Can an increase in stress levels, due to a change in lifestyle or routine like a new job or new house, affect Diabetes management?Stress can affect your Diabetes control in two basic ways. People under stress may not take good care of themselves - they may exercise less, forget or not have timely check their glucose levels or plan meals.Stress hormones like adrenaline actually makes it harder for insulin to work resulting in increased blood glucose levels.The body may respond to stress through what is called the fight-or-flight response which also causes levels of many hormones to shoot up. Their net effect is to make a lot of stored energy - glucose and fat - available to cells. In people who have Diabetes, the fight-or-flight response does not work well, leading to excess glucose levels in the blood.It's easy to find out whether mental stress affects your glucose control. Before checking your glucose levels, write down a number rating your mental stress level on a scale of 1 to 10. Then write down your glucose level next to it. You may find your glucose levels get somewhat erratic as the stress level goes up. If so, stress may be affecting your glucose control.One cannot always foresee or anticipate a stress-inducing situation but in certain cases like when you are making a major change to your lifestyle or routine, it is advised to stay prepared for the accompanying stress of the situation.If you expect to be busy for a few days or weeks, modify your meal plan and exercise routine to fit into the busy schedule.You should understand it is very important to look after yourself without putting pressureon yourself that will be helpful for smoother transition.Trying to adhere to a rigorous exercise regime for example, may not always work out. Failure to catch up on exercise may also add guilt and further stress for you. Keep a back-up strategy, like exercising thrice a week instead of every day.Most importantly, check your blood glucose level more frequently and keep your doctor informed of the numbers. Depending on your level of control, your doctor may modify your medication or insulin dose.Dr Sudeep Jain,Consulting Diabetologist
Can an increase in stress levels, due to a change in lifestyle or routine like a new job or new house, affect Diabetes management?Stress can affect your Diabetes control in two basic ways. People under stress may not take good care of themselves - they may exercise less, forget or not have timely check their glucose levels or plan meals.Stress hormones like adrenaline actually makes it harder for insulin to work resulting in increased blood glucose levels.The body may respond to stress through what is called the fight-or-flight response which also causes levels of many hormones to shoot up. Their net effect is to make a lot of stored energy - glucose and fat - available to cells. In people who have Diabetes, the fight-or-flight response does not work well, leading to excess glucose levels in the blood.It's easy to find out whether mental stress affects your glucose control. Before checking your glucose levels, write down a number rating your mental stress level on a scale of 1 to 10. Then write down your glucose level next to it. You may find your glucose levels get somewhat erratic as the stress level goes up. If so, stress may be affecting your glucose control.One cannot always foresee or anticipate a stress-inducing situation but in certain cases like when you are making a major change to your lifestyle or routine, it is advised to stay prepared for the accompanying stress of the situation.If you expect to be busy for a few days or weeks, modify your meal plan and exercise routine to fit into the busy schedule.You should understand it is very important to look after yourself without putting pressureon yourself that will be helpful for smoother transition.Trying to adhere to a rigorous exercise regime for example, may not always work out. Failure to catch up on exercise may also add guilt and further stress for you. Keep a back-up strategy, like exercising thrice a week instead of every day.Most importantly, check your blood glucose level more frequently and keep your doctor informed of the numbers. Depending on your level of control, your doctor may modify your medication or insulin dose.Dr Sudeep Jain,Consulting Diabetologist
