Stress puts strain on our mental health but can also result in physiological effects on the body. This is something that many people overlook, as we often think that stress only affects our mood and how we feel at a mental level. In addition to making you feel nervous and perhaps even tired, stress can also have an adverse impact on your ability to effectively manage your blood sugar levels. In this post, we look at how stress can affect your blood sugar levels and what you can do about it.
How Stress Affects The Body
It is important to understand how exactly stress affects us before we look closer at the relationship between this natural response and blood sugar levels. When you are exposed to a stressful situation, your body automatically reacts by entering what is known as a fight or flight response. This happens when the sympathetic nervous system is activated, which then causes the body to release certain hormones. The body first releases corticotropin-releasing hormones, as well as adrenocorticotropic hormones. These hormones then cause the stimulation of the adrenal glands, as well as the pituitary gland. In turn, there is a release of cortisol, noradrenaline, and adrenaline.
There are benefits to the natural fight or flight response that you experience when you face a stressful situation. The hormones released when you are under stress actually prepare you to respond to the situation that you face. It is a kind of coping mechanism that the body provides, but there are times when stress and this fight or flight response become negative. This generally occurs when stress becomes a chronic problem in your life.
Chronic stress causes elevated levels of cortisol to be present in your body consistently. This can lead to both physical and mental complications. Understanding what chronic stress can do to you helps to serve as inspiration to ensure you are able to implement the right countermeasures.
One of the biggest problems with chronic stress is the fact that it leads to low-grade inflammation. The combination of cortisol and inflammation in the body can cause complications such as:
– Problems with your cardiovascular system. This may include the development of hypertension and heart disease.
– The risk of having a stroke or heart attack increases.
– Women may experience problems with their menstrual cycles.
– Some people experience sexual dysfunction. This may include erectile dysfunction among men.
– Problems with the gastrointestinal system. This may include ulcerative colitis, irritation in the colon, and gastritis.
– The development of eating disorders, which can raise the risk of obesity.
It is also possible to experience several mental health complications when you are exposed to chronic stress. Some of these issues may include depression, as well as anxiety disorders. It is also possible for chronic stress to cause personality disorders.
The Impact Of Stress On Blood Sugar
Many people do not realize that stress can actually have an impact on your blood sugar regulation too. Too much stress can adversely affect your ability to maintain normal levels. This becomes an especially important issue of concern for people who have diabetes.
There are several ways in which too much stress can affect blood sugar. We take a closer look at these mechanisms below:
– When you experience a significant amount of stress, it causes cortisol levels to rise. This can change the way that your body processes sugar through the metabolic process.
– The sensitivity of cells toward insulin may change.
– Insulin release may be adversely affected, which can leave more glucose in your bloodstream.
If you are not diabetic, then these effects could cause a higher risk of insulin resistance. This particular condition is often the precursor to type 2 diabetes. Untreated and unattended, insulin resistance can later lead to the development of diabetes.
In cases where you have been diagnosed with diabetes, these effects may have an adverse impact on your treatment program. If you have type 1 diabetes, the insulin you inject may not be used as effectively as it should be. With type 2 diabetes, you may find that glucose does not enter cells properly, leading to fatigue and high blood sugar levels.
Stress Management Strategies That Work
When it comes to reducing stress and its impact on your life, the first step is usually to identify the triggers and causes. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to completely remove stressors from our lives. This means we may sometimes need to find a way to cope with the things that are stressing us out.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is definitely an important option that you should consider. The technique is provided by a licensed therapist and can help you learn more about coping mechanisms. When you are able to cope better with the stress you face on a daily basis, you can effectively reduce the effect that these stressful situations have on your body.
Here are additional tips that can help you improve your ability to effectively manage stress in your daily life:
– Create a bedtime routine. Sleep deficiency can make it harder to deal with stress.
– Keep your body hydrated, as dehydration may also make stress management harder.
– Try to set out some time every day to focus on yourself. Try meditation, yoga, or another technique that will help you calm your mind.
– Exercise is also a great way to manage stress. The great thing about exercise is that it also helps with the regulation of blood glucose levels.
– Don’t overwork yourself. Make a point of taking a few days off now and then. This can help to ensure work stress does not cause burnout or other problems.
Limit your intake of alcohol and the use of tobacco products.
Conclusion
While stress is unavoidable for most people, how you manage it is important. With the right stress management strategies, you can significantly reduce the risk of these stressful situations causing problems in your daily life. If you have diabetes, then you should also understand how stress can impact this chronic condition. Use the tips we shared to help you reduce the impact of stress on your blood glucose levels.