– The animal, when the lion is chasing it, is afraid of being eaten and running away. On the other hand, when the threat is over, the zebra does not do what humans usually do: it does not dwell on and does not experience it. We are able to evoke specific emotional states in ourselves through our thoughts. We can also raise the level of our own stress in this way, which effectively contributes to the development of hypertension – explains Małgorzata Piotrowska-Półrolnik, psychologist at SWPS in Warsaw.
- We talk about hypertension if it remains above 140/90. According to of WHO data, 28 percent suffer from them. people in the world. Hypertension greatly increases the likelihood of many diseases of the circulatory system, brain and kidneys. It is therefore the leading cause of death in the world
- In Poland, the problem concerns 32 percent. citizens. Only two thirds of the respondents know about the disease, only one in eight is properly and successfully treated
- At the root of hypertension – apart from genes, smoking or being overweight – there are also psychological factors, including high levels of anger and suppression of emotions
- Alexithymia, the so-called emotional blindness, difficulty in defining your own emotions
- We can try to control our stress responses. Psychotherapy comes to our aid, as well as various relaxation trainings – explains Małgorzata Piotrowska-Półrolnik – psychologist from SWPS in Warsaw
- More current information can be found on the Onet homepage.
Hypertension is so common that it is classified as a civilization disease. It is estimated that it affects more than a quarter of the adult population of our globe, and according to WHO data, it is the leading cause of death. Although initially asymptomatic, if left untreated, it becomes a major risk factor for cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and renal failure. Its formation is influenced by our genes, aging, smoking, physical inactivity, overweight and obesity, increased salt intake, as well as numerous psychological factors.
And it is the psychological aspects of primary arterial hypertension that we are talking to with the person who deals with them on a daily basis – Małgorzata Piotrowska-Półrolnik, a psychologist associated with the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Warsaw.
Monika Zieleniewska / Medonet: Hypertension statistics are scary …
Małgorzata Piotrowska-Półrolnik, psychologist: The generally accepted standard is a pressure of 120/80. We talk about hypertension if it remains above 140/90, for systolic pressure above 140, and diastolic pressure above 90. WHO reports that 28% suffer from hypertension. population.
In Poland, the last large study was carried out in 2011 and according to NATPOL III PLUS, the percentage of patients reaches as much as 32%. This means that even every third Pole has hypertension. In people aged 18-39, it was diagnosed in 7%. of the respondents, while over 65 in as many as 76 percent. Additionally, only two-thirds of the respondents were aware of the disease, and every eighth was successfully treated.
Statistics also show that the situation is worst among men of working age, inhabitants of small towns and villages, and among the less educated.
- Every fourth Pole has hypertension, but many people do not know about it [National Health Test of Poles]
So what are the psychological factors associated with primary hypertension?
Primary arterial hypertension is a psychosomatic disease, i.e. one in which psychological factors may contribute to its development and course, affecting our body, or soma. And there are several of them, such as stress, incorrect emotional regulation or alexithymia.
The results of prospective studies (the measurement is made now and in some time, e.g. several years) show that high levels of anger are also associated with the development of hypertension in the future. In one of our studies, published last year, we also found a relationship between blood pressure and alexithymia. Higher levels of alexithymia were associated with higher values of systolic blood pressure in people with primary hypertension.
And alexithymia is …
Difficulty in defining our own emotions, problems with identifying the emotions we feel at the moment. Aleksytymia for prof. The chaser is sometimes called emotional blindness. It is also a problem with determining whether we feel any emotions at all, confusing physiological and emotional reactions. The link between alexithymia and hypertension is also confirmed by the results of a study conducted in Rome, published in the same year.
Coming back to emotional regulation, what is it all about?
Due to the association with the occurrence of high blood pressure, it is important to suppress emotions. The more often we suppress them, the greater the chances of hypertension. For example, anger can be directed inward or outward.
Of course, anger directed inward (inexpressible) is more closely related to hypertension. However, an overall high level of anger, both in and out, can cause high blood pressure.
As for anger, it is probably not commonly associated with hypertension?
Research results indicate that frequently and intensely experienced anger or hostility may be associated with the subsequent occurrence of hypertension. On the other hand, the time of the onset of the disease depends on many additional factors, including personality ones. We all have some personality type, way of functioning, that usually doesn’t change suddenly and completely. We are just like that, so if we have been experiencing high levels of anger, it has likely been for a long time. Several years of research have shown that statistically people with high levels of anger more often later suffered from hypertension. Stress is often cited as an example of a trigger for psychosomatic diseases, but in order for an activator to work, it must first be long-lasting and, secondly, remain high.
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Exactly, because we are also talking about positive stress.
