How long after getting angry can you check your blood sugar?
Disease description:
I had an argument with my family today and got upset. I was wondering how long I should wait before checking my blood sugar for an accurate result? Do I need to wait for a few days?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Liu Feng
To obtain a more accurate blood glucose reading, it is recommended to wait at least half an hour to an hour after emotional excitement has subsided before performing a blood glucose test.
When angry or experiencing other intense emotions, the body releases stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which can elevate blood glucose levels to provide extra energy to cope with stress. Therefore, measuring blood glucose immediately after anger may yield a higher reading that does not necessarily reflect the baseline blood glucose level.
Fasting blood glucose tests typically require no food intake for 12 hours and are performed in the morning before drinking or eating. Therefore, if you have experienced anger but meet the above fasting conditions, a fasting blood glucose test can still be conducted. Emotional excitement may affect blood glucose levels, but this impact is usually transient and has a relatively smaller effect on fasting blood glucose.
If you are concerned that emotional excitement might affect your blood glucose, it is recommended to perform the blood glucose test after your emotions have stabilized and to closely monitor any changes in blood glucose levels.
