Stress & Heart Disease – What is the Link Between the Two?
You have probably heard that stress is not good for your heart, but do you understand the reasons why this is true? In what follows, I will give you information that explains what stress is, how it affects your body, and what you can do about it.
In this article, I will provide you with information about stress, how it affects your body, and in particular, why it affects your heart.
You may have heard about good and bad kinds of stress. Good kinds of stress are things like moving to a new home, tying the knot, or having a newborn to look after. Examples of bad kinds of stress are illness, death, or dealing with bullies at school or at work.
Of course, how you react to the event also plays a role in how much stress your body can handle. Have you ever noticed how different people respond differently to the same situation?
Stress becomes pathological when it never goes away, and you are constantly dealing with it. Before long, you may notice that your body begins to feel like it's falling apart. You may feel nervous, anxious, clammy, have a high heart rate, be unable to sleep, have headaches, and so many other signs and symptoms.
When your body does not shut off its stress response, is when all body systems can become faulty, including your heart. Your heart can become weaker, and the coronary arteries are prone to accelerated atherosclerosis (fatty build-up in the artery walls). Myocardial infarction, also known as heart attack, commonly occurs during times of stress in one's life.
It is very important to get stress in your life under control. The first step is recognizing that you are under stress. Next, you want to be able to start reducing or eliminating as much stress as possible. This may mean changing jobs if it is the job that is your source of stress, or learning how to be able to say "no" rather than take on every task that comes your way. As well, exercise and yoga or immersing yourself in a loved hobby can do wonders in reducing the stress you are under.
In conclusion, learning to take control of your stress is the best thing that you can do for your heart and your overall well-being. Although stress can be good in the short-term, it is when it becomes long-term that things start to go wrong.