Gestational Diabetes vs Type 2 Diabetes: Difference and Comparison

The world is evolving, and humans are also more tending towards fast food and junk diet. This has increased the number of patients with diabetes, and it has also adversely affected the health of people. There are various types of diabetes, and the cause of them differ according to the conditions and lifestyle.

Key Takeaways

1. Gestational diabetes develops during pregnancy and resolves after giving birth, while Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects individuals outside of pregnancy.
2. Gestational diabetes is caused by hormonal changes during pregnancy that lead to insulin resistance, while Type 2 diabetes results from the body’s inability to use insulin effectively or produce enough insulin.
3. Management of gestational diabetes focuses on maintaining healthy blood sugar levels during pregnancy, while Type 2 diabetes management involves long-term lifestyle changes and medication.

Gestational Diabetes vs Type 2 Diabetes

The difference between gestational diabetes and type 2 diabetes is that they occur because of different circumstances. Gestational diabetes occurs due to insulin resistance or not injection of proper insulin in the body of a pregnant woman, whereas type 2 diabetes occurs due to resistance to insulin which causes problems in blood sugar regulation.

Gestational Diabetes occurs at the time of pregnancy due to the body’s resistance to insulin. Insulin resistance is caused because of hormonal changes in the body at the time of development of the baby. This type of diabetes is also caused because the body needs more insulin and there is less insulin injection from the body. 

Type 2 diabetes is caused because of the lack of injection of diabetes. The main reason for high sugar is that the blood cannot regulate the sugar because the body forms a resistance against the hormone namely insulin. It can occur to anyone above the age of forty years, and it can also be hierarchical. 

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Gestational Diabetes	Type 2 Diabetes
Definition	The sugar level cannot regulate and is caused in the tenure of the pregnancy.	The blood sugar regulation is very less due to the resistance it has formed against insulin.
Affects	Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy due to the formation of less insulin.	Type 2 diabetes can occur to anyone and is common among people above the age of forty or it can be hierarchical.
Causes	The main cause is the change in hormones during the period as well as unhealthy lifestyle and obesity.	The main cause is unhealthy lifestyle, obesity, lack of exercise as well as genetics.
Level of sugar	Gestational diabetes is diagnosed when the sugar level goes above 140 mg/dl after a meal and above 100 mg/dl before.	A person is said to suffer type 2 diabetes if the blood level goes above 200 mg/dl after a meal and above 100 mg/dl before.
Symptoms	The person may suffer increased urination, tiredness, thirst and no such major symptoms.	The person suffers from hunger problems, thirst, nausea, eye problems as well as other like urine infections.

What is Gestational Diabetes?

Gestational diabetes is very common among pregnant women and occurs due to changes in hormonal levels after they conceive a baby. It is also found that people have gained it through genetics and hereditary. Pregnant women recover from this after the baby is born, but there are still chances that they would have type 2 diabetes after some time.

It is diagnosed by a test done in mid-pregnancy to determine the body’s sugar levels. It is a common side effect of being pregnant. Some of the symptoms of this diabetes are more urination, nausea, hunger, and thirst. Pregnant women also get their tests done regularly, even after birth.

The causes of this are various and cannot be concluded. People who have an unhealthy diet or sometimes cravings, family history mainly suffer from this type of diabetes. In addition to this, an unhealthy lifestyle also contributes.

Pregnant women create resistance to insulin, or the body does not form enough insulin to cater to the needs of both mother and child. The insufficient levels are compensated by giving insulins as injections or medications. A patient is said to suffer this type of diabetes if they have levels above 140 mg/dl after meals and above 100 mg/dl in fasting.

What is Type 2 Diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes occurs in people above the age of forty.  They are various reasons for the occurrence. Genetics is one of them. Diabetes is the name of a disease that occurs due to high levels of sugar in the body. The main cause of diabetes is the body’s resistance to insulin as well as the less insulin injection, or it may not be formed.

The diagnosis of this type is done by tests which are done regularly for the complete test of the body.  It is done by a kit in which the blood is inserted into a machine. There is a rapid test as well in which the skin is punctured, and the blood is taken on a strip and inserted into a machine which gives the result immediately. The result is accurate to a certain percentage.

The causes differ from person-to-person. The doctors in a survey said that the people who tend to live unhealthy lifestyles are subjected more to this than those who don’t exercise. One more reason for having type 2 diabetes is hereditary. Obesity and health also contribute to this.

The symptoms for this are different like people have nausea, hunger, thirst, and urine problems. These are very common, whereas drowsiness and laziness can also be used to detect this issue. People who suffer from type 2 diabetes have their sugar level above 200 mg/dl after and above 100 mg/dl in fasting. It can be treated by exercising regularly as well as medications.

Main Differences Between Gestational Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes

1. In gestational diabetes, the sugar level cannot regulate and is caused in the tenure of the pregnancy, whereas in type 2 diabetes, blood sugar regulation is very less due to the resistance it has formed against insulin.
2. Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy due to the formation of less insulin. In comparison to this, type 2 diabetes can occur to anyone and is common among people above the age of forty, or it can be hierarchical. 
3. The main cause of gestational diabetes is the change in hormones during the period as well as unhealthy lifestyle and obesity, whereas the main cause of type 2 diabetes is unhealthy lifestyle, obesity, lack of exercise as well as genetics.
4. Gestational diabetes is diagnosed when the sugar level goes above 140 mg/dl after a meal and above 100 mg/dl before, whereas a person is said to suffer type 2 diabetes if the blood level goes above 200 mg/dl after a meal and above 100 mg/dl before.
5. The person may suffer increased urination, tiredness, thirst, and no such major symptoms in gestational diabetes whereas the person suffers from hunger problems, thirst, nausea, eye problems, as well as others like urine infections in type 2 diabetes.

References

1. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1464-5491.2003.00985.x
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673609607315