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It has been known for a long time that chronic stress is harmful to the body. It turns out, however, that it also has a very negative effect on the heart. Too much stress in everyday life can lead to cardiovascular disease and even a heart attack.
- Chronic stress puts a strain on the body, including the circulatory system
- This can lead to diseases such as hypertension and atherosclerosis
- By being stressed too often, we also run the risk of having a heart attack or stroke
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage.
Stress is not necessarily a bad thing – its low intensity has a mobilizing and stimulating effect. However, if it accompanies us too often and concerns too many situations, it becomes troublesome and can lead to serious diseases and even destruction of the body.
Stress can damage your heart
As you know, stress raises blood pressure, which can