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Can blood sugar rise without eating?

Look out for these surprising triggers that can send your blood sugar soaring: Sunburn—the pain causes stress, and stress increases blood sugar levels. Artificial sweeteners—more research is needed, but some studies show they can raise blood sugar. Coffee—even without sweetener.

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When you first found out you had diabetes, you tested your blood sugar often. Doing so helped you understand how food, activity, stress, and illness could affect your blood sugar levels. By now, you’ve got it figured out for the most part. But then—bam! Something makes your blood sugar zoom up. You try to adjust it with food or activity or insulin, and it dips really low. You’re on a roller coaster no one with diabetes wants to ride.

Do you know all these blood sugar triggers?

Knowledge is power! Look out for these surprising triggers that can send your blood sugar soaring: Sunburn—the pain causes stress, and stress increases blood sugar levels. Artificial sweeteners—more research is needed, but some studies show they can raise blood sugar. Coffee—even without sweetener. Some people’s blood sugar is extra-sensitive to caffeine. Losing sleep—even just one night of too little sleep can make your body use insulin less well. Skipping breakfast—going without that morning meal can increase blood sugar after both lunch and dinner. Time of day—blood sugar can be harder to control the later it gets. Dawn phenomenon—people have a surge in hormones early in the morning whether they have diabetes or not. For people with diabetes, blood sugar can spike. Dehydration—less water in your body means your blood sugar is more concentrated. Nose spray—some have chemicals that trigger your liver to make more blood sugar. Gum disease—it’s both a complication of diabetes and a blood sugar spiker. Watch out for other triggers that can make your blood sugar fall. For example, extreme heat can cause blood vessels to dilate (widen). That makes insulin absorb more quickly and could lead to low blood sugar. If an activity or food is new, check your blood sugar before and after to see how you respond.

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Does what you eat the day before affect blood sugar test?

McKnight also mentioned the food or drinks you consume the day or night before a blood test does not impact your test results, unlike what you eat or drink the morning of your test. “It's recommended that you avoid coffee and other liquids during your fast,” McKnight said.

If you have ever visited a primary care provider, then you have likely been asked to fast before getting routine bloodwork. To learn more, we asked an expert about what you can and cannot do while fasting. “Some of those blood tests, in either screening for chronic conditions or in monitoring of your chronic conditions, may be affected by some of the nutrients that are in food or drink,” said Jason McKnight, MD, MS, family medicine physician at Texas A&M Health Family Care and clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Medicine. McKnight also mentioned the food or drinks you consume the day or night before a blood test does not impact your test results, unlike what you eat or drink the morning of your test. “It’s recommended that you avoid coffee and other liquids during your fast,” McKnight said. “You never know what kind of nutrient value or additives are in those liquids, so it’s best to just stick with sips of water, unless otherwise cleared by your physician or provider.” On a similar note, he says to avoid vitamins and snacks, but not to stop any prescribed medications, unless otherwise instructed by your provider. If you have any questions about whether you need to fast and for how long, ask your health care provider the day before your bloodwork.

For Vital Record, this is Mary Leigh Meyer.

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