Getting diagnosed with type 1 diabetes can be a traumatic event to live through. Unfortunately, the initial diagnosis is just the beginning of a life-long relationship with the disease. While getting back to normal is completely achievable, the stress that comes along with type 1 diabetes needs to be properly managed for life to resume again.
Not only does diabetes itself bring stress, but all the worries experienced before a diabetes diagnosis still exist and now can affect our bodies more intensely. Thankfully, armed with awareness and knowledge, a type 1 diabetic has the power to overcome most of the stress that diabetes will try to add to life.
Read on to learn more about how stress physically affects the body of a type 1 diabetic, tips for managing blood glucose levels during stressful times as well as overall stress management.
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How Stress Affects the Body
When the body is dealing with stress, it causes our hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol to rise. This means that the body is hormonally unbalanced and dealing with inflammation. A spike of hormones in the body inhibits our receptor cells that convert glucose to energy which causes blood glucose levels to rise.
Constant emotional or mental stress will cause a slight overall increase in blood glucose levels. Acute physical stress or emotional shock will cause a big spike in glucose levels. If not dealt with, both can have a great impact on one’s long term health.