Mood swings in diabetics can be caused by physical factors such as blood sugar levels and hormones, as well as mental and emotional factors such as depression, anxiety, and stress. Gender can also play a role in the causes of diabetic mood swings. Professional help may be needed to manage mood swings and the stress that causes them.
Typically, two main factors lead to a connection between mood swings and diabetes. These are physical factors such as blood sugar levels and hormones, and mental and emotional factors such as depression, anxiety and stress. Sometimes, gender also plays a role in the causes of diabetic mood swings, causing women to experience diabetic mood swings for different reasons than men and vice versa.
Perhaps one of the most common physical causes of mood swings in people with diabetes is fluctuations in blood sugar levels. If a diabetic’s blood sugar, or blood sugar, gets extremely high or extremely low, they may experience mood swings. Diabetes can also cause hormonal fluctuations, although the details of this factor are usually gender-specific.
For example, some women experience runaway blood sugar levels the week before their periods, which leads to mood swings beyond any normal or expected period-related mood swings. Similarly, a woman going through menopause may have trouble managing her blood sugar. These blood sugar levels that are too high or too low can also cause mood swings that can be traced back to diabetes.
Traditionally, the main physical connection between mood swings and diabetes for men, other than the peaks and valleys in blood sugar levels, was impotence. Some studies have shown that up to 75% of men with diabetes suffer or will suffer from impotence or erectile dysfunction (ED). Problems related to diabetes such as high blood pressure and lack of nitric oxide can lead to erectile dysfunction, and erectile dysfunction can lead to mood swings.
However, experts have discovered another cause of the relationship between mood swings and diabetes among men. Andropause, which is a kind of male menopause, involves a decrease in testosterone levels and an increase in estrogen levels. These rising and falling hormone levels, coupled with the kinds of unreliable blood sugar levels they can cause, can lead to mood swings among men with diabetes.
Physical factors aside, many reasons for the connection between mood swings and diabetes involve mental and emotional health. Diabetics often feel depressed about their condition or anxious about the responsibility of monitoring blood sugar levels and administering insulin. Some diabetics may feel frustrated with their dietary changes, confused about all the medical instructions they receive, or angry at themselves or their bodies for developing diabetes. Any of these factors can lead to mood swings. Depending on the diabetic’s ability to cope with new lifestyle demands, he may need professional help to manage his mood swings and the mental and emotional stress that causes them.
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