New Analysis HBP And Stress: The Effects On The Body

By Thomas Sinclair

Higher stress level can lead to increased irregular heartbeat, shortage of breath and spikes of increased blood pressure even though stress is not directly linked to Hypertension.

Experiencing stress is normal; however, living in constant stress will eventually lead to developing a serious health condition such as cardiovascular diseases, ulcers, depression, diabetes and other illnesses. In this article we are going to review what stress means and will explain different ways to cope with stress.

Understanding Stress:

Following from General Adaptation Syndrome model, the person reacts to stress in three main divisions.

The fists phase is known as an "alarm" reaction. During this stage the person feels a stressful stimuli and adrenalin is released into the body to create "fight-or-flight" response.

The second phase is called "resistance" response. While at this stage, if the stressor is still present, the body will try its best to adjust to the stressful environment. This will lead to the slow depletion of resources.

The third phase is called "exhaustion" response. This is the most risky stage because at this point the body's defence system is exhausted and permanent illnesses can manifest.

Stress can be:

  • Physical - inability to relax, pains, diarrhea or constipation, nausea, dizziness, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, aches, insomnia, tiredness, muscle tension, indigestion, sweaty palms, ringing in the ears,

  • Cognitive - Poor judgment, constant worry, difficulty making decisions, forgetfulness, inability to concentrate, lack of creativity, loss of sense of humor

  • Emotional - a general negative outlook, excessive worrying, mood swings, irritability, anger, irritability, feeling lonely, depressed, feeling hopeless

  • Behavioral - eating too much or not enough, sleeping too much or not enough, withdrawing from others, procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities, using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax, and nervous habits (e.g. nail biting)

    Coping with Stress

    There are several ways to cope with stress.

    Confirmed by medical research, exercising is an effective way to manage stress. Actually, it has been reported to be just as powerful as using medication.

    An alternative way to cut your stress is by using majority of relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises, meditation, listening to calm music, or employ anything that makes you feel peaceful.

    If it is necessary, to assess the stressful situation one can imagine stepping out of this situation and viewing it from a bystander view. This technique helps to view the situation from variety angles without feeling angry or experiencing stress symptoms.

    Despite the fact that it has not been scientifically proven that stress is directly related to high blood pressure some stress factors may contribute to this phenomena. For instance, stressful situation may result in lack of exercise, weight gain from eating excessively or smoking and consuming too much alcohol. In addition, if the person is under constant stress the immune system is exhausted and hormonal imbalance makes other organs work improperly. - 30540

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