Living with type 2 diabetes can be stressful in more ways than one. Suffering from high glucose levels have detrimental effects on your nerve and blood vessels, putting you in extreme risk of developing heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, gum infections, and even blindness in severe cases.
Not to mention, the disease can serve as a roadblock to your old eating habits as it restricts you from confectionary delights for the long haul. It’s a stressful condition that can take a toll on both the mind and body with its list of consequences, but the catch-22 is that stress can aggravate your situation more than meets the eye.
Here’s how stress can make matters worse for your type 2 diabetes:
1. Stress Raises Blood Sugar Levels
Even if you carefully avoid sugary drinks and desserts, giving into stress can ramp your blood sugar levels just as effectively as sweets. Stress often mimics the adrenaline one would feel in a fight-or-flight situation, which stimulates the body’s cortisol. It’s the hormone responsible for energizing the body by introducing more sugar into the blood.
2. Stress Stimulates The Fat Cells
By the time cortisol is released, an enzyme in your fat cells follows suit. It relocates the fat distributed around the body and places it in the abdomen, which means there’s a higher chance of accumulating more belly fat. These fat cells, beyond being a weight-watchers nightmare, can also ramp up your food cravings.
3. Stress Increases Your Insulin Resistance
Thanks to the combination of cortisol and fat cells, the body finds it difficult to respond to insulin, forcing your pancreas to produce more than necessary as a direct result. This can destabilize the sugar levels in your blood as it fails to absorb glucose, resulting in a steady build-up of insulin resistance.
The Bottom Line: Understanding How Stress Can Aggravate Your Type 2 Diabetes
Seeing as stress can raise blood sugar levels, which trigger serious repercussions for your type 2 diabetes in return. The condition is stressful enough, putting you in a double whammy situation.
Fortunately, there are ways to ease your worries. Tracking your blood pressure is one of the many things you can do to mitigate blood glucose spikes and other symptoms, allowing you to have a full overview of your health and know what’s best for your health.
How Can We Help You Stay On Top Of Your Health?
Staying in the dark when it comes to concerns about your health will only keep you from seeing the proper care you need to lead a healthier life.
With that in mind, our healthcare news site can help shed some light on the latest trends and address your curious pain points with our weekly medical updates. Our diabetes talk includes tips on managing your blood sugar levels and other relevant topics that can guide you to lead a diabetes-free life.
Stay tuned for more health news today at Dose of Healthcare to keep your well-being in check!
