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Stress can make blood pressure go up for a while, and it has been
thought to contribute to high blood pressure. But the long-term effects
of stress are as yet unclear. Stress management techniques do not seem
to prevent high blood pressure. However, such techniques may have other
benefits, such as making you feel better or helping you to control
over-eating thus helping in decreasing your blood pressure.
Remember Your blood pressure increases remarkably when you are under
physical or emotional stress. If you constantly feel "stressed out,"
your body may maintain an abnormally high level of responsiveness,
creating an artificially induced state of high blood pressure.
Exercise can also cause stress, but Unlike exercise, which provides
your body with well-controlled physical stress for a limited amount of
time, chronic stress does not benefit your circulatory system. Rather,
it increases your risk of illness. However, stress is very much a part
of modern life, and it can be hard to control the amount of stress in
your life without changing your daily habits significantly.
what are the ways to control your stress? Many persons do follow these
habits to relieve from stress—eating, drinking alcohol, and
smoking—contribute to the development of high blood pressure. You may
wish to use exercise to manage your stress. Failing that, you may need
to seek counseling to help you change how you think about certain
things that cause you to be stressed, or to learn relaxation
techniques. Relaxation techniques, including progressive muscle
relaxation and transcendental meditation may help reduce mild high
blood pressure.
How your heart is affected by stress? Stress has noticeable effects on
the cardiovascular system. Who hasn't felt their heart beat faster
because of stress or anxiety? Chronic stress can result in high blood
pressure, atherosclerosis, strokes, heart attacks, and other
cardiovascular system disorders.
Keep in mind that Stress is a leading cause of high blood pressure.
Even a small stress response causes blood vessels to constrict.
Research is unlocking a complex relationship between stress, high blood
pressure and the cardiovascular system. Some studies has proved this
fact that stress is deeply related with high blood pressure.
Recent studies have brought to light how stress and high blood pressure
influence the chance of a stroke and transient ischemic attacks. A
study in the June 2003 edition of Stroke draws a connection between the
severity of stress-induced blood pressure changes and the risk of
strokes. Danish study supports this finding: the study discovered that
middle-aged men who reported high levels of stress were twice as likely
to suffer a fatal stroke compared to men who reported low stress
levels. As little as one incident of stress a week doubled the chance
of a stroke.
Atherosclerosis occurs when fat, cholesterol, and plaque deposits build
up and clog the cardiovascular system's blood vessels. Arteries become
thick with this process. If atherosclerosis affects blood vessels
leading to the heart, the disease is referred to as coronary artery
disease. High blood pressure , cholesterol, smoking and diabetes are
important risk factors for High blood pressure. Stress may also be a
contributing factor. An Ohio State University study discovered that
stress slows the body's metabolism of triglycerides, a type of fat
linked to cardiovascular system disorders, including heart attacks. By
slowing the metabolism of triglycerides, stress allows the fat to
remain in the blood longer, a factor that may speed up atherosclerosis
development.
Relaxation techniques can help minimize the effect stress has on the
cardiovascular system. Research has noted that breathing exercises and
meditation help control high blood pressure, and may even have a
preventative effect. Development of atherosclerosis can also be delayed
by relaxation techniques. Regular meditation, breathing exercises and
other techniques can help to lower the level of oxidative chemicals in
the blood, which in turn lowers the risk of atherosclerosis and thus
maintaining your blood pressure with in normal limits.
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