Stress and Heart Health: Adapting New Lifestyle

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Stress and Heart Health

Stress and Heart Health has become a common part of an individual’s life in today’s fast-paced and competitive world. However, did you know that stress can have a negative impact on your heart health, as well as overall general health.

Stress is defined as the body’s response to a physical or mental trigger that one perceives as either threatening or challenging. In simple words, stress refers to any change that a person needs to adapt to.

Chronic or long-term stress has been shown to affect various components of health, including the cardiovascular system. Stress can lead to increased blood pressure and may increase the risk of developing heart disease.

In this article, we will be discussing in detail how stress can affect heart health.

• What are the different types of stress?
• How does stress affect the body?
• Can stress affect the heart?
• How does stress cause heart problems?
• What are the risk factors for stress-associated heart problems?
• What are the symptoms indicating that stress is affecting heart health?
• How to manage stress to protect heart health?

What are the different types of stress?

Stress can be of two types, which include the following:

Acute stress

It is a short-lived type of stress that usually occurs due to a single, isolated event. It can occur due to stress response, which is a way the body prepares an individual for a suspected threat.

Chronic stress

Chronic stress can persist over several weeks, months, or even years. 

How does stress affect the body?

Stress, and heart health, response is a type of adaptation that prepares the body to deal with a threat or challenge. It begins in the brain once an individual has perceived something to be scary or stressful.

There are two main components to a stress response:

• Cortisol: When an individual encounters a stressful situation, the brain increases the production of cortisol hormone, also called the stress hormone. One of the primary functions of cortisol is to increase the energy levels of an individual to help him or her deal with a stressful event. This is done by helping the sugars stored in the liver to move into the bloodstream, where these sugars are then used as sources of energy.
• Epinephrine and norepinephrine: Another portion of the brain signals an increase in the production of epinephrine and norepinephrine hormones. This type of stress response is known as the fight or flight response. These hormones prepare the body to deal with a stressful event by:

• Increasing the blood pressure and heart rate
• Increasing the breathing rate
• Increasing the flow of blood to the muscles
• Reducing digestion
• Boosting the energy supplies

Can stress affect the heart?

Yes, stress and heart health are directly related and can affect the heart and the cardiovascular system. Depending on the type of stress, the following changes can occur in the body, which could eventually lead to heart problems:

Acute stress

During this type of stress response, the following changes take place in the body:

• Increase in blood pressure
• Faster heartbeat
• Fast and shallow breathing

The above changes are usually temporary and once the stressful incident or event ends, the heart generally starts functioning as usual. ( Know more about- What is Heart Attack? )

Chronic stress

Stress that has been around for a long time can disturb the functioning of the heart in the following ways:

• Increase in blood pressure
• Increased inflammation
• Reduced blood flow to the heart 
• Irregular heart rhythm and rate

How does stress cause heart problems?

Researchers are still searching for answers on how stress and heart health are related, and exactly how that affects heart health. A research paper suggests a connection between cardiovascular disease to some activity in a brain area known as the amygdala. The amygdala is known to be involved in processing feelings such as fear and stress, as well as initiation of stress response.

Researchers found a higher activity in the amygdala associated with increased white blood cell production in the bone marrow, which resulted in the inflammation of the arteries. An increased bone marrow activity and artery inflammation are also associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular conditions like heart attack, chest pain (angina), and stroke.

To summarize, the researchers concluded that high stress may be associated with an increased risk of developing the following heart conditions:

• Cardiovascular diseases
• Coronary heart disease
• Stroke
• Death

What are the risk factors for stress-associated heart problems?

High levels of stress and heart health, as discussed above can lead to the following things, which in turn increases the risk of developing heart problems:

• Increased blood pressure
• Diabetes ( Know more about- What is Diabetes ? )
• Reduced physical activity
• Smoking
• Alcohol consumption
• Eating disorders or overeating due to stress
• Not taking prescribed medications properly

What are the symptoms indicating that stress is affecting heart health?

Although there is no absolute method to determine if stress and heart health are directly related, if you are suffering from chronic stress and notice the following symptoms, it could indicate cardiovascular problems:

• Persistent high blood pressure
• Irregular heartbeat
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Swelling in the limbs

How to manage stress to protect heart health?

It is normal to experience occasional stress in life, but when stress becomes severe or chronic, it can start affecting heart health and general health negatively. Try to reduce stress triggers by implementing the following things in life:

• Focus on important tasks on hand

• Do not hesitate to ask for help when you feel overwhelmed by a task or job

• Learn to delegate tasks to others

• Learn to say no to things that you do not wish to do

Relaxation techniques can help in managing unavoidable stress. These techniques help in bringing the heart rate and breathing down, as well as returning the body to a relaxed state. Some ways of using these techniques are:

• Doing yoga
• Performing breathing exercises
• Meditation
• Muscle relaxation techniques
• Massage
• Aromatherapy
• Tai chi or qigong

Another important way of stress management is by making the following lifestyle choices:

• Keep in touch with close friends and family
• Exercise regularly 
• Get adequate sleep
• Eat a healthy diet
• Avoid smoking and alcohol consumption
• Avoid stimulants like caffeine
• Take time out to do some fun group activities or your favorite hobbies

If you think that you are suffering from a stressful event or situation, it is recommended to consult a mental health specialist, online therapist, or support group to help you cope with the condition better and prevent any damage to your heart health. ( Know more about- Cost of heart bypass surgery in Mumbai )

We hope that we were able to answer all your questions regarding stress and heart health through this article.

If you want more information about the relationship between stress, heart health, you can contact a good Cardiologist.

We only aim to give you information through the article and do not recommend any medication or treatment in any way. Only a qualified doctor can give you the best advice.