Diabetes in Women
Women with a tendency to develop diabetes are prone to have complications of pregnancy such as still birth, large amount of fluid in pregnant uterus and so on. Diabetes is more common in women with a large family than in single women or those with one or two children.
Fungal infection of the vulva and vagina occur when diabetes is uncontrolled. Itching of the vulva is a common complaint when diabetes is uncontrolled. In fact, diabetes is often suspected in a women because of this complaint. The itching subsides when the blood glucose level is brought to normal.
Menses become irregular when diabetes is uncontrolled and become regular when diabetes is well controlled. The kidney threshold for glucose may be reduced during menstruation. Hence glucose may appear in urine even with normal blood glucose level.
Fluctuations in blood glucose level may occur in different phases of the menstrual cycle. The pattern of fluctuations is characteristic of the particular individual. In some women with diabetes the blood glucose level rises and the glucose appear in the urine just before the period is due. In such women the insulin requirement increases before the period. After the period is over, the insulin requirement returns to normal. In some diabetic women, the blood glucose level may fall before the period and rise again after the period is over. Sanitary pads are preferable to tampons because tampons may give rise to severe bacterial infection that can produce shock. Pelvic infection is more common in tampon users.
Filed under: Diabetes in Woman