Diabetes in women: Symptoms and risks

Women get diabetes more often than men. Diabetes increases the risk of heart disease (the most common diabetes complication) about four times in women but only about two times in men, and women have worse outcomes after a heart attack. Women are also at increased risk for other diabetes-related complications such as blindness, kidney disease, and depression.

Diabetes is one of a group of diseases that belong to the group of metabolic diseases, which occur when blood sugar levels are high due to some problem related to the action or production of the hormone insulin. Diabetes can affect people of any age, race, or sex. Diabetes can also affect everyone, especially those with unhealthy lifestyles and eating habits.
Recent studies have shown that the proportion of men with diabetes is on the decline. This is because the increased awareness of diabetes has led men to gradually change some bad habits that can increase the risk of diabetes. However, these studies also show that the rate of women suffering and dying from diabetes does not seem to be improving. Mortality rates are higher in women, but there has been a shift in the sex distribution of type 2 diabetes, where the proportion of men with type 2 diabetes is much higher than that of women. These findings indicate that the effects of diabetes on both sexes are different. And some of the reasons for this difference can be listed as follows:
Women are often less likely to have early detection and aggressive treatment for the risk factors associated with metabolic and cardiovascular disease. diabetes. Some complications of diabetes are more difficult to diagnose in women than in men. Cardiovascular diseases are also different and more difficult to diagnose in women than in men. The mechanism of action of hormones as well as inflammation in some organs in the woman's body is also more complicated than that of men. Recent statistics released by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) show that about 11.7 million women in this country have diabetes while this number in men is about 11.7 million women. 11.3 million. The report of the World Health Organization (WHO) also states that about 422 million adults in the world currently have diabetes, a much higher number than 108 million in 1980.
A special type of diabetes. This condition in women is called gestational diabetes, which occurs in pregnant women and has many features that are different from type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The incidence of gestational diabetes varies in 9.2-9.5% of all pregnancies.
For gestational diabetes, the hormones during a woman's pregnancy change and affect how the hormone insulin is produced and operated. For many women, the amount of insulin provided during pregnancy is not enough to cause them to develop gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes usually develops towards the end of pregnancy. In most cases, a woman's blood sugar will return to normal after she gives birth. However, scientists have proven that women who have gestational diabetes have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Therefore, doctors will always advise mothers with gestational diabetes to regularly monitor blood sugar levels for the rest of their lives.

The symptoms of diabetes in women are not too different from the symptoms in men. However, there are still some typical diabetes symptoms and only appear in women. Common symptoms include:
Fungal infections : Fungi can grow on the surface of certain mucous membranes such as the lining of the mouth or the lining of the uterus. Overgrowth of certain fungi, especially candida infections, can cause infections of the oral and vaginal mucosa. These are also the two most common infections in women. When fungal infections develop in the lining of the vagina, their symptoms can include: Vaginal itching or soreness Heavy vaginal discharge Pain during sex Fungal growth in the lining of the mouth often creates a white pseudomembranous layer that covers the tongue as well as in the oral cavity. The higher the blood glucose concentration, the more severe the fungal growth.
Urinary tract infections: The risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs) is higher in women with diabetes. Urinary tract infections develop when bacteria enter the urinary tract. A urinary tract infection can cause a number of symptoms, such as: Burning pain while urinating Burning sensation in the urinary tract Bloody or dark urine

If these symptoms are not detected early enough, they can lead to kidney infections that make treatment much more difficult. Urinary tract infections seen in women with diabetes are mainly caused by a compromised immune system when blood sugar levels get too high.
Sexual dysfunction in women: Elevated blood sugar can lead to damage to several target organs, including nerve fibers. This causes the patient to feel tingling or even loss of sensation in different parts of the body such as arms, legs, or vagina leading to a decrease in sex drive. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: Hormonal disorders in women can cause high levels of female hormones and increase the risk of polycystic ovary syndrome. Signs of polycystic ovary syndrome associated with diabetes include: Menstrual cycle irregularities Uncontrolled weight gain A lot of acne, especially on the face, chest and back. Vaginal dryness In addition, polycystic ovary syndrome can also cause insulin resistance that leads to higher blood sugar levels and makes diabetes symptoms worse in women.

Similar to the symptoms of the disease, the factors that can increase the risk of diabetes are relatively similar in both men and women. However, there are still some risk factors that only appear in women.
A large-scale study conducted on a total of nearly 100,000 volunteers of both sexes found that men with a lower body mass index than women have a higher risk of type II diabetes.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has listed several factors that increase the risk of diabetes in women, including:
Having had gestational diabetes in the last pregnancy Having a heavier baby 4 kg. Have a history of polycystic ovary syndrome. Have a family history of diabetes High blood pressure index, 140/90 or higher. High blood cholesterol, 240 mg/dL or more Limit exercise, do not exercise or play sports. Ethnic factors can also increase the risk of diabetes. Many studies have shown that African-Americans, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asian-Americans, Hispanics, or Latinos, as well as people of Hawaiian descent, are at increased risk for diabetes. better than others. People in this high-risk group are recommended to go for screening to detect diabetes early.
Diabetes is still considered a chronic and incurable disease today. Once a person has been diagnosed with diabetes, the only thing they can do is keep their symptoms under control. Women are the most affected by diabetes. Some studies have shown that women with diabetes are 40% more likely to die than the general population. Screening for early detection of diabetes is very important. In the case of illness, the patient can use a number of treatment drugs along with lifestyle changes such as eating healthy, having a reasonable exercise and sports regimen to minimize the risk of disease. damage caused by diabetes.

Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital is providing a Diabetes Screening Package to help patients detect the disease early and improve treatment efficiency.
With this package, patients will receive:
Endocrine CK Exam (by appointment) Oral Tolerance Test (for customers with suspicious fasting blood sugar results) Glucose Measurement HbA1c Measurement Acidity Uric Determination of Cholesterol Determination of HDL-C (High density lipoprotein Cholesterol) Determination of LDL-C (Low density lipoprotein Cholesterol) Determination of Triglycerides Determination of Urea Determination of Creatinine Measurement of AST Activity (GOT) Measurement of ALT Activity (GPT) GGT (Gama Glutamyl Transferase) activity