Month: May 2020

Is Gestational Diabetes caused by diet?

Posted on May 31, 2020   by   - Blog

Is Gestational Diabetes caused by diet?

Gestational diabetes is diabetes that occurs during pregnancy which develops between 24th and 28th week. It can have an impact on your pregnancy and the health of the baby. In most cases, it will go after delivery but some women may tend to have high glucose levels even after the child is born.

What causes gestational diabetes?

Hormones help to keep our blood sugar controlled but our body produces human placental lactogen (hPL) and other hormones that can increase insulin resistance when pregnant. Such hormones help sustain your pregnancy and as time goes on the amount of it tends to increase making your body more insulin resistant. As a result, there’s more glucose in your bloodstream to transfer to your baby. When insulin resistance exceeds, the levels of blood glucose will increase excessively and can cause gestational diabetes.

What are the symptoms?

  • Increased thirst
  • Fatigue
  • Frequent urination
  • Blurred vision
  • Dry mouth
  • Snoring
  • Nausea

What are the factors that can increase your chances of developing gestational diabetes?

You are at higher risk of developing if you

  • were obese or overweight before pregnancy
  • when there is a lack of physical activity.
  • had previous gestational diabetes/prediabetes
  • have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), acanthosis nigricans or other conditions that are associated with insulin resistance
  • have a history of blood relations having diabetes
  • previously delivered a baby weighing more than 4.1kg(9 pounds)
  • are expecting more than one baby in pregnancy
  • had a stillbirth or unexpected miscarriage before
  • have been on glucocorticoids
  • are over the age of 25
  • have gained larger weight gain than normal when you’re pregnant
  • having high blood pressure
  • women from the nonwhite race are at a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes.

What are the complications or risks of having gestational diabetes?

  • High Blood Pressure (Preeclampsia)- Gestational diabetes increases the chances of high blood pressure, as well as preeclampsia — a pregnancy complication that can affect both mother and baby’s lives.
  • Macrosomia– Higher than normal blood sugar in mothers can cause their babies to grow too big and get wedged in the birth canal during childbirth, have birth injuries or require a C-section birth.
  • Preterm birth– High blood sugar may increase the risk of early labor and sometimes early delivery may be recommended because the baby is large.
  • Temporary breathing difficulties. Babies born early to mothers with gestational diabetes may develop a condition that makes breathing difficult ie, respiratory distress syndrome
  • Hypoglycemia- Sometimes babies of mothers with gestational diabetes have low blood sugar shortly after birth which may cause seizures in the baby. Prompt feeding and often an intravenous glucose solution will normalize the amount of sugar in the baby’s blood.
  • Obesity and type 2 diabetes – Children of mothers who had gestational diabetes are at an increased risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes in the future. Also, the mothers are more likely to get it again during a future pregnancy as well as develop type 2 diabetes later in life.

If it is not treated on time it may result in a baby’s death either before(stillbirth) or shortly after birth.

What are the tests to diagnose the issue?

In most cases, women do not know they have gestational diabetes so they need to take tests during pregnancy to diagnose it. The health practitioner may suggest the following test to be taken between 24-28 weeks

  • Glucose challenge test – for this you will have to drink a glucose solution in a specified quantity and your blood sample will be taken after an hour for testing the blood glucose level.
  • Oral Glucose tolerance test –  for this you will need to fast for 8 hours before the test. Then the blood sample will be taken. After that, you will need to have a specified amount of glucose syrup and a blood sample will be taken again after two hours to test the glucose levels.

How can we prevent or control gestational diabetes?

Adopting healthy habits before pregnancy can help reduce the risk of developing it.

  • Follow a healthy diet – Include more fruits, vegetables, whole grains. Have food containing more of fiber and less fat and calories
  • Exercise daily and be active – Try to have at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily. Can include brisk walks or swimming in daily exercises.
  • When planning to get pregnant do check your weight in advance and make sure to start from a healthy weight. Reduce weight if you are overweight and focus on healthier diets.
  • When pregnant try not to gain more than the recommended weight gain suggested by your doctor.
  • Do keep a check on your blood sugar and do take necessary tests for diabetes as suggested by your doctor once you are pregnant.

