by Stress has negative effects on the human body. In people who have been diagnosed with diabetes, it can be an obstacle to controlling sugar levels in the body.
“It can be a significant barrier to effective glucose control. Stress hormones in your body can directly affect glucose levels. If you experience stress or feel threatened, your body reacts. This is called the fight or flight response. This response elevates your hormone levels and causes your nerve cells to activate”, explain the experts from Healthline, web portal specialized in health.
Experts detail what happens in the body that prevents sugar levels from being controlled.
“During this response, your body releases adrenaline and cortisol into your bloodstream and your breathing rate increases. Your body directs blood to the muscles and extremities, allowing you to cope. Your body may not be able to process the glucose released by your functioning nerve cells if you have diabetes. If you can’t convert glucose into energy, it builds up in your bloodstream. This causes your glucose levels to rise.”
It is important that, in case of performing glucose tests and observing records of high levels, due to stress, you consult a doctorsince he is the one who is authorized to provide a professional diagnosis.
Medline Plus, website of the United States National Library of Medicine, details that stress can cause different physical and emotional symptoms, which people do not usually associate with this factor. Some of them are:
- Diarrhea or constipation.
- Bad memory.
- Frequent aches and pains.
- Headaches.
- Lack of energy or concentration.
- sexual problems
- Stiff neck or jaw.
- Fatigue.
- Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much.
- Upset stomach.
- Use of alcohol or drugs to relax.
- Weight loss or gain.
diabetic distress
People with diabetes can sometimes feel discouraged, worried or frustrated. This can be caused by what is involved in caring for this disease. According to experts this is known as “diabetes distress”.
“Those overwhelming feelings, known as diabetes distress, can lead you to neglect yourself and engage in unhealthy habits, stop checking your blood sugar and even miss medical appointments. This happens to many, if not most, people with diabetes, often after years of managing diabetes well.. In any given 18-month period, between 33 and 50% of people with diabetes have diabetes distress,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains.
Although it is similar to depression or anxiety, its treatment is not the same, that is, with medication. In case of presenting these symptoms, a doctor should be consulted. The professional may recommend speaking with a mental health expert and seeing a specialist such as an endocrinologist.
Diabetes
In people who have it, their body does not produce enough insulin or does not use it correctly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains what happens: “When there is not enough insulin or cells stop responding to insulin, there is too much sugar left in the bloodstream andOver time, this can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease.”
According to the World Health Organization, the figures on diabetes are increasingly worrying, the number of people with this disease “went from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014. The prevalence of this disease has been increasing faster in low-income and middle-income countries than in high-income countries”.
It is important to have a lifestyle that contributes to the prevention of this disease, as it is an important cause of blindness, stroke, and lower limb amputation. For those who have already been diagnosed with this disease, it is advisable to follow the instructions provided by the doctor to the letter.
