Is It Time To Ditch Sugar
Its no secret that sugar can cause issues if youre indulging in a little too much of the sweet stuff. Still, most Americans are eating too much sugar.
The harmful effects it can have on your physical health are well studied, which is why we talk so much about reducing sugar intake to lower the risk of these effects, like chronic disease.
While ditching the sweet stuff can result in a physically healthier you, its the effect sugar has on our mental health thats worth taking a second look.
Depression: More Than Just A Bad Mood
Depression is a medical illness that causes feelings of sadness and often a loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy. It can get in the way of how well you function at work and home, including taking care of your diabetes. When you arent able to manage your diabetes well, your risk goes up for diabetes complications like heart disease and nerve damage.
People with diabetes are 2 to 3 times more likely to have depression than people without diabetes. Only 25% to 50% of people with diabetes who have depression get diagnosed and treated. But treatmenttherapy, medicine, or bothis usually very effective. And without treatment, depression often gets worse, not better.
Symptoms of depression can be mild to severe, and include:
- Feeling sad or empty
- Losing interest in favorite activities
- Overeating or not wanting to eat at all
- Not being able to sleep or sleeping too much
- Having trouble concentrating or making decisions
- Feeling very tired
- Feeling hopeless, irritable, anxious, or guilty
- Having aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems
- Having thoughts of suicide or death
If you think you might have depression, get in touch with your doctor right away for help getting treatment. The earlier depression is treated, the better for you, your quality of life, and your diabetes.
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Interestingly, research suggests anxiety may be tied to type 2 diabetes risk. According to a September 2016 study published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology, which measured levels of blood glucose and IL-6, a protein in the body that stimulates immune response and healing, found that people with with low inhibition or attention control were more likely to have type 2 diabetes.
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Mental Health: Living With Type 1
People with type 1 diabetes are at a heightened risk for mental health issues, including diabetes distress, depression, anxiety, and disordered eating. However, these are all treatable disorders. It is important to pay attention to your feelings about having diabetes or taking care of someone who has diabetes. Talk to your physician, or yourdiabetes educator, or anyone you feel comfortable with on your diabetes care team. They can help you connect to mental health care, whether it is with a counselor, a therapist, a psychiatrist, or a social worker. Having support to live with diabetes is essential. Sometimes talking to a friend with diabetes can also be helpful.
When Your Partner Experiences Mood Swings
It’s not your responsibility to make sure your partner consistently eats well. However, knowing the crucial role diet plays in managing mood for people with diabetes may help you understand their condition better. Don’t underestimate the importance of their diet and regular mealtimes.
If your partner struggles with managing moods as a result of fluctuating blood sugar, talk to them about it. Have a plan in place for emergencies, such as calling 911 at the first sign of a mood swing or outburst. Your partner should be willing to create an emergency plan to keep you and others safe.
If you’re in a relationship that’s abusive, it’s important to tell someone you trust: a friend, counselor, social worker, or healthcare provider. Abusive relationships are often isolated ones, where the abused partner lives in secrecy and fear. Telling others breaks the silence and enables you to more easily seek help.
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Your Diabetes Health Care Team
Your diabetes health care team is there to help you with all aspects of your diabetes, including how you feel about it. Share your feelings with them if you feel comfortable to so dothey will give you non-judgemental support and advice. You may want to talk with your:
- GP
- dietitian
- counsellor or psychologist.
Bring this fact sheet to your appointment to help get the conversation started. You will probably feel relieved after sharing your feelings, and it will help your health professional to understand how you are feeling.
Together, you can make plans to manage your anxiety.
Causes Of Anxiety For People With Diabetes
People with diabetes may become anxious over a variety of things. These can include monitoring their glucose levels, weight, and diet.
They may also worry about short-term health complications, such as , as well as long-term effects. People with diabetes are at higher risk for certain health complications, such as heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke. Knowing this can lead to further anxiety.
But keep in mind that the information can also be empowering if it leads to preventative measures and treatments. Learn about other ways one woman with anxiety feels empowered.
There is also some evidence that anxiety may play a role in causing diabetes. One found that symptoms of anxiety and depression are significant risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes.
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How Do I Lower My Blood Sugar Quickly
a large variety of clinical scenarios.
As the human genome gets further explored, there Can Low Blood Sugar Cause Depression are different loci Can Low Blood Sugar Cause Depression found that confer risk for DM.
They discovered a substance in its saliva that slowed stomach emptying, thus Is blood sugar 290 dangerous making the lizard feel fuller for a longer time.
In addition, inhaled insulin is covered by Medicare Part D, and in What Is Normal Blood Sugar Level use Can Low Blood Sugar Cause Depression by Medicare patients requiring continuous blood glucose monitoring.
If you are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, Can Low Blood Sugar Cause Depression you will also have to monitor your blood sugar, make certain lifestyle changes , Can Low Blood Sugar Cause Depression and potentially take medication, Dr Hatipoglu says.