Up to a certain level, stress can be positive. Let’s take a student who is stressed by the exam and therefore learns more and more reliably. However, we can imagine a situation in which the same student becomes so stressed that he cannot concentrate, his hands are shaking, he is emotionally unstable. Then, most likely, he will not learn anything, because the stress is too strong for him. Conversely, if too much stress persists for a long time, it can become a pathogen. Fortunately for students, the exam sessions pass quickly …
- An unusual symptom of hypertension that we do not pay attention to
And we have another risk factor.
Of course, because several factors can increase the risk of hypertension simultaneously. Stress is one of them. We are talking about the circulatory system, the work of which is regulated by the autonomic nervous system, activating our body to act (the sympathetic system) or silencing it (the parasympathetic system). Such activation and calming down will also be important for the blood pressure value.
Our body determines and regulates the pressure depending on what is happening around us. Stress is interesting because it also occurs naturally in animals, e.g. when there is a real threat to life. Following Robert M. Sapolsky, I will give an example of a zebra. The animal, when the lion chases it, is afraid of being eaten and runs away. However, when the threat is over, the zebra does not do what we are used to. She doesn’t wonder what stress she felt when the lion was hunting her friend. The difference is that we can evoke specific emotional states through our thoughts. We can also raise our own stress in this way, which is important in the context of hypertension.
For easier coping with stress and improvement of well-being, we recommend Nervous System – Pharmovit Drops Extract available on Medonet Market at a favorable price.
- Stress – how to prevent it?
So, in addition to real threats, reflection increases our stress level?
Let’s consider what the real threat is for us? Is it that I am afraid that I will be fired because there is a crisis? Theoretically, yes, but on the other hand, they can be ruminations, i.e. repetitive intrusive thoughts, worry, reflection. When there are too many such thoughts, they begin to effectively make our lives difficult. Really persistent threats include, for example, war, kidnapping or the coronavirus pandemic for people who have fallen ill and severely suffer from COVID-19, health care workers in homonymous hospitals, or people at risk. However, if we experience high levels of stress for a long time, it can result in primary hypertension.
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What are the consequences of untreated or improperly treated high blood pressure?
Hypertension is called a silent killer because our body adapts to function with elevated pressure values. Patients do not always experience headaches or dizziness, and not always have a poor general well-being.
Haemorrhagic stroke may be the consequence in patients who fail to treat high blood pressure or manage it unsuccessfully. The vessel bursts, and the blood pouring out of it floods the brain, causing it to die. In the event of a stroke, recovery is often much longer than, for example, after a heart attack. There may be paresis and a marked deterioration in functioning, often the patient has no chance to return to normal life.
The consequences of hypertension are enormous for the individual, but also felt in society. After all, someone with paresis will have to deal with a person. That is why prevention is extremely important, and many people continue to downplay hypertension. Hence my appeal, let’s measure our blood pressure and consult the doctors. And when it turns out that we have hypertension – follow their recommendations.
- Thirty-year-olds with hypertension: he was 300/190, then the scale ran out
Shouldn’t we then start controlling our obsessions and stop brooding?
It is said that we will not change the world, but it is worth bearing in mind that we can have our attitude towards the world. We can try to control our stress responses. Of course, psychotherapy comes with help, as well as various relaxation trainings. Relaxing breathing training is recommended, incl. one where we focus on deep and slow breathing, which effectively reduces the pressure at a given moment.
During a deep breath, the diaphragm works over which the vagus nerve ends are located, activating our inhibitory system. Thus, there are processes leading to the reduction of the pressure value, to the silence of the body. It is also worth recalling the so-called normalizing the breath, which we know, for example, from movies. When someone in a stressful situation quickly gasps, that is, hyperventilates, usually the reassuring words “breathe, breathe deeply” are uttered.
When normal breathing returns, our body begins to calm down. It definitely works for the short term, so you can try to normalize your breathing whenever you feel tense.
Can meditations also reduce stress levels, and hence blood pressure?
It is worth looking for your own individual way to relax, especially if we often experience stress or anger. It can be relaxation training, e.g. Jacobson training, i.e. progressive muscle relaxation, or try meditation combined with breathing regulation. Recently, there is a fashion for Mindfulness meditation, or Mindfulness. In this case, it is about focusing on the flow of air through our body, through our nose, and down our airways to the lungs. We concentrate on the breathing activity performed here and now, we try to be present in the moment. Lots of videos with this type of training are offered on the Internet.
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And it probably pays to meditate or relax regularly.
Higher pressure values do not become established in our body overnight. It is a long process. Simply put, if for some reason we have constantly increased blood pressure, our new, higher personal norm is established and the body is striving to achieve this new norm. So if our new norm is, for example, 140/90, then after each physical effort the pressure returns to a higher level, and not to 120/80. Therefore, meditation and relaxation training performed on a regular basis will be all the more effective in the long term. They are an additional source of hypertension prevention or support for pharmacological treatment.
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