The Relationship Between Anxiety and Blood Sugar Levels
Imagine this:
Your workload has been overwhelming lately. To add to the stress, you’re having car trouble and you and your significant other just had a serious disagreement.
You check your blood sugar and find that it is unusually high.
Are the two related?
There is a relationship between blood sugar and anxiety, and it’s particularly important that those with diabetes to understand this connection.
You’ll find that problems with one can often lead to issues with the other. We’ll take a closer look at this relationship and provide useful tips to help you.
Can Stress and Anxiety Raise Blood Sugar Levels?
It’s no surprise that stress can make it more difficult for those with diabetes to control their blood sugar. This is due to how various hormones interact in your body. These hormones include:
- Epinephrine (adrenaline)
- Glucagon
- Cortisol
When your body is stressed, it enters a “fight or flight” stage. During this stage, your body wants to have enough sugar (glucose) stored to use as energy. As the adrenaline levels increase, the liver releases more glucose.
Can Blood Sugar Levels Cause Anxiety and Depression?
But what about the opposite? Can blood sugar levels actually change your mood, making you more depressed or agitated?
Yes, they can.
First, it’s important to realize that blood sugar levels fluctuate throughout the day. This is considered normal.
However, when these fluctuations venture beyond healthy levels, problems can occur.
For example, those with low blood sugar can experience nervousness or anxiety along with irritability or impatience. Other symptoms of low blood sugar can include:
- Shakiness
- Confusion
- Sweating
- Chills
- Hunger
- Nausea
- Headaches
- Difficulty with coordination
Low blood sugar can cause complications, so it’s important to discuss any issues with low blood sugar with your internal medicine doctor in Raleigh.
What Is a Healthy Blood Sugar Level for Non-Diabetics?
Your fasting blood sugar should be less than 100. If the level is 100 to 125, you have prediabetes. If, on two separate tests, the result is 126 or higher, then you have diabetes.
Your internal medicine doctor in Raleigh may also recommend an A1C test, which measures your blood sugar level for the last three months. A normal reading is 5.7 % or below. Prediabetes is a reading between 5.7% and 6.4%. Readings higher than 6.5% on two separate tests indicate diabetes.
What Should You Do If Anxiety Is Affecting Your Blood Sugar?
Sometimes it can be difficult to tell if your anxiety is raising your blood sugar, or if low blood sugar is causing some symptoms of anxiety. The only way to know for sure is to regularly test your blood sugar and work closely with one of our internal medicine physicians in Raleigh. We have helped hundreds of Triangle residents monitor their diabetes and keep it under control.
Working closely with your health care team can also keep you from experiencing some of the common health complications that can come from high blood sugar and diabetes. These include:
- Poor circulation, which can lead to non-healing wounds
- Cardiovascular disease
- Neuropathy (nerve damage)
- Damage to kidneys
- Blindness
- Amputation
Effective Ways to Cope With Anxiety
Everyone can benefit from learning effective ways to cope with anxiety. These can include:
- Exercise—even if it’s just taking a walk through the neighborhood
- Meditation
- Talking with someone you can trust
- Get enough sleep
- Limit alcohol and caffeine intake
- Talk with a professional therapist
Raleigh Adult Medicine Understands the Relationship Between Anxiety and Blood Sugar
As internal medicine physicians, we focus on the entire body. We realize that each system affects the other, and a problem in one area can cause issues in another.
That’s why our internal medicine physicians are a natural choice if you’re having problems regulating your blood sugar. We also specialize in helping those with diabetes maintain healthy blood glucose levels.
We would consider it a privilege to care for you. Schedule your appointment today.