Insulin resistance Can Low Blood Sugar Cause Depression is considered one of the major causes of metabolic syndrome.
Recall that cortisol your stress hormone signals your liver to dump glucose into your bloodstream.
The muscle activity may activate When your blood sugar dips at night a glucose transporter named GLUT 4 which will help ensure excess blood sugar is stored in the muscle Can Low Blood Sugar Cause Depression tissues.
Glucose can be found as enantiomers Can Low Blood Sugar Cause Depression on the other hand, dextrose cannot Can Low Blood Sugar Cause Depression be seen Blood Sugar Levels as enantiomers.
Sugar Substitutes Are No Better For Depression And Anxiety
You might be thinking of trading in sugar for an artificial sweetener, but that comes with its own drawbacks.
For instance, consumers have reported thousands of side effects of aspartame to the US Food and Drug Administration .
You can find some of the most commonly reported side effects listed on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website and in this article in Harvards digital library.
Mental health conditions reported to be aggravated by aspartame include anxiety, depression, and attention disorders.
One major study on over 250,000 soda drinkers found that drinking diet soft drinks sweetened increased the likelihood of depression by 30%.
- panic attacks
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Decrease In Brain Cell Growth With High Blood Sugar
Neurogenesis, the process by which new brain cells generate, appears to be impaired by diabetes. This may be due to dysfunction in the mitochondria, the part of the cell that produces energy from sugar, after insulin resistance has developed. In mice, therapies that increase insulin sensitivity appear to increase mitochondria, reduce depressive symptoms, and increase brain cell generation.
Can Antidepressants Lower Blood Sugar
Lexapro and other antidepressants do not usually cause low blood sugar. The most common adverse symptoms such medications have are nausea and appetite loss. This does not mean, however, that it may not cause low glucose levels in some people, possibility because they are eating less. If you believe Lexapro is causing your blood sugar to drop, try stopping the medication for several days , then test your blood four times a day and see what it shows. If the drug is indeed causing a drop in blood sugar, talk to your doctor about trying a lower dose. © 2018 NewsmaxHealth. All rights reserved.Continue reading > >
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How Does Anxiety Affect Blood Sugar Levels
You might think that spikes in blood sugar levels are only problems for those with diabetes, since they have problems with insulin secretion or use, although you might be surprised to find out that huge emotional stress that leads to anxiety can be the cause of blood sugar spike in non-diabetic population. The good news is, the spike is temporary most of the time, caused by overproduction of stress hormones and not by any kind of chronic metabolic abnormality.
Unfortunately, there are not a lot of studies researching this topic, although the mechanism behind heightened blood sugar levels in response to stress is well-understood.
Resources For Depression And Anxiety
Here are just a few of the many resources to help you manage and hopefully reduce the amount of anxiety or depression you feel on a day-to-day basis.
- Talk to your healthcare team about how you feel and potential medications, therapy, and testing for other conditions like hypothyroid that can cause anxiety-like symptoms.
- Connect with other people who have diabetes through the BT1 community or TuDiabetes.
- Tell your closest friends or family that youre struggling, and let them support you! Asking for help is harder, but its even harder if the people who love you most dont know you need it.
- Start a new hobby. Whether its going for a walk with your coworker every day at lunch or joining a book club, find something new that you enjoy and look forward to!
- Read books on diabetes burnout
If you are having thoughts of suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline for support: 1-800-273-8255.
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Symptoms Of Low Blood Sugar Vs Symptoms Of Anxiety
The symptoms of hypoglycemia and anxiety are extremely similar, making it easy for someone to mistake a hypoglycemic episode for a panic attack or anxiety disorder. Low blood sugar puts the physical body under significant stress, creating symptoms similar to anxiety. It is important to be able to distinguish low blood sugar from anxiety so that your symptoms can be treated in a timely manner. Severe hypoglycemia can result in accidents, injuries, coma or even death.
The main symptoms shared by hypoglycemia and anxiety are:
- Difficulty focusing or thinking clearly
- Fatigue
- Loss of consciousness or coma
- Seizures
How Can I Avoid Anxiety
Appropriate stress management may be key to avoiding conditions such as anxiety. Relaxation techniques include:
- Breathing exercises
- Meditation
- Self-hypnosis
Relaxation methods such as the ones listed above are all be effective in relieving stress. Mindfulness based training in combination with diabetes management are proving an invaluable approach to aid the process of acceptance, while alleviating anxiety and stress.
Research conducted at the psychology department at Stanford University used brain imaging technologies to examine the effect of mindfulness training on social anxiety. They reported that participants who completed the mindfulness course showed reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression and demonstrated an enhanced self-esteem.
Mindfulness practices help to adjust the relationship one has with their panic and anxiety with acceptance, compassion and awareness.
This methodology has been shown to be significantly more effective in the long term. It has been scientifically proven to enhance quality of life and allow the practitioner to develop a disassociation with panic and anxiety, meaning they no longer need these states to define who they are or how they live their lives.
