Jakarta (ANTARA) – Stress is always associated with other health problems, even this health disorder is said to shorten life. Can it happen?
Research has shown that increased psychological stress is associated with cardiovascular health problems, including high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.
Also read: Hoax! Soaking hands in ice water can detect heart problems
Psychological stress may be just as harmful to heart health. Heart attack itself is influenced by several factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol and lack of physical activity.
How does stress affect the body?
Quoted from Healthline on Monday, stress is not always a negative thing. In fact, it can be useful. Short-term stress can give you the energy to complete a project or meet a deadline.
This can encourage you to be better at public speaking. Stress can also help make split-second decisions, such as in life-threatening situations.
You may even feel stressed during happy times, such as a new marriage, a new home, or meeting new people.
But too much stress and stress when you’re not in a threatening situation can be harmful to your overall well-being and heart health.
Long-term (chronic) stress may be the result of persistent worries about work, relationships, health conditions, or the state of the economy. It may appear by itself characterized by irritability, depression, anxiety, frequent pensiveness and sadness for no reason.
No two stressors are the same, and no two people have the same experiences with them. Chronic stress can cause symptoms such as muscle tension, fatigue, insomnia, headaches and stomach aches.
Chronic stress can also make you feel out of control of your emotions or actions. In fact, a person may experience more frequent mood swings.
Stress also triggers the fear center in the brain. It tells your body that you are in mode fight-or-flight, even in everyday situations such as working or driving a car. This sends a flood of cortisol, the stress hormone, into your body to “respond” to stress.
Over time, increased levels of stress hormones can lead to a series of unwanted effects, such as high blood pressure, increased inflammation, reduced blood flow to the heart, a higher risk of heart attack and stroke.
Also read: Diet recommendations reduce the risk of heart disease
Also read: Prevent heart disease early by reducing risk factors
Also read: Recognize the symptoms and how to prevent heart disease
Can stress increase the risk of a heart attack?
Stress can affect many parts of the body, especially the heart and cardiovascular system.
A 2021 analysis examined more than 900 patients with heart disease but in stable condition. The researchers wanted to see how people’s hearts and blood flow to their hearts responded to physical and emotional stress.
Also read: Digital solutions for cardiovascular disease
Reduced blood flow to the heart can trigger heart attacks and other cardiovascular events. Study participants had standardized physical and mental stress tests and the impact of those tests on blood flow to their heart was measured.
The analysis found that mental stress significantly affected the participants’ hearts during the first and second tests. Participants who experienced mental distress were also more likely to have a nonfatal heart attack or die of cardiovascular disease in the years following the test.
In other words, stress has a significant impact on heart health and also increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes in the years to come.
This analysis confirms previous studies of more than 24,000 patients in 52 countries. The study found that people who experienced high levels of psychological stress in the year before the study were twice as likely to have a heart attack in the 5-year period following the study.
Also read: PERKI: Keep your heart healthy by using digital technology
The brain affects the heart
Within the brain is the amygdala which responds to stress, also known as the brain’s “fear center”.
Research shows that when you feel stressed or anxious, the amygdala activates, and sends many stress hormones into the body to activate the response fight-or-flight. It also reduces blood flow to the heart, which deprives your heart of much-needed oxygen and nutrients.
In life-threatening situations, this is necessary. This will prepare you to fight or flee. But on a normal workday when your boss or coworker is pissing you off, this natural response isn’t all that helpful.
Over time, constant high levels of this hormone can raise blood pressure. It can also lead to inflammation in the arteries, increased body fat as well as greater insulin resistance.
All of these effects can increase plaque buildup and arterial disease, increasing the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Research in 2020 shows that the risk posed by stress is similar to the risk posed by risk factors for heart attack such as being overweight or obese, poor diet, lack of exercise.
Doctors usually recommend maintaining an ideal body weight and consuming healthy foods. But recent research also mentions that patients maintain stress levels and reduce them.
Also read: Health and digital technology innovation to maintain heart health
Also read: Be alert, cavities affect heart health
Also read: Fasilkom UI students develop a heart health check application
Manage stress healthily
Chronic psychological stress is linked to a greater risk of heart attack and stroke. But positive mental health can help lower the risk of these occurrences.
Also read: Learn the right way of cycling for heart health through a pocket book
Managing stress is not the same solution for everyone. It may take weeks or months to figure out what types of stress management techniques will best help you deal with stress and reverse the physical effects chronic stress can have on the body.
The following are some steps you can take to manage stress in a healthy way.
Regular exercise helps lower blood pressure, regulate weight, and combat many of the cardiovascular risks associated with a heart attack, including psychological stress. You don’t have to do a lot of exercise to reap the rewards. Start by walking for 15 to 20 minutes per day, and work your way up to a pace and duration that is comfortable for you.
Sleep and stress are interconnected. Often people who experience chronic stress have health problems. It can also exacerbate stress and its symptoms, such as irritability and mood swings.
Start by making a comfortable room for sleeping. Try to avoid disturbing your sleep cycle, such as exercising late at night or eating too close to bedtime. Aim to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep, and take short naps if necessary, but not too late.
Make time to meet up with friends or go out to dinner with the family. These friendships and relationships can help improve heart health and also reduce stress levels.
Meditation, controlled breathing exercises, and light forms of exercise such as yoga and tai chi all work to activate the body’s parasympathetic nervous system. This part of the body helps calm the brain and reduce the effects of stress.
A new hobby or pastime won’t end chronic stress, but it can help distract you from negative thoughts and relieve worries.
When you don’t focus on these issues, your brain and body get a chance to relax. Over time, these disorders may consume more of your brain capacity than stress.
Reducing stress is not the only measure to improve heart health and reduce the risk of heart attack. You can take other actions to improve your heart health and overall well-being.
Some things that can be done to improve heart health include exercise to taking medication.
Exercise can reduce cortisol levels. It also releases endorphins or stress-fighting hormones, improves heart health, and improves circulation throughout the body. Remember, stress reduces blood flow to the heart.
A healthy sleep routine is important for reducing stress levels and combating the effects of stress, but naps can play a direct role in improving heart health. During a nap, cortisol levels drop, which removes some of the stress you’re experiencing.
A balanced diet consisting of fruits and vegetables, lean protein (such as fish, chicken, beans, and legumes), and whole grains. These nutrient-rich foods can increase cholesterol levels and help you regulate your weight and blood sugar levels.
Diseases like COVID-19 put people with heart disease or heart health problems at greater risk of complications and death. Getting vaccinated helps reduce your risk of infection, and if you test positive, the vaccine can help lower your risk of serious complications.
If you’re still experiencing too much stress, talk to your doctor. Certain prescription medications can help reduce the impact anxiety has on the body, including your heart. Some medications can also reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, including a heart attack.
Also read: Benefits of raw mango, maintain heart health to prevent nausea
Also read: Expert: Heart patients take care of their health during the pandemic
Also read: The special train may belong to the North Korean leader monitored via satellite
By Maria Cicilia
Editor: Ida Nurcahyani
COPYRIGHT © ANTARA 2022
–
