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Diabetes and Stress

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Author: Adem

Diabetes isn't much fun. It's a disease that tends to make a stressful life even more stressful. Diabetics must worry about all of the things that we all worry about and that cause us stress: job, home, school, family, friends, etc.

But then diabetics also must worry about things like blood sugar level, testing, injecting insulin or taking medication, what to eat, when to eat, getting enough exercise, taking care of their feet — the list goes on and on. Does diabetes cause stress? You bet!

But more than just causing additional stress, diabetes is actually affected by stress. Stress impacts the body by triggering the production of hormones, including "fight-or-flight hormones." That means when we become anxious, or stressed, our hormone production revs up, and extra sugar is released into your bloodstream for the energy needed to deal with what the body perceives as a dangerous situation.

When more sugar is released into the system, it means that more insulin is needed to deal with it. You can see where this would create an added problem for diabetics who already have a problem with balancing insulin and blood glucose levels.

It's important for all of us to learn to control our stress levels. Stress can kill you whether you are diabetic or not. It's doubly important, though, for diabetics to learn to control their stress levels so that they can gain better control over their blood glucose levels.

Learning HOW to relax can be one of the greatest stress reducers. Diabetics should practice meditation or conscious relaxation techniques. Yoga can be helpful.

Dozens of books, CDs, and DVDs out there teach relaxation and stress-reduction techniques. I'd recommend that every diabetic find some way to control their stress levels!









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