Stress Busters
You can't avoid stress. It's a part of
life. Sometimes stress can be good, such as feelings of
excitement when moving to a new house or a better job. But often
stress can be uncomfortable and hard to deal with.
The body responds to stress with a chain reaction of biological
events that result in an increase in blood sugars, faster
heart rate, and a rise in blood pressure. These physiological
responses were designed to help us survive, choosing "fight
or flight."
Unfortunately for people with diabetes, who can’t naturally
provide the increased production of insulin required to balance
the higher blood sugar levels , the blood sugar levels can
remain elevated indefinitely.
Stress can build and build until your whole body feels tense
and anxious. Or stress can cause stomach upset, headaches,
diarrhea, rashes, coughing, depression, or feelings of tiredness.
Whether good or bad, stress and emotions can affect your diabetes.
What Does Stress Have To Do With Diabetes?
People with diabetes may face more stress than the average
person. Monitoring your health constantly is stressful, particularly
if you are a "spontaneous" person who hates to plan
and organize. The cost of diabetic supplies can be a strain.
Some people find having to prick their finger or inject insulin
to be a constant source of stress. And in addition, there
are the usual sources of stress, both external (such as illness,
and family and job issues) and internal (loneliness, low self-esteem,
and depression).
Stress can make your blood-sugar level rise. If you don't
have enough insulin to handle the stress, the sugar in your
blood will build up. This buildup can affect your diabetes
control.
How Can Illness Cause Stress?
When you are sick, your body is under stress. Under stress,
your blood sugar may rise. So, sickness can cause your diabetes
to go out of control.
The best way to prevent a minor illness from becoming a major
problem is to have a plan for sick days. Work out a sick-day
plan with your health care practitioner BEFORE you become
sick.
Your sick-day plan should have guidelines for when to call
the health care practitioner and instructions for checking
blood-sugar and urine-ketone levels. If should also tell you
how to change your medication schedule and dosage (for insulin
or diabetes pills).
How Can You Control or Remove Stress?
First, ask yourself: What is the cause of my stress? Document
stressful events in your blood sugar logbook.
If stress is related to your family or personal concerns,
your health care practitioner may be able to help. He or she
may be able to refer you to a social worker or a psychologist
who helps people manage stress.
If you feel stress from living with diabetes, you can get
help. Contact your local American Diabetes Association affiliate.
Ask about joining a support group of other people with diabetes.At
a support group, people share their concerns about living
with diabetes.
Also, talk to your health care practitioner. He or she can
recommend a counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist.
Learning to cope with stress is important. When you feel
a lot of stress, try to calm downand relax. If you're at home,
you might want to lie on your couch, close your eyes, and
listen to music.
Progressive relaxation techniques can help you to relax your
muscles and then your mind. These techniques are sold as tapes
or taught in stress management classes.
Regular exercise may also help you deal better with stress.
Exercise can lower blood sugar, ease tension, and make you
feel good. Even a good brisk walk can help. Set aside 30 minutes
every day to exercise. Ask your health care practitioner about
the best exercise choices for you.
Chronic stress can lead to depression and a disorganized
lifestyle that interferes with our ability to look after ourselves
properly in such tasks as self-blood-glucose-monitoring, taking
our medication, planning our meals, checking our feet, or
keeping our doctor’s appointments. This can become a
vicious cycle that promotes more stress as we continue to
ignore the self-care responsibilities that help us to keep
diabetes under good control.
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