How Diabetes Affects Your Menstrual Cycle and Fertility

Of the prevalent chronic diseases, diabetes is among the highest in frequency, affecting people from many different ethnicities, age groups, and genders. Over 38 million adults (nearly 12% of the American population) struggle with the disease, with only about 30 million aware they have it.

For women, diabetes can affect nearly every part of their bodies, creating many hazards for their reproductive health. It also leads to complications, damaging fertility and menstrual health.

If you live in or near Lake Mary, Florida, and are coping with diabetes and the complications to your reproductive health, you can turn to Dr. Christopher Quinsey and our dedicated medical staff.

So let’s spend some time during National Diabetes Awareness Month exploring the effects of this disease on women and how we can help.

The effects of diabetes

There are different forms of diabetes, but Type 2 is most common. With Type 2 diabetes, your body doesn’t use insulin properly or doesn’t produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugar (glucose).

The damage that excess amounts of blood glucose can have on women is complex. Regardless of gender, general symptoms of this metabolic condition include increased thirst and hunger, frequent urination, weight changes, slow-healing wounds, and fatigue.

For women, this also means a greater risk of urinary tract and oral or vaginal yeast infections, due to both hyperglycemia (excess blood glucose levels) and the disease compromising their immune system.

The damage to fertility and menstruation

In addition to the infection risks, your reproductive health is also adversely affected in several ways:

Menstrual cycle

Female hormone levels shift constantly, especially during their monthly cycle, and insulin (a hormone created in your pancreas) regulates blood sugar levels in the circulatory system. 

Issues with your body not producing enough insulin or developing a resistance to it also cause many problems with ovulation or other phases of your period.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)

With insulin problems being factors in both diabetes and PCOS, they connect on a metabolic level, meaning if you have PCOS, the risk of developing diabetes is higher. If you have both, it can result in problems with weight gain, acne, and irregular menstrual bleeding.

Vaginal health

In addition to the increased risk of infections associated with diabetes, it also affects blood circulation and nerves in your vagina. This leads to decreased blood flow and sensation, and causes you to deal with issues like lower libido and vaginal dryness.

Menopause

Diabetic women are at higher risk of early menopause, and having this illness makes dealing with the multiple metabolic changes you go through during this transition harder. 

Weight gain problems already increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, for example, and adding diabetes to that only heightens the chances of complications.

Pregnancy

Being pregnant with diabetes isn’t impossible, but it can make things more difficult. Controlling glucose levels will be vital for you and your child, and complications with it during this time can cause birth defects, miscarriages, and developmental issues for the baby.

Treatment and prevention

How we approach your issues depends on your blood sugar levels and any preexisting medical issues. 

The first step in managing these problems is to work with your primary care physician to better regulate blood sugar levels and keep diabetes under control. Dietary changes to help regulate these levels will also help, along with increasing exercise and losing weight.

We offer many services to help with your reproductive needs, but to prevent the problems from becoming severe enough to require major treatments, controlling the condition is your top priority. 

Diabetes has a unique impact on women’s lives, but you can manage it, and we can help. Make an appointment with Dr. Quinsey and our team today to find the best ways to manage your life with diabetes.