3 Ways Stress Can Impact Your Heart Health

 Stress is part of human life, and a certain degree of stress is actually necessary for your survival. But when stress levels get out of control, it can affect your overall health and well-being, including your heart health. 

At Heart and Vascular Care, we view our role as your partner in shaping your best possible heart health. To that end, we love sharing advice on ways you can keep your heart healthy and happy, both today and for all of your tomorrows. 

Let’s examine what stress is and how it can affect your health. 

Not all stress is bad for you

Stress, and its cousin, anxiety, are deep-seated physiological responses that serve to protect you from harm. Anxiety is the hormonally fueled reaction to a perceived threat. It’s the sharp uptick in fear that happens when you’re faced with a menacing dog or a vehicle that pulls out in front of yours with no warning. 

This reaction prompts you to react, hopefully in a way that protects you from harm. But when stress and anxiety continue outside of the presence of an immediate threat, they can cause significant harm. 

Stress can also be linked to positive experiences, like your wedding or whether your favorite sports team can make it all the way this year. But even good stress can take a toll on your heart. 

Here are three ways stress can negatively affect your heart health.

#1: Stress creates hormonal surges

When faced with a stressful situation, your body responds by increasing hormone levels. Specifically, adrenaline and cortisol levels rise. Adrenaline fuels your “fight or flight” response, which can be helpful in the short term. But it also hastens your heartbeat and raises your blood pressure, both of which strain your heart. 

Cortisol can also cause issues with blood pressure, and can even alter your cholesterol, triglycerides, and even your blood sugar. All of these changes can take a toll on your heart over time. 

#2: Stress can lead to poor choices

When faced with periods of high or ongoing stress, many of us will turn to unhealthy habits in an effort to find some form of relief, even if it’s temporary in nature. High stress can lead to overeating, consuming more alcohol than normal, choosing unhealthy foods, and avoiding exercise in favor of sleeping or lounging more. 

These choices often create a negative cycle. Once you’ve altered your diet and exercise habits, it becomes increasingly difficult to turn things around. You can forget how good it feels to nourish your body properly and how effective exercise can be in managing stress. These thoughts can lead you right back to bed or the fridge in an effort to soothe stress. 

#3: Stress can increase inflammation

Long periods of stress can prompt inflammation within your body. While inflammation is a critical part of the healing process, it isn’t meant to linger for weeks, months, or even longer. When inflammation persists over time, it can contribute to the development of plaque in your arteries, limiting the space available for oxygenated blood to flow. 

Partially clogged arteries increase your risk of numerous health problems, including coronary artery disease, abnormal heart rhythms, heart failure, and stroke. 

Finding ways to manage stress is important for your heart

Living with high stress can take a toll on both your mental and physical health. It’s important to find ways to manage stress without compromising your quality of life. 

That can look different from one person to the next. In some cases, making small changes, like taking a long walk at the end of a busy day or setting up a standing coffee date with friends, is enough to get stress under control. 

For others, it can be helpful to work with a therapist to manage stress and find healthy coping mechanisms. Medication can play a central role for some, and talk therapy is always beneficial. 

Avoiding stress in all its forms is simply not possible. But with the right dedication and techniques, you can find a way to keep stress at a healthy level and to avoid damaging your heart health. 

If you’d like more personalized advice on how stress is affecting your heart health, we encourage you to schedule a visit to the Heart and Vascular Care offices in Plano or McKinney, Texas. You can book your visit using our easy online scheduling page or by calling our office to speak with a member of our administrative staff.