Stress is a reality of life and, in itself, is not a bad thing. In fact, it is the body’s natural response to high-stakes situations, designed as a survival mechanism. When a person faces a stressful situation, the body responds by releasing hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, to prepare for a fight or flight response. Adrenaline increases the body’s energy, raising the heart rate as well as blood pressure. Cortisol sends a rush of glucose into the bloodstream, while also narrowing the arteries. What’s more, more glucose is released by norepinephrine, which also raises the heart rate and increases blood flow to the muscles. In acute situations, this is all helpful for survival. In our modern lives, when stress becomes chronic and these responses are ongoing, they can be hazardous to cardiovascular health. Understanding how stress impacts the heart is important, because the signs are not always obvious until stress has caused severe damage.
When people live under constant pressure, the impact of stress on the heart can be serious. Chronic stress can contribute to high blood pressure, increased heart rate, and inflammation, and each of these conditions can raise the risk of heart disease. What’s more, when people feel stressed, they often practice unhealthy coping strategies like smoking, overeating, or drinking too much alcohol, and these can further increase cardiovascular risk factors. Of course, people are unique, and everyone responds to stress differently. Often, we don’t understand how stress is affecting us, or how chronic tension is harming our bodies. For instance, people who eat too much due to stress may gain weight, increasing their blood pressure and risk of diabetes. Similarly, lack of sleep due to worry can increase cortisol levels, which can increase blood sugar and body weight. All of these factors can compromise heart health. Unfortunately, while we might stop smoking or limit our alcohol consumption to improve our health, it might not occur to us that our chronic stress is playing a similarly negative role. Some conditions, like high blood pressure, can present no symptoms, yet have a lasting impact on health. On the other hand, some patients experience symptoms like chest pain and palpitations that have no discernable medical cause, but are a reaction to stress.
What can be done to keep stress from damaging your heart? While it’s impossible to eliminate stress from your life, there are certainly steps that can be taken to manage stress.
Whether you are worried about the impact of stress on the heart, or you are concerned about your cardiovascular health in general, it is important to have routine heart monitoring by a practice you can trust. When you are looking for expert care in treating cardiovascular conditions, the top cardiologist at Twin Lakes Heart Center is here for you. Since 1993, we have been providing cardiovascular care for the community in Boca Raton, offering unparalleled care through a preventative, patient-centered approach. We are committed to building life-long relationships with our patients, helping them achieve a heart-healthy lifestyle. By adopting leading-edge technologies and taking a comprehensive heart health approach to heart disease, we are able to provide enhanced outcomes for a wide range of cardiovascular conditions. For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact us through our website.
