World Diabetes Day---What You Need To Know About It?

World Diabetes Day is an international event to raise the awareness of diabetes, celebrated every year on 14 November. It was created in 1991 by International Diabetes Federation(IDF) and the World Health Organization in response to growing concerns about the rising health threat posed by diabetes. And the theme of World Diabetes Day 2016 is “ Eyes on Diabetes”.

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes is diagnosed when a person has too much glucose(sugar) in the blood, it occurs either when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin or when the body is unable to effectively use the insulin it produce. According to the statistics from World Health Organization, the number of people with diabetes have risen from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014, in 2012, diabetes was the direct cause of 1.5 million deaths and high blood glucose was the cause of another 2.2 million deaths.

In general, there are three main type of diabetes, Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus(GDM), among three types of diabetes, I am gonna talk about the last one.    

GDM----Diabetes of Pregnancy

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus is a type of diabetes that is usually diagnosed during pregnancy. According to statistics, gestational diabetes occurs in about 7% of all pregnancies and usually develops in the second or third trimester of pregnancy. It causes high (glucose) sugar in your blood that can affect your pregnancy and your unborn baby’s health. Besides, gestational diabetes also can cause some health complications for your baby after birth, including breathing problem, hypoglycemia.

Fortunately, here are some treatments for gestational diabetes. You can control gestational diabetes by developing healthy eating habits, exercising and, if necessary, taking medications.

Treatments For Gestational Diabetes 

• Change Your Diet

Good nutrition plays an important role in your pregnancy if you’re diagnosed with gestational diabetes. It will be harmful to you and your baby if you got a large amount of glucose in your blood. According to Dr. Tang, a dietitian at Guangzhou Elizabeth Women’s Hospital, “To control your blood sugar level, it’s recommended a dietitian to help you make a diet plan you can stick with, but it still provides enough calories and nutrients for you and your growing baby.”

• Get More Exercise

Moderate physical activities during pregnancy definitely benefit you and your unborn baby, because it can help your body to use insulin better, which is equivalent to helping control your blood sugar level. Follow your doctor’s instruction about what type of exercise and how much is good for you.

• Take Medications

If your blood sugar level is still not under control despite changing your diet or exercising regularly, you doctor may prescribe oral medications for you to control it. If these oral medications don’t work, the next step is probably insulin injections.  

For more information: World Diabetes Day---What You Need To Know About It?