How Stress Impacts Heart Health
Whenever you find a list of ways to manage risk factors for heart health, many suggestions seem like common sense. Eating healthy and exercising keep your body in the best physical shape, which is an important step to reduce health problems. But what about reducing stress? Stress reduction is brought up time and again as one of the best ways to reduce risk for heart disorders or to manage an existing condition. But how exactly does stress impact heart health?
Stress elevates blood pressure
Your body produces a hormone called adrenaline to help cope with stress. This hormone gets your body ready for reacting to stressful situations and prepares you for “fight or flight.” While helpful and necessary in a short-term stressful situation, constant adrenaline exposure can have negative effects. It raises blood pressure as a part of the response, and sustained high blood pressure puts you at greater risk for heart disease.
Stress causes other bodily changes
Studies have linked stress to other changes in the body, such as increased coagulation (clotting of the blood) and an increase in blood sugar as a response to the release of stress hormones. Both changes can impact heart health. Blood clots increase the risk for heart attacks and stroke, and sustained high blood sugar increases likelihood of diabetes, which is a risk factor for heart conditions.
Stress leads to poor sleep quality
We’ve all been there. We can’t sleep when we’re stressed. Hours of lying awake in bed and the sleepy days that follow aren’t fun, but they can also be dangerous for heart health. Sleep is the body’s time to restore itself. With poor sleep, you are at risk for more heart conditions.
Stress increases other unhealthy habits
High stress levels cause us to reach for coping mechanisms, many of which are unhealthy. We don’t have time to eat a balanced meal and rely on fast food frequently instead. We get busy, and exercise becomes less of a priority in the schedule. Some people reach for cigarettes or alcohol to relieve stress. Unfortunately, these coping mechanisms are problematic for your heart and increase the risk of many heart conditions.
Stress impacts heart health because of how it affects so many aspects of our overall health. From bad sleep to bad habits, stress hurts. Putting stress management techniques into place can reduce stress and its harmful effects on the body. Even in periods of lower stress, practicing stress management techniques can help ensure those habits continue as stress increases. When life cranks up the stress, falling back on meditation, daily walks, and breathing techniques will be easier if a consistent habit is in place already. If life is stressful and overwhelming right now, start small. Let go of responsibilities where possible, ask for help when needed, and take a moment for breathing and reflection. Even small changes can result in stress relief, and that’s good news for your heart.