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Stress & Heart Disease

Stress can come from any situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, nervous, or even anxious. What is stressful to one person is not necessarily stressful to another. Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension or fear. The source of this uneasiness is not always known or recognized, which can add to the distress you feel.

Stress

  • Blood clots may form during time of stress.
  • Nervous system releases extra hormones that raise blood pressure.
  • Increase heart rate brings a need for more oxygen, thus can bring chest pain in people who already have heart problems.

This is how stress can affect your behaviour....

There is never enough time to do all the things you have promised to do.... Let alone anything you want to do.... You're snappy and irritable.... Can’t remember the last time you had a good night’s sleep ... or a good laugh…Black coffee and cigarettes become your diet...

This is how stress can affect your physical well being....

You're constantly weary… By the end of the day you ache all over… You've lost your appetite, or can't stop eating… At times you feel light headed or dizzy, and notice your heart is pounding… You hate shaking hands with other people, because your hands are so sweaty...and you have yet another headache…

This is how stress can affect your thoughts and feelings....

You sometimes feel panicky and afraid for no reason... You can't concentrate when reading or watching TV.... You feel low and everything you do seems such an effort....

Sudden stresses such as anger or great exertion are obviously undesirable where heart disease is already present. The heart has to beat harder and faster to prepare for coping with the situation. If the arteries feeding the heart muscle are damaged or diseased, they can't bring enough blood for the heart to do its necessary work.

Living with too much stress over a long period of time means both your mind and body doesn't get the rest they need. Fatigue is often ignored and mental or physical exhaustion can result. If you are already exhausted then you are less able to cope with additional sudden stress.

It hardly needs saying, but having a heart attack causes stress in its own right - and can bring on feelings of depression and anxieties about the future.

It's also likely to cause anxiety for family and friends, and being aware of this can increase your worry. It's not unusual for you to feel low, anxious or emotional for a while after a heart attack and care should be taken to ensure the stress involved doesn't interfere with the recovery process.

A Stressful lifestyle is a pattern or habit hard to break. It takes determination to find out why or how you've become overloaded with cares or worries, and then it requires even more determination to change your lifestyle to reduce the stress.

Stress can build up in three main ways:

  • Major life events
  • Personality
  • Unbalanced lifestyle

Events such as bereavement, moving house, changing job, major illness, a family crisis etc. can take a hidden toll. If a number of these events happen together in a short space of time, say within a year, either to you or to someone close to you, the stress level soon begins to rise.

Some of these events are completely beyond our control. However of those events youcan plan or control, try not to make too many major changes in one year. When such events do occur, don't expect to be able to “carry on as normal” or “put on a brave face”; because you may not have the energy to do so.

Other people may not realise the pressures you're under and they won't make allowances for you if you pretend to be unaffected by what is happening to you.

Take time off work if it's necessary; cry on someone’s shoulder if you feel like it; show you're upset rather than bottling it up!

Certain people, by their nature, are more prone to stress. ‘Perfectionists’ and 'born worriers’ are two examples.

Perfectionists have a high expectation of themselves and others so their stress level rises when they are let down by others or disappointed in themselves.

Worriers often anticipate problems before they arise, raising their stress levels before an event has even taken place!

When we can't find ways of controlling our stress, it builds up and ‘overflows’ into what we call the ‘stress symptoms’ described at the beginning of this section.

So what can you do about it?

If you're the kind of person who experiences stress regularly it is important to

Do something positive about it!

  • Learn to be aware of the signs and signals that stress is building up.
  • Try using relaxation techniques.
  • Learn to dissipate tension with exercise and breathing techniques.
  • Eat a well-balanced, healthy diet. Don't overeat.
  • Get adequate amounts of sleep.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Limit caffeine and alcohol.
  • Don't use nicotine, cocaine, or other recreational drugs.
  • Learn and practice relaxation techniques like guided imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, tai chi, or meditation.
  • Take breaks from work.
  • Make sure to balance fun activities with your responsibilities. Schedule some leisure time every day. Spend time with people you enjoy, including quality time with your family.
  • Try learning to make things with your hands (like woodwork, or knitting), playing an instrument, or listening to soothing music.

Perfectionists set high standards for themselves and everyone else, but these standards are not always realistic. Learn to accept yourself and others as people with faults as well as good points. Remember, anger is a self-destructive emotion and rarely puts the situation right!

Find someone to talk to whose opinion you respect who will listen to you and give you new light on a worrying situation.

Worriers know they worry - yet often find it hard to pinpoint what they are worried about. This results in their worries being impossible to tackle and never really disappearing. Spend time identifying what really concerns you - writing them down can often help. Then decide which of your worries you can do something about.

These strategies can help! Remember, if you the Perfectionist are determined to change, you will make a really good job of it! Worry is self destructive and doesn’t solve problems

Anger and Stress

Does anger increase your risk of heart problems?

The hormone Adrenaline (sometimes referred to as the "flight or fright" hormone) increases when you are angry or stressed. High levels of adrenaline and similar stress hormones raise your blood pressure and cholesterol, both of which are risk factors for heart disease. Stress hormones can even damage your heart directly and make you more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviour's like smoking or overeating. Therefore it's best to try and not get too angry!

Unbalanced Lifestyles

To get the balance back into your life, you must take the advice given in this book, particularly in the sections on exercise, diet and smoking. In addition, it's vitally important to include time for proper relaxation in your daily routine. Just half-an-hour each day is all that you need, time which is yours to do nothing but relax without feeling guilty!

Take a positive attitude to relaxation; it's not being idle; it gives your body time to rest and repair, both physically and mentally. It also reduces the heart rate and, if practiced regularly, will lower your blood pressure.

What you can do about it!

  • Learn to be aware of the signs and signals stress and anxiety are building up.
  • Try and identify what is concerning you – sometimes writing it down helps!
  • Avoid being an ostrich, problems rarely disappear by themselves. Try and deal with problems as they arise.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask for help and advice. Sometimes, talking to someone whose opinion you respect may be all you need.
  • Try using some relaxation techniques.
  • Learn to dissipate the tension with exercise and breathing techniques.

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