How Diabetes Affects Pregnancy
Diabetes can cause problems during pregnancy for women and their developing babies. Poor control of diabetes during pregnancy increases the chances of birth defects and other problems for the pregnancy. It can also cause serious complications for the woman. Proper health care before and during pregnancy can help prevent birth defects and other health problems.
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a condition in which the body cannot use the sugars and starches (carbohydrates) it takes in as food to make energy. The body either makes no insulin or too little insulin or cannot use its insulin to change those sugars and starches into energy. As a result, extra sugar builds up in the blood.
The three most common types of diabetes are:
Type 1: The pancreas makes no insulin or so little insulin that the body can’t use blood sugar for energy. Type 1 diabetes must be controlled with daily insulin.
Type 2: The body either makes too little insulin or can’t use the insulin it makes to use blood sugar for energy. Sometimes type 2 diabetes can be controlled through eating a proper diet and exercising regularly. Many people with type 2 diabetes have to take diabetes pills, insulin, or both.
Gestational: This is a type of diabetes that is first seen in a pregnant woman who did not have diabetes before she was pregnant. Often gestational diabetes can be controlled through eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Sometimes a woman with gestational diabetes must also take insulin.
For most women with gestational diabetes, the diabetes goes away soon after delivery. When it does not go away, the diabetes is called type 2 diabetes. Even if the diabetes does go away after the baby is born, half of all women who had gestational diabetes develop type 2 diabetes later. It’s important for a woman who has had gestational diabetes to continue to exercise and eat a healthy diet after pregnancy to prevent or delay getting type 2 diabetes. She should also remind her doctor to check her blood sugar every one to three years.
What are hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, and how can they affect my pregnancy?
Hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia are both common in women with preexisting diabetes. Hypoglycemia occurs when blood glucose levels are too low. When blood glucose levels are low, your body cannot get the energy it needs.
You may be experiencing this if you are; Experiencing blurred vision, having unexplained fatigue or concerned about sudden changes in your mood
Hypoglycemia can be triggered by; Skipping or delaying meals, eating portions that are too small or overexerting yourself physically.
Typically hypoglycemia is treated by eating or drinking something containing sugar, such as orange juice. Hyperglycemia is when your body doesn’t have enough insulin or can’t use insulin correctly.
You may be experiencing this if you are; Always thirsty, suddenly losing weight or using the bathroom often.
Hyperglycemia can be triggered by; Improper balance in your food consumption, problems with the amount of insulin you are taking, stress, sickness and lack of physical movement.
Typically hyperglycemia is treated by adjusting your insulin dosages.
Research shows that diabetes can lead to reduced sperm quality but diabetes as such does not appear to affect motility of sperm (the ability of the sperm to move towards the egg) or cause infertility as a result.
Whilst diabetes needn’t present fertility problems, there are some conditions related to male infertility which are more likely, particularly in diabetes that has either not been well controlled or has been present for many years.
What are these conditions are as well as the treatment options that are available?
A number of issues can cause infertility in men.
These include: Erectile dysfunction; Retarded ejaculation (delayed ejaculation); Retrograde ejaculation; Reduced sperm quality and Hypogonadism (low testosterone)
Erectile dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common problem associated with diabetes that causes difficulty with getting or maintaining an erection. It is caused by neuropathy (nerve damage) and reduced blood circulation typically as a result of less well controlled diabetes or long standing diabetes.
High levels of blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol are all associated with an increased risk of erectile difficulties. Getting these under control, as well as cutting down on alcohol and quitting smoking can help to reduce the effects of ED. A number of different treatment options are also available.