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Stress and Your Body

When you have diabetes, the effects of stress can be a significant health risk. Your glucose levels rise. So does your blood pressure. Real health problems can result. By managing your stress in healthy ways, you not only prevent some diabetes complications but also improve your mental and emotional well-being.

When you're under stress, your body fights back by producing extra energy in the form of glucose. "Since people with diabetes often don't produce enough insulin to carry that glucose into the cells, it builds up in the blood," says Cathy Tibbetts, R.N., M.P.H., CDE, and president of health care and education for the American Diabetes Association.

"Recently, I got one of those 'bad news' kind of calls from my wife and left work immediately to be with her," says John Curry, who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2004. "We dealt with her problem the rest of the day. That night when I checked my blood glucose, it was much higher than it had been before she called and higher than normal for that time of day. By morning, it was back in the normal range again."

"Short-term rises in blood glucose usually aren't harmful," Tibbetts says. "But ongoing stress can be, especially when people react by forgetting to exercise, take their medication, or take care of themselves."

Fortunately, there are many ways to reduce and cope with stress.