If you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes you may need medication if necessary. Always keep a check on blood sugar level and, try to have a healthier lifestyle by following a good diet and staying active.

As for the question ‘is gestational diabetes caused by diet’ the answer would be no, as it is caused mainly by hormones in pregnancy. But if diagnosed with gestational diabetes it will be necessary to control the carbohydrate intake to help regulate the glucose level in the blood. It will involve controlling the sugary food consumption.

Laser for Vaginal Rejuvenation

Posted on May 13, 2020   by   - Blog

laser for vaginal rejuvenation

Vaginal rejuvenation using laser has been proven to be an effective treatment for women with functional and aesthetic vaginal concerns which can greatly lift their confidence and improve the quality of life. Vaginal issues and urinary incontinence can occur in pre-menopause and sometimes after childbirth.

When do we need to consider laser treatment for vaginal rejuvenation?

  • Bladder Leakage – It occurs due to stress urinary incontinence.
  • Stress Urinary Incontinence(SUI) – It is the accidental loss of urine during sudden forceful movements such as coughing, laughing, sneezing, running or heavy lifting which causes pressure on your bladder, causing you to leak urine.
  • Urgency Incontinence – It is the sudden urge to urinate and you may not be able to delay it as the bladder contracts causing urine to leak.
  • Vaginal Dryness – It can cause soreness, itching or burning of the vagina.
  • Vaginal Laxity – It is the feeling of vaginal looseness which can be associated with aging, menopause or even vaginal childbirth.
  • Painful Intercourse – Pain during intercourse can occur due to insufficient vaginal lubrication.

Do not let the hormonal changes affect your self-confidence!

  • The vagina is the organ with the highest density of estrogen receptors per surface of the human body.
  • Estrogens are the hormones produced by the ovaries responsible, for maintaining hydration of the genital mucosa.
  • That is why, when the menopause arrives and the estrogen levels drop abruptly there are changes that can reduce your quality of life: dryness, vaginal itching, discomfort, pain and bleeding with intercourse.

What are genital rejuvenations and have you heard of the vaginal laser?

Until recently it was very uncommon for a woman in menopause to consult with the gynecologist regarding her aesthetic and genital function concerning sexual life. The laser in Gynecology only treated pathologies of the genital apparatus and treatment of HPV or Labioplastias.

But currently, the demands and expectations of women are changing. The laser treats vulvar and vaginal function as well as aesthetic rejuvenation. The most common demands of patients are to correct or find a solution to problems such as loss of elasticity and vaginal dryness or mild urinary incontinence

How does this laser treatment help in improving our confidence?

Currently, there is a new laser solution for the well-being of the female intimate area: the laser system with Ndy AG/Co2 technology. This intimate laser is an effective, safe and non–surgical treatment for the effects caused by pregnancy, childbirth, age or menopause in the women’s body, greatly increasing the quality of life.

The Ndy AG/Co2 laser produces a thermal effect that stimulates the production of collagen in the cells and tissues of the vagina. This new collagen in the cells and tissues of the vagina. This new collagen integrally recovers the vaginal function.

  • Reduces the diameter of the vagina.
  • Reconstitutes the vaginal pH.
  • Recovers the tone and lubrication of the vagina.
  • Returns the strength and control in the vagina.
  • Tightens the urethra to prevent leakage of urine.
  • Besides, laser helps to redesign and rejuvenate the appearance of the external genitalia.

Genital rejuvenations help in improving the quality of life without giving up your usual activities and your life as a couple as well.

What is the recovery/down time after the treatment?

The patient can start their normal routines soon, most probably in 1-3 days. But intercourse needs to be avoided in the first 4 days after treatment. For most women, only 3 sessions will be required which will be separated by approximately 4 weeks.

One need not have to go for surgeries to regain your family life back. This laser treatment offers the advantage of precision, resulting in less bleeding and less edema of the repaired tissues, with a rapid recovery.