Type 2 Diabetes - Does Stress Raise Your Blood Sugar Levels?
As a Type 2 diabetic, you're probably very aware of how food and exercise can affect your blood sugar levels.
But did you know stress also can affect your levels? Once you're aware of what stresses you out and the effect it has on your blood sugar, you can learn to manage stress and better control your blood sugar.
When your body experiences something stressful, its natural reaction is to prepare your fight-or-flight response.
One of the ways this is done is by increasing your blood sugar.
This gives you the energy you would need to fight or flee from danger.
If your blood sugar is low, you don't have enough energy to do this.
In people without diabetes, this high level due to stress is dealt with by insulin that moves the sugar to the muscles where it's needed.
But in Type 2 diabetics, insulin doesn't work as well or there isn't enough of it to work, so your levels remain high.
Even though our bodies deal with stressors with the fight-or-flight response, our modern day stressors are somewhat different to the dangerous stressors of the past that required a drastic fight-or-flight response.
Short-term stressors like having a fight with a family member or having car trouble can cause a stress response that raises blood sugar.
You are probably aware of these short-term stressors and the way they make you feel.
But long-term stressors are often even more of a problem, and they can be harder to recognize.
Things like pressure at work or just the day-to-day difficulties of dealing with your Type 2 diabetes can cause long-term stress.
To deal with stressors, first you need to figure out what's causing your stress.
One way to do this is to monitor your stress alongside of your blood sugar readings.
When you record how you're feeling, you may be able to see patterns of times you are more stressed and figure out what was going on at that time.
Learning the difference between feeling stressed and feeling relaxed can also help.
To feel the difference, try progressive muscle relaxation - go through each muscle or muscle group of the body, and first tighten and then relax your muscles.
You may be surprised to feel what a normal, relaxed state is if you're used to feeling stressed and having tight muscles.
Now that you've figured out your stressors, you can read more about stress management and relaxation techniques.
For example, yoga helps some people relieve stress.
Do whatever works for you, and you'll soon be able to keep your stress levels and blood sugar levels lower.
But did you know stress also can affect your levels? Once you're aware of what stresses you out and the effect it has on your blood sugar, you can learn to manage stress and better control your blood sugar.
When your body experiences something stressful, its natural reaction is to prepare your fight-or-flight response.
One of the ways this is done is by increasing your blood sugar.
This gives you the energy you would need to fight or flee from danger.
If your blood sugar is low, you don't have enough energy to do this.
In people without diabetes, this high level due to stress is dealt with by insulin that moves the sugar to the muscles where it's needed.
But in Type 2 diabetics, insulin doesn't work as well or there isn't enough of it to work, so your levels remain high.
Even though our bodies deal with stressors with the fight-or-flight response, our modern day stressors are somewhat different to the dangerous stressors of the past that required a drastic fight-or-flight response.
Short-term stressors like having a fight with a family member or having car trouble can cause a stress response that raises blood sugar.
You are probably aware of these short-term stressors and the way they make you feel.
But long-term stressors are often even more of a problem, and they can be harder to recognize.
Things like pressure at work or just the day-to-day difficulties of dealing with your Type 2 diabetes can cause long-term stress.
To deal with stressors, first you need to figure out what's causing your stress.
One way to do this is to monitor your stress alongside of your blood sugar readings.
When you record how you're feeling, you may be able to see patterns of times you are more stressed and figure out what was going on at that time.
Learning the difference between feeling stressed and feeling relaxed can also help.
To feel the difference, try progressive muscle relaxation - go through each muscle or muscle group of the body, and first tighten and then relax your muscles.
You may be surprised to feel what a normal, relaxed state is if you're used to feeling stressed and having tight muscles.
Now that you've figured out your stressors, you can read more about stress management and relaxation techniques.
For example, yoga helps some people relieve stress.
Do whatever works for you, and you'll soon be able to keep your stress levels and blood sugar levels lower.
Source...