Stress increases the risk of heart disease

Stress increases the risk of heart disease

As stress increases the risk of heart disease

We are probably all familiar with stress. In the short term, stress can be beneficial and can help you survive the risk. For example, if you see a large dog running towards you, your body's response to stress can help you break away to avoid injury. However, when stress persists, it can have a detrimental effect on physical and mental health. In fact, research has shown that chronic stress may be a major risk factor for heart disease. In this article, we will look at the basics of stress and how chronic stress can increase the risk of heart disease. If you want to know what you can do to cope with stress in a healthy way, we've got you covered too. What is Stress? Stress is your body's response to a physical or mental trigger that you think is a challenge or a threat. In general, stress is any change that you have to adapt to. While we often see stress in a negative light, not all stress is negative. Indeed, good stress exists and is called eustress. An example of eustress is getting a new project to work on. It may seem daunting at first and there may be obstacles in the way. However, it also gives you and your team the opportunity to shine, learn new skills, and be recognized for great work. There are also two other types of stress: acute stress and chronic stress. Both can affect your body and cause-specific changes.

Chronic stress Severe stress is only temporary and can be determined. For example, you may experience extreme stress when: pass a job interview you have to speak in public visit the dentist stuck in traffic on your way to work you drive and you have to turn to avoid hitting another car When faced with extreme stress, your body recognizes the change it has to adapt to, handles it, and then returns to its normal state. Chronic stress Chronic stress occurs when faced with a challenge that has no clear end. As a result, you remain in a state of greater readiness to deal with an ongoing threat. Chronic stress does not give your body a chance to heal and return to its normal state. When faced with this type of stress, your breathing and heart rate will remain faster, your muscles will remain tense, and your digestive system may not function properly. There are many potential causes of chronic stress. Here are some examples: to cope with a chronic disease financial worries family or relationship problems take care of a family member pressures or challenges associated with your job discrimination or racism How Does Stress Affect Your Body? The stress response is an adaptation that prepares your body for a challenge or threat. The stress response starts in your brain after perceiving something as stressful or threatening. In general, there are two distinct components to responding to stress: cortisol. When you encounter a stressor, your brain increases the production of cortisol, also known as the "stress hormone". One of the main functions of cortisol is to raise your energy level so that you can cope with a stressful situation. It does this by helping to move the sugar stored in the liver into the bloodstream, where the sugar can be used for energy. Adrenaline and noradrenaline. Another part of the brain indicates increased production of the hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline. This part of the stress response is often called the "fight or flight" response. The increase in these hormones prepares your body for a stressful situation: increase heart rate and blood pressure increases the breath increase blood flow to the muscles with impaired digestion increase your energy supply How Does Stress Affect Your Heart? When stress becomes chronic (prolonged or continuous), it can have a detrimental effect on your body. The effect of stress on heart health has long been studied.