Feb 12, 2019
Sugar "Blues”: How Blood Sugar Fluctuations Affect Our Emotions
Blood sugar changes affect a person’s feelings since its levels in the blood affects the body and brain. Moreover, emotions have an effect on the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar. This is why when you get or feel emotional, your cravings are heightened. It is very alarming for a person to have a consistent low or high blood sugar. You will need to consult a doctor on what to do about your situation and be analyzed to figure out what the source of the issue is.
Regulation of Blood Sugar
Very many factors affect the level of sugar in your blood. Every time you consume a meal, your blood sugar rises for about an hour or two afterwards then it drops to a healthy level. This is for people who consume regulated and healthy amounts of carbohydrates on a daily basis. Thus, some of the common factors affecting the level of sugar in the blood include medication, physical activity, and food, among others.
The Link between Blood Sugar and Emotions
Blood sugar directly affects your emotions. If it is unusually low, this state is known as hypoglycemia and it leads to confusion and anxiety-related feelings. It makes the person behave abnormally and makes it extremely difficult to go about their normal routine. When the level of sugar in the blood is extremely high, this state is known as hyperglycemia and can make the person feel exhausted or fatigued. It can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes. When a person fails to treat their diabetes effectively, he or she may increase the risk of developing depression. If this situation goes on for a long period, the depression might become permanent.
Stress is also a key factor in the regulation of blood sugar. This applies to all forms of stress, which is physical and emotional. Stress is responsible for the release of two key hormones, namely epinephrine and cortisol. These two are responsible for raising the glucose levels in the blood. People who are living with diabetes have a tough time when it comes to regulating the level of sugar in their blood. Thus, when such a person goes through stress then it could lead to severely high levels of sugar in the blood. Monitoring your blood sugar in these situations is critical.
A person who suffers from either hyper or hypoglycemia should seek medical assistance and guidance when it comes to making their lifestyle change decisions. He or she should probably be thinking about maintaining a stress journal. This journal tracks their blood sugar levels and identifies the key stressors. This will help him or her combat the source without having to turn to medication at the first instance. This is advised for people who are living with diabetes since they are at higher risk of experiencing mood changes. This is because the brain requires glucose to perform tis functions. If the glucose is either extremely low or high then the brain functions are altered. The emotions are a physical sign and response to the body’s situation.