Stress and High Blood Pressure

Hey everyone, I am writing to raise awareness about stress and high blood pressure.  You know this site is not a medical site, but I do care about each one of you and how the crazy-busy life you lead is affecting your health.

There seems to be lots of discussion regarding high blood pressure can be effected due to increased stress.  High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is not a condition that you can feel.  You can have elevated high blood pressure and feel fine.  High blood pressure has often been called the silent killer because there are no symptoms.  There is recent research that many emotions associated with stress—anxiety, anger, and depression—uniquely contribute to the onset and recovery from high blood pressure, angina, and other cardiovascular conditions.

At this site, we have articles which describe the physical effects of stress and how the body reacts.  At first, stress and high blood pressure work together well with an increase in hormones pumped into your body.   Stress increases blood pressure in the short term, but chronic long term stress may contribute to permanently raise your blood pressure.   If you have a family history of high blood pressure and/or cardio-vascular disease, please have regular checkups with your doctor, and try to follow her advice.

Although the stressors may not directly cause your long-term high blood pressure, they may indirectly contribute.   If you cope by partaking in unhealthy behaviors— such as eating or drinking alcohol in excess, or maintaining poor sleeping habits —the results may cause continuously elevated blood pressure. Also, ongoing short-term stress-related spikes in your blood pressure may make your at risk of long-term high blood pressure and cardio-vascular disease.

Over the long term, people who react more to stress have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.  Don’t let stress and high blood pressure contribute to this disease.  This risk particularly is linked to people who tend to be excessively competitive, impatient, hostile, and move and talk quickly.  These people are often identified as Type A personalities.

One stress management strategy to include some type of exercise activities in your weekly schedule.  Physical exercise can lower your stress and levels.  Your physician may suggest that exercise also helps lower your blood pressure.  And if you've been diagnosed with hypertension, doing activities that can help you manage your stress and improve your health can make a long-term difference in lowering your blood pressure.  Please take time to take care of your health so that stress and high blood pressure do not become debilitating enemies.

Take Care of Your Health

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