No one is immune to stress, and constant stress wreaks havoc on anyone’s body. But chronic conditions like diabetes put some people at a higher risk of experiencing complications caused by stress. Take a look at how stress affects diabetes.
How the Body’s Natural Response to Stress Affects Diabetes
Anything can bring stress in your life, from financial problems to traumatic events. Even a diagnosis of a chronic illness, like type 2 diabetes, can add stress. Symptoms of stress include nervousness, a rapid heartbeat, rapid breathing, upset stomach, and depression.
When your body experiences stress it goes into a fight-or-flight response. This natural response elevates hormone levels and causes nerve cells to fire. In turn, the body releases adrenaline and cortisol into the bloodstream causing respiratory rates to increase. Because you have diabetes, your body might not be able to process the glucose released by firing nerve cells. If your body can’t convert glucose into energy, your blood glucose levels will rise.
Other Ways Stress Affects Diabetes
In addition to your body’s natural response, stress can affect diabetes in other ways. Stress can disrupt your daily routine including healthy habits like exercise and eating a healthy diet. When we are stressed, we often find ourselves prone to eating more junk food and getting less exercise. These changes affect your diabetes almost immediately. High blood glucose levels can cause you to feel down while low glucose levels can leave you feeling nervous.
How You Can Reduce Stress
Stress is a natural part of life–you can’t always avoid it, but you can take steps to reduce how stress affects you. One of the first steps you can take is to be intentional about keeping up your daily routine. Don’t give in to temptations to eat your feelings with junk food or to lay around all day. Make yourself eat healthy even when you don’t want to and don’t skip the gym.
The same goes for your medication. Don’t skip a dose, no matter what. Since stress can make us a bit forgetful it’s probably a good idea to set a reminder on your phone to take your medicine and check your glucose levels. Keeping up your health routines will not only help your blood glucose levels stay in check but can also reduce your body’s response to stress.
Another way to reduce your stress is to talk with someone about how you are feeling. You’ll find talking it out to be surprisingly therapeutic and sharing your burdens often makes them feel less heavy. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to a friend or relative, consider scheduling a counseling session with a mental health professional.
Mantachie Rural Health Care offers medical and mental health care for diabetes patients, as well as dietary treatment. If you are experiencing additional stress in your life that is increasing anxiety, depression, and even your blood glucose levels, you may benefit from a counseling session with one of our mental health professionals. To schedule a visit, click here. (link to contact page)
Speak Your Mind