Scottsdale, Arizona - Unexplained elevations in your blood glucose values can be perplexing.

Most of you understand that increased carbohydrate intake or decreased physical activity raises your blood glucose, but what if you're seeing glucose elevations despite maintaining a relatively consistent diet and exercise schedule?

Hormonal fluctuations brought on by illness, injury, surgery, emotional stress, puberty, menses and menopause can also affect blood glucose.

Physical or emotional stress triggers the release of hormones called catecholamines, which often cause hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). Even if you don't have diabetes, you can develop hyperglycemia during severe illness. If you already have diabetes, you may need more insulin or other diabetes medications during illness or stress.

For children, insulin requirements increase with growth, particularly during puberty. This can, in part, be attributed to growth hormone as well as the sex hormones, estrogen and testosterone.

For girls and women, menstruation and menopause present unique challenges to blood glucose control. Estrogen and progesterone can induce temporary resistance to insulin, which can last up to a few days and then drop off.

Many women report having higher blood glucose levels a few days before beginning their period. Once menstruation begins, some women continue to have hyperglycemia while others experience a sharp drop in glucose levels. During menopause, women often notice their blood glucose levels are more variable or less predictable than before.

Significant hyperglycemia can lead to emergency complications such as diabetic ketoacidosis or diabetic hyperosmolar syndrome. Persistent hyperglycemia puts you at increased risk for long-term complications such as cardiovascular disease, blindness or kidney failure.

No matter the state of your hormones, frequent testing and recording of your blood glucose values will expose patterns and make it easier for you and your health care team to control your diabetes.

Be proactive and ask your provider to help you establish a "sick day plan" so you know how to respond in the event of illness or injury. If you experience persistent hyperglycemia, don't hesitate to ask your diabetes provider to help adjust your diabetes treatment program.