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Depression Risk In Diabetic Patients
A recent epidemiological study of 90686 participants found that depression was more prevalent in people with diabetes, regardless of the fact that they had diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes. The same study showed that anxiety was more prevalent only in participants who were aware of their diabetes . One possible explanation might be that the psychological burden of being ill may play an important role on triggering anxiety and depression. However, the fact that in patients with previously undiagnosed diabetes, depression had a higher prevalence and could be due to an unfavourable lifestyle, such as physical inactivity, unhealthy diet or a stressful lifestyle.
Severe hypoglycaemia in patients with DM2 and without anti-depressive treatment was positively associated with the severity of depressive symptoms, independent of glycemic control, insulin therapy, lifestyle factors and diabetic complications . A meta-analysis estimating the association between depression and neuropathy in patients with DM2 could not clarify if the relationship is bidirectional or not .
Hypothetically, depression could be increased by anti-diabetic treatment . A strong association between depression in patients in their forties with orally treated diabetes was found, compared to patients in their seventies . On the contrary, insulin therapy in elderly people with DM2 led to the improvement of depressive symptoms and did not affect the health-related quality of life of these patients .
How To Lessen Depression
If interactions with health providers aren’t enough to improve depression, what to do? That decision must be individualized, as Dr. Schmitt says.
“Not all patients respond to antidepressant medication,” he says. He adds that ”cognitive behavioral therapies addressing both depressive cognition and behavior change regarding diabetes” are most likely to help the diabetes control.
Learn more about depression at psycom.net.
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Warning Signs Of Low Blood Sugar
Hypoglycemia can cause both short- and long-term complications. Know the signs so that you can treat the condition as soon as you’re aware of it.
As a person living with diabetes, you know how important it is to reduce blood sugar when it is too high, a phenomenon called hyperglycemia. But blood sugar that is too low, or hypoglycemia, is equally critical to avoid.
“Hypoglycemia happens when the amount of blood glucose drops to a level that’s too low to sustain normal functioning,” says Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDCES, who is based in Sparta, New Jersey. “In most people, this is defined as a blood sugar level at or below 70 milligrams per deciliter .”
Hypoglycemia is common among people with type 2 diabetes, according to a review published in June 2015 in the journal PLoS One. Individuals with the condition had an average of 19 mild or moderate episodes of hypoglycemia per year and nearly one severe episode per year on average, according to the researchers. Low blood sugar was particularly common among those taking insulin.
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This decrease in blood sugar levels can cause both short-term complications, like confusion and dizziness, as well as more serious issues, including seizures, coma, and, rarely, death, according to the American Diabetes Association .
Hypoglycemia is usually the result of a too-high dose of insulin or a change in diet or exercise habits, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
Avoid Drinking Too Much Coffee
Coffee is great.
I love it!
Maybe a bit too much
However, individuals with poor liver and/or adrenal function tend to get a stress response from drinking coffee.
Coffee/caffeine stimulates the metabolism and demands a lot of energy and resources it can quickly lower your blood sugar if you havent eaten enough, or if your liver isnt working at a 100% capacity and you cant mobilize energy.
If your blood sugar is wonky or you have a tendency to get hypoglycemic, reduce coffee to maybe 1 cup per day and/or make sure to put some milk and sugar in your coffee.
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How To Cope With Anxiety
When it comes to coping with anxiety, its important to find effective ways to deal with stress. For some, a regular meditation practice helps with stress management.
According to the Mayo Clinic, finding ways to better manage your time, practicing good sleep , eating balanced meals, and exercising are other ways to find relief, too. You want to calm the body down so it can better deal with stress day to day, Bereolos says.
Also, a diabetes or anxiety support group can help you cope with anxiety, especially if you think youre the only one experiencing it. It can help to rationalize your thinking, which in essence helps to treat the anxiety and depression going on, Bereolos says.
What The Research Says
Although more research is needed to fully understand the link between diabetes and depression, its clear that theres a connection.
Its thought that alterations in brain chemistry tied to diabetes may be related to the development of depression. For example, damage resulting from diabetic neuropathy or blocked blood vessels in the brain may contribute to the development of depression in people with diabetes.
Conversely, changes in the brain due to depression may cause an increased risk for complications. have shown that people with depression are at higher risk for diabetes complications, but is has been difficult to determine which causes which. It hasnt been determined if depression increases the risk for complications, or vice versa.
Symptoms of depression can make it more difficult to successfully manage diabetes and prevent diabetes-related complications.
- feeling sadness in the morning
- feeling that you never do anything right
- having suicidal thoughts
- harming yourself
Poor diabetes management can also prompt symptoms similar to those of depression. For example, if your blood sugar is too high or too low, you may experience increased feelings of anxiety, restlessness, or low energy. Low blood sugar levels can also cause you to feel shaky and sweaty, which are symptoms similar to anxiety.
Its possible that the demands of managing a chronic disease such as type 2 diabetes lead to depression. This may ultimately result in difficulty managing the disease.
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