Can stress or illness affect my blood sugar and lead to a misdiagnosis?

Yes, severe physical stress (like an infection, surgery, or major illness) or extreme emotional stress can cause your body to release stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones temporarily raise blood sugar levels to give your body the energy to fight the illness or handle the stress. Because of this, doctors typically wait until you have recovered from an acute illness before running diagnostic tests for diabetes to ensure the results accurately reflect your true baseline levels.