legs and face.
- Frequent urination. Increased thirst leads to frequent urge to urinate. At the same time, the amount of urine excreted increases significantly.
It becomes pale and less bright in color.
- Dryness and itching of the skin. High sugar levels irritate nerve endings, which is what these symptoms manifest. The intensity of their manifestation largely depends on the level of sugar in the blood.
- Severe dry mouth. This symptom also provokes the development of thirst. A woman feels dry mouth almost constantly throughout the day. Even after taking water, the mucous membranes begin to dry after a couple of minutes.
- Increased appetite. Violation of carbohydrate metabolism leads to the fact that glucose cannot fully enter the internal organs. Prolonged cell starvation is manifested by a feeling of strong "intolerable" hunger.
- Great weakness and constant drowsiness. Throughout the day, even in the morning after waking up, the expectant mother wants to sleep. This symptom is often accompanied by a feeling of extreme fatigue. Some women may experience headaches and severe dizziness.
Consequences for the child
Elevated blood glucose levels adversely affect the fetus. Pronounced metabolic disorders lead to the fact that the baby begins to experience a real deficiency in the supply of nutrients that are needed for his active and full development. The brain and heart of the baby are most sensitive to a decrease in the concentration of glucose in the blood.
Hyperglycemia can be dangerous in the development of preterm labor. Usually, this situation occurs in women with a pathological course of pregnancy and many concomitant diseases of internal organs.
Lack of nutrient intake in early pregnancy threatens the development of multiple anomalies and developmental defects in the fetus. This condition is especially unfavorable during the first trimester of pregnancy when all vital organs and systems are laid. With the worst prognosis of the course of this pathology, even spontaneous abortion or miscarriage is possible.
Diagnostics
To detect "mute" hyperglycemia, doctors recommend taking an analysis to determine the level of glucose several times during the entire period of bearing the baby. So, it is advisable for the expectant mother to visit the laboratory from 9-12 weeks of pregnancy and closer to childbirth. This is a necessary minimum that must be followed.
A blood test for sugar is taken strictly on an empty stomach. This should be done in the morning.
Do not eat for 8-9 hours before the study.
If a woman already has established early diabetes mellitus, then such a long interval "without food" need not be done. For this, only 3-4 hours are enough. Prolonged hunger can lead to a very dangerous condition - hypoglycemia.
Before taking the test, you can only drink a little ordinary boiled water. Avoid soda or sweetened tea. In the morning before analysis, all sugar-containing components must be strictly excluded.
A cheerful and good mood is an obligatory component with which the expectant mother should come to the clinic. To do this, she should definitely sleep on the eve of the study. You should not be nervous and worried before the test, as this can affect the result of the analysis.
Before taking this study, if possible, strong physical activity should be excluded. They can lead to an unreliable, slightly underestimated result. A day before going to the laboratory, it is better to exclude cleaning the apartment or jogging along the stairwells.
Doctors believe that normal blood sugar levels are 3.3-5.5 mmol / L. In this case, a limitation is made that these values are adequate for capillary blood. She is taken away during the puncture of the finger.
In venous blood, these values are somewhat different. They are 4.0-6.1 mmol / l. Currently, more and more studies of venous blood are being done. They are more convenient and no less informative. Most private medical laboratories prefer to use this research methodology.
If, for some reason, blood glucose levels change and deviate from normal values, then doctors prescribe a number of special auxiliary laboratory tests. They are necessary in order to accurately diagnose, as well as to exclude or confirm the presence of diabetes mellitus.
Such studies include a glucose tolerance test and the determination of glycated hemoglobin.
For information on how the glucose-tolerant test is passed, see the next video.
How to reduce?
There are several ways to lower your blood glucose levels.
The first of these is adherence to a special hypo-carbohydrate diet at home. It eliminates many foods that cause hyperglycemia. This diet should be followed throughout pregnancy, if the expectant mother was diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus. Women who are in risk groups for the development of this pathology should also use this therapeutic food.
According to many mothers, such a low-carb diet not only helped them cope with high sugar levels without the use of drugs, but also contributed to maintaining a normal weight. After the birth of babies, they noted that they did not have a significant increase in body weight.
To normalize blood sugar levels, all sugary sodas, industrially produced sweets and chocolate are excluded, and fruits are significantly limited. Sour fruits are saved in the menu. These fruits include green apples and citrus fruits. Bananas and grapes should still be excluded.
Expectant mothers suffering from hyperglycemia should focus on nutrition on protein and grain foods. You should not be afraid of croup. They are rich in "slow" carbohydrates that do not cause blood sugar spikes. It is better to supplement such food with fresh or stewed vegetables harvested according to the season.
When diet therapy is ineffective and blood sugar levels rise, doctors resort to drugs that reduce hyperglycemia. When prescribing these drugs, the risk of their potential effect on the fetus is necessarily assessed.
An endocrinologist is involved in the selection of drug therapy. It is this specialist who determines the frequency, dosage and treatment regimen.
