For women with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, how do insulin needs change during stress or illness?
[back to diabetes and pregnancy questions] Insulin and Stress or Illness: Stress comes in three forms: emotional, physical, and hormonal. Physical stress can be caused by trauma or illnesses that cause inflammation or infection. Hormonal stress occurs during childhood growth and development, puberty, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause. The body reacts the same way to all three types of stress: it produces stress hormones. During times of stress, your insulin requirements rise in direct proportion to the amount of stress you experience: • Mild stress usually raises insulin requirements about 10-15 % • Moderate stress raises insulin requirements about 20 to 30%. • Severe stress can increase your insulin requirements by as much as 100% over your usual dose. During a stressful time, the only way to tell if your insulin doses are appropriate is to monitor your blood glucose often. Your doctor will tell you what adjustments to make to your insulin regimen.
Stress comes in three forms: emotional, physical, and hormonal. Physical stress can be caused by trauma or illnesses that cause inflammation or infection. Hormonal stress occurs during childhood growth and development, puberty, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause. The body reacts the same way to all three types of stress: it produces stress hormones.
