Why do most women suffer from diabetes and high blood pressure during pregnancy?
-
Hello, I am a 29 years old male. My wife is in the second trimester of her pregnancy. Yesterday the doctor asked her to take a few tests for diabetes and blood pressure. My question is why do women suffer from diabetes and high blood pressure during pregnancy?
-
@ajinkey Hello, it is tested so that doctors can know whether she has gestational diabetes or not. The reason for gestational diabetes is during pregnancy the placenta makes hormones that cause glucose to build up in the blood. Usually, the pancreas can send out enough insulin to handle it. But if the body can’t make enough insulin or stops using insulin as it should, blood sugar levels rise, and women get gestational diabetes.
There are several possible causes of high blood pressure during pregnancy like weight gain, not getting enough physical activity, first-time pregnancy, and smoking, etc. Common risk factors for high blood pressure, such as obesity, can be minimized through diet and exercise. Pregnancy causes hormone shifts as well as psychological and physical changes. This can bring on stress, which can make high blood pressure harder to manage.