What May Be Behind Unexpectedly High Blood Sugar
Even when you are eating right and exercising regularly your glucose levels can sometimes elevate unexpectedly.
The culprit may be the hormones (other than insulin) manufactured by our body to regulate the activity of specific organs and cells. Hormones are bossy substances, exerting influence on our digestive, metabolic, reproductive, growth, and mood functions.
When emotional stress, illness, surgery, or developmental stages trigger changes in these hormones, blood sugar levels may be affected as well:
- As the body is stressed it readies for action by making sure there is enough energy (glucose) available. Our insulin levels drop while glucagon and adrenaline (epinephrine) levels elevate to ensure the liver releases more glucose. Simultaneously, growth hormone and cortisol amounts increase, making our muscle and fat tissues less sensitive to insulin.
- Children’s insulin requirements increase as they grow, especially during puberty. This is caused by fluctuations in the body’s stew of growth and sex hormones. Growth hormone particularly can cause fat and muscle cells to resist the action of insulin. The body compensates for this by producing more insulin in non-diabetic kids, but those with type 1 diabetes may require significant insulin dose adjustments.
- Sex hormones, by causing temporary insulin resistance, may instigate hyperglycemia in some girls and women with diabetes. Three to five days before starting their period many of them notice increased blood sugar levels. Some continue to have elevated glucose after menstruation begins, while others observe a quick decline. During menopause, women frequently report having less predictable blood sugar numbers.
By frequently monitoring and logging glucose values, you will be become aware of recurring glucose fluctuations owed to periodic hormonal changes, and can adjust your diabetes management accordingly. Your doctor or diabetes educator can help you plan for the stress effects brought on by illness, or surgery.
Source: Diabetes Ed Online; Mayo Clinic
Photo credit: Mike Mozart
More Articles
With its slightly nutty flavor, chewy texture, and nutritional punch farro is an ancient whole grain worth a place in our pantry.
Farro...
Having diabetes is cause for concern, however it doesn’t mean that you need to eliminate all of your favorite foods from your diet completely....
With diabetes becoming more of an epidemic each and every day, being knowledgeable about the disease, its effects on the body as well as ways to...
If you’re a diabetic or live with one, it can be tough trying to figure out the best foods to eat because your priority is to control your blood...
In this post, I will show you the 10 best ice creams for diabetics.
When you think of sweetened foods that a diabetic shouldn’t consume,...
More Articles
If you’re living with diabetes, snacking is a necessity because going for more than 3-4 hours without eating can be detrimental to your health....
For diabetics, choosing healthy snacks can be a daunting task.
A good rule of thumb is to pick out snacks that are rich in protein, fiber,...
According to information available through the National Institutes of Health, there’s an estimated 462 million people in the world who are...
Eleven Clinical Studies
After eleven clinical studies and 300,000 participants, researcher Vasanti Malik and her team of researchers...
Diabetic women often have a harder time losing weight than non-diabetic women. A study funded by Jenny Craig proved that diabetic women have an...
Many recent studies have proved that magnesium levels are lower in patients with diabetes than in non-diabetics. This magnesium...
Fluid retention, also known as edema, is a problem that affects many diabetics, especially those with type 2 diabetes...
Some of us might be thrilled if we could manage our blood sugar by sitting in a hot tub or sauna, instead of working up a sweat biking, or using...
Cooking and baking with the ancient cereal grain sorghum has health benefits for people with diabetes, and those with weight control issues....
When it comes to certain foods, there are always questions as to whether or not a diabetic can have them without...
Matcha tea is a rich, creamy, full-bodied beverage with amazing nutritional properties that address several diabetes health concerns.
The...
Salads are good example of foods that type 2 diabetics can enjoy with relatively low guilt. With the right greens and other elements added, salad...
Remaining gainfully employed is important to many people. Those who live with any form of diabetes may find that some lines of work are more...
Learning that you have diabetes does mean making some lifestyle changes. One of the areas that needs attention is your diet. Most people find that...
One of the more challenging aspects of life as a type 2 diabetic is managing your diet. There’s often the temptation to avoid certain foods...