Do you experience heart strain whenever you’re stressed? If yes, chances are stress affects your heart health and may increase the risk of heart problems, if not managed on time. Stress directly doesn’t impact your cardiovascular health and that’s why it mostly gets ignored. However, it triggers the factors that increase the risk of heart problems. Learn how cardiac health is connected with stress and how to keep your heart healthy in this article. Get a consultation with the best cardiologists in Brooklyn.
The link between Cardiac Health and Stress
Stress is not directly connected with cardiac health. However, stress can trigger some behavioral or physical responses that increase the risk of heart disease. When you’re stressed, you tend to adopt unhealthy habits like smoking, drinking alcohol, and overeating or eating junk food, which increases the risk of diabetes and obesity which can lead to heart disease.
Similarly, when you’re stressed your body enters fight-or-flight mode which releases hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones can increase blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle contractions to respond better in stressful situations. During acute stress, these physiological changes get back to normal when the stressful situation ends. However, in chronic stress, these physiological changes stay active and cause long-term problems for the heart and blood vessels. This constant and ongoing increase in heart rate, stress hormones, and blood pressure can take a toll on the body. Chronic stress can increase the risk of several heart problems, including:
- High blood pressure: Chronic stress can lead to hypertension, which is a major risk factor for heart disease.
- High cholesterol: Stress can negatively affect cholesterol levels, which can increase bad cholesterol.
- Obesity: Stress can lead to unhealthy eating behaviors or a sedentary lifestyle which increases the risk of heart disease.
- Diabetes: Stress can affect blood sugar levels, and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, which can increase the risk of heart disease.
- Inflammation and blood clots: Chronic stress can lead to inflammation in the body, which increases the risk of heart disease. Inflammation can also damage blood vessels and stress hormones can alter blood clotting patterns which increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
- Weakened Immune System: Chronic stress negatively impacts the immune system which makes you fall sick more often. A weakened immune system can delay recovery after disease or injury which puts additional stress on the heart.
However, you can prevent this impact by managing your stress and keeping your heart healthy.
Habits for a Healthy Heart
Several strategies can help you manage stress along with keeping your heart healthy:
- Practice mindfulness and meditate:
Mindfulness practice can help a person to stay in the present moment and pay attention to things in a non-judgmental manner. This can lower your heart rate, relax your mind, and decrease your cortisol levels. Studies reveal practicing mindfulness meditation offers several benefits for overall well-being and also alleviates symptoms of anxiety and depression.
- Engage in Regular Exercise:
Regular physical activity is one of the significant steps of stress management and keeping your heart healthy because it produces endorphins which boost your mood along with improving heart function by lowering blood pressure, improving blood circulation, and strengthening the heart muscle. Try to engage in 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise for at least 5 days a week. It includes brisk walking, swimming, or cycling.
- Prioritize sleep:
When you sleep enough your body rejuvenates and repairs the cardiovascular system. Persistent sleep loss is linked with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and other heart diseases. To fix your sleep and get 7 to 9 hours sleep every day you need to set your schedule, avoid drinking caffeine and alcohol in the evening, avoid bluescreen devices at least 1 hour before sleep, and relax your mind by listening to calming music.
- Connect with others:
When you stay connected with loved ones it plays a crucial role in managing stress and improving psychological health. A study shows that individuals with good support from families, friends, and other close people may not develop chronic stress and heart-related diseases. So, make sure you go out with friends and family, engage in social activity, or even volunteer to offer emotional support and be part of the community, both can lower stress.
- Learn relaxation techniques:
Stress and heart rate can be lowered by practicing relaxation techniques like progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, and deep breathing. Pranayama exercises can help you activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which relaxes the body and makes you calm. Yoga can improve blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and enhance heart function.
Stress and cardiac health are closely connected because stress can make behavioral or physiological changes in the body that increase the risk of heart problems. However, following the above-mentioned tips for heart-healthy habits and managing stress will ensure your overall well-being.
Need help with heart problems, visit our cardiology clinic in Brooklyn to get professional medical help. For any cardiovascular problems, call us on +1(347) 384-5690. The Cardiologists at Doral Health & Wellness consistently have outstanding patient satisfaction ratings. The professionals at Doral Health & Wellness Cardiology Brooklyn are able to greatly improve their patient’s health and quality of life because of their vast training and experience. New Yorkers can get the greatest medical, surgical, and cardiovascular care at Doral Health & Wellness Brooklyn. Visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11212.
