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How does diabetes affect women differently?
Because of the hormonal fluctuations that are unique to women, there are many ways in which your diabetes may affect you that are different from how it would affect men.

Yeast infections
Because of the unbalanced blood sugar levels in the blood, women are more likely to develop yeast infections. Sugar is a trigger for yeast growth.

Birth Control
Birth control pills may raise your blood glucose levels. Using them for longer than a year or 2 may also increase your risk of complications with diabetes or diabetic-related problems. For example, if you develop high blood pressure while on the pill, you increase the chance that eye or kidney disease will worsen.

Pregnancy
Pregnancy presents the risk of developing gestational diabetes. However, healthcare providers no longer discourage women with diabetes or women at risk for developing diabetes from becoming pregnant. There are serious risks to both mother and child, though, if the diabetes is not controlled before and during the pregnancy:


Mismanaged diabetes before conception and during the first trimester of pregnancy can cause major birth defects in 5% to 10% of pregnancies and spontaneous abortions in 15% to 20% of pregnancies.
Mismanaged diabetes during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy can result in excessively large babies, which presents a risk to both mother and child.
The most important thing for pregnant women with diabetes is making sure blood glucose levels remain in the target range. This means developing a treatment plan with your doctor that keeps meals, exercise, and insulin in balance. The plan needs to change as your pregnancy develops and your hormone levels change. You will need to check levels often (as much as 8 times a day) and keep a record of the results.

Motherhood
Unless otherwise advised by your physician, women with diabetes can still breastfeed their babies. While your child is more likely to eventually develop diabetes if it runs in the family, this is not a result of breast-feeding.

Menopause
The fluctuations in hormonal levels and balance that occur during menopause may lead to abnormal blood glucose levels. Women with diabetes are also at risk of early onset of menopause, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Osteoporosis
This condition, through which your bones become brittle, is a major health problem for aging women. This disease affects one in three women after menopause. Studies have found that women who suffer from Type 1 diabetes are slightly more likely to get osteoporosis. This may explain the higher incidence of fractured and broken hips among post-menopausal women with Type 1 diabetes.

Women with Type 1 diabetes should be exceptionally careful to reduce their risk of osteoporosis. You can do this in a number of ways.


Ensure that your diet has sufficient calcium by eating foods like yogurt, cheese, and milk. Tinned fish with bones, tofu, and leafy greens also contain a high dose of calcium.
Take regular weight-bearing exercise at least three times a week. Walking, dancing, weight-training, and running are all examples of weight-bearing exercise.
Do not smoke. Smoking can bring on premature menopause, and smoking lowers your bone-mineral density.
Drink only moderate amounts of alcohol.

 

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