Effect of Stress on Blood Glucose
| Author: Judy Kohn, RN, BSN, CDE |
| Last Updated: Monday, January 23, 2006 |
Q: "I have noticed lately on some days, that my blood glucose levels have been staying about 70 points above what they should be. On these days, I wonder if the amount of stress that I am under at my job and elsewhere could cause this? I know that stress can raise the levels of my readings, but I was curious as to how much."
A: Stress can raise blood glucose. Any type of illness, infection, stress (emotional or physical), surgery, dental problem, injury, etc. will cause stress on your body. When this occurs, your body needs more energy to "fight" this stressor, so it releases hormones (they're called "counter-regulatory hormones") that tell the liver to release extra glucose to provide you with this much needed energy. These hormones also inhibit the effect of insulin-which means you become somewhat insulin resistant. As a result, blood glucose rises, and typically an insulin-requiring person will need more insulin during a stressful event. Likewise, a person taking oral diabetes medication may require a temporary increase in the dose; and a person who is diet controlled could, in some instances, temporarily require oral medication.
How high can stress raise glucose? There is no specific "limit" to how high the glucose can rise, as this would depend on your type of diabetes, whether or not you produce any insulin, and the severity of the stressor.
Check your monitoring technique. Naturally it would be wise to verify your glucose monitoring technique as well: check to make sure your meter code matches the code printed on the vial of strips; verify that your strips have not expired and that you have stored them properly; run a control solution test to make sure your monitoring system is working properly. Please review the related question below: "Comparing Meter to Lab."
Contact your physician. Most importantly, check with your physician to help you determine both the cause and the appropriate treatment of your elevated glucose.
Related Questions
Comparing Meter to Lab
Q:
"I was told that you shouldn't compare your meter to another meter, and
that the best way to check your meter is with the lab. Please explain why and
how to do that."
Related Links
American Diabetes Association (ADA)
http://www.diabetes.org
Diabetes Self-Management
http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com
Important Notice: The responses provided by the team of Diabetes Educators are based on their personal experiences and expertise as practicing diabetes healthcare professionals, and are not to be considered diabetes management advice from Abbott Laboratories. Remember that information provided by the team of Diabetes Educators is for general background purposes and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment by a trained professional. You should always consult your physician about any healthcare questions you may have, especially before trying a new medication, diet, fitness program, or approach to healthcare issues.
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