Chronic Stress And Hypertension - How Is It Connected?
Medically Reviewed By
Dr. Ragiinii Sharma
Written By Meenakshi
on Feb 24, 2023
Last Edit Made By Meenakshi
on Mar 1, 2024
Be Aware; Stress Is The Silent Killer!
Stress is the silent enemy that stays within us and degrades our health and quality of life like a small poison. In today’s rat race for success, it is obvious to have a little stress, but if it is overpowering your thoughts and taking over your life, it could be dangerous to your health. Being always stressed is a sign that your body & mind is asking you to slow down, or its consequences on your health would not be good. You cannot control stress, but manage it to ensure it doesn’t influence your health.
Being stressed out is the new normal of this new generation, but not healthy. It adds to several health problems and puts us at risk of developing problems like hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc.
Is Stress And High Blood Pressure Interconnected?
Yes! You read that right. Chronic Stress & Hypertension, also called High Blood Pressure, are the enemy of your health that you surely don’t need. Stress doesn’t just influence your blood pressure range but also worsens your already increased blood pressure. But how? Not sure? Well, no worries, you are in luck, as we’ve got answers to your queries in this blog. So, let’s skip all the stress and scroll to the detailed information below.
Impact Of Stress On Your Health:
- Headache: Stress is the primary element that triggers headaches. It puts stress or strains on the muscles, causing stress and making the already stressful situation more destructive.
- Weaken The Immune System: Occasional stress is still fine, but prolonged stress is not. It can contribute to differential immune response and compromise immune health in the long run. Poor immune health can make you prone to sicknesses like a common cold, cough, fever, infections, and more.
- Disturb Sleep Patterns: Yes! Stress can impair your sleeping patterns, and insufficient sleep can further trigger and elevate stress. And the cycle goes on, which does no good to your health.
- Digestive Disorders: Stress can slow your digestive system and cause digestive-related problems. Besides causing the disease, it can worsen underlying stomach ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, and other related illnesses.
- Chronic Fatigue: Prolonged stress can also disrupt energy levels that make you feel worn-out or emotionally drained, which affects your overall health and life.
Stress is not good; we must fight it to avoid long-term health problems. Besides affecting your physical health, it can also affect your eating habits and increases nervous habits, like nail biting & picking at your skin, and more.
How Does Stress Influence Your Blood Pressure?
There is no proven theory to justify that stress directly impacts blood pressure, but your body’s reaction can influence the range and cause a problem in the long run. When your body is under extreme stress, it releases a surge of hormones that narrows the blood vessels and makes your heart beat at a higher rate than usual, raising blood pressure. Balancing it is paramount to maintain your health. Find the answer below.
Impact Of Hypertension On Your Health:
- Impaired Arteries: High blood pressure or hypertension can damage the artery cells, narrow them down, and increase the blood pressure flow.
- Cause Heart Problems: The higher the blood pressure, the more you are at risk of cardiovascular disease. If left unaddressed, it can even lead to heart failure.
- Affect Brain Health: Not just your heart, hypertension can put your nervous system or brain health in danger too. The higher levels increase your risk of stroke, dementia, transient ischemic attack, and more such problems.
- Influence Kidney Health: Hypertension is not healthy for your kidneys too. If left untreated, it can lead to kidney scarring and kidney failure.
Your Reaction To Stress Decides Hypertension Risks:
Your body’s unhealthy reactions like binge eating, smoking, drinking, and other such behaviors raise the risk of high blood pressure or hypertension. That is why addressing it ideally with better preventive measures is essential.
It is true that stress cannot be avoided but can be controlled and managed well with healthy habits. Not sure what can help. We’ve got you.
Healthy Habits To Manage Stress And High Blood Pressure:
- Rearrange Your Schedule: Even if you have so much on your plate, stress not. Stress cannot reduce your workload but can add to your health problems. Try to balance and manage things better in an organized way to decrease your stress levels.
- Take Short Breaks: Taking time to breathe and relax every while is not a crime but crucial to keep your stress levels in check. It gives you enough space and time to calm your mind and help you work more productively without hurting your health.
- Get Enough Sleep: Your body needs proper sleep to rejuvenate. Compromising your sleep can trigger stress and compromise your overall health. Therefore, getting a good night's sleep is vital for better health.
- Make Exercise A Habit: Being physically active or adding exercise to your routine can do wonders for your health. It eases stress, maintains blood pressure levels, and fills your body and mind with happy hormones.
- Switch To Healthy Eating: Eating healthier is the key to a healthy and happy life, and it helps cope the stress and enhances overall health.
- Don’t Miss Routine Health Screening: Lastly, embrace routine health screening as a habit. Getting yourself tested regularly is essential to track your health and indulge in a healthy approach to improve it.
No matter how small the effort is, if relevant, it can never be irrelevant to your health. Heading to a healthier approach is essential to cope with stress and reduce the risk of high blood pressure.
Balance Your Stress And Blood Pressure With Routine Monitoring
Routine health screening is undeniably a game-changer that can benefit your health. It can help:
- Diagnose The Problem Early: Getting your diagnosis in time can help you identify the risk and confirm the root cause of the symptoms.
- Make The Problem Manageable: Routine screening or getting screened in time can help you control the condition, reduce the damage and manage the symptoms more effectively.
- Help You Monitor Changes: Diagnosis tests also help you track the levels better and take preventive measures before things go out of your hands.
- Support Clinical Decisions: Getting tested gives your healthcare professional an idea of your health status and helps them prescribe medical treatment with other preventive measures to manage them better.
Redcliffe Labs – Your Partner In Diagnosis
If your doctor observes changes in your blood pressure levels lately, they will suggest a group of blood tests to determine your condition and provide treatment accordingly. Redcliffe Labs is the best and fastest-growing diagnostic centre to be your destination for a Hypertension (BP) & Stress Care Package. We provide a Blood Pressure Test or Hypertension Screening at home to help you track your health and stay ahead of complications.
Don’t wait for a disease to be devastating. Take charge of it today! Nothing is more treasurable than good health. Hence, embrace calmness, not stress, and book a test now.