February is recognized as American Heart Health Awareness Month across the nation to raise awareness about heart health in communities. In hospitals and healthcare settings, health workers and staff members wear red while volunteers crochet or knit red hats for newborns to bring awareness that heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in America,is preventable. Today, we are bringing your attention to stress and how it is linked to heart health.
Stress is normal in today’s hectic lifestyle. But it affects many factors and behaviors that increase the risk of heart disease - including high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Many individuals choose alcohol and smoke to deal with every chronic stress, which leads to health conditions like damaged artery walls and an increase in blood pressure.
Headache, stomach, and back strain are common body’s responses to stress. Other ways include feeling low, insomnia, forgetfulness, and out of control anger. Generally, a chain of stressful events results in adrenaline release in the body, which speeds up the heart rate and breathing, resulting in rising blood pressure. These reactions help you prepare for a ‘fight or flight’ response in stressful situations.
When stress is constant, it harms you in many ways. High-levels of cortisol released by the body due to long-term stress increase blood cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, and triglycerides. Even minor stress for prolonged periods triggers heart problems, including poor blood flow to heart muscles. When the heart does not receive enough blood or oxygen, the risk of blood clots and stroke substantially increases.
Managing stress is the best way to improve overall wellbeing. Maintaining a positive attitude, a healthy diet, and a healthy weight are a few ways to deal with chronic stress. Apart from daily exercise, quitting smoking, drinking, and too much coffee is a smart decision. Learning stress management techniques is a brilliant way to manage stress. It is best to take care of your heart and health with a Stress ECG to monitor your heart's response to the stress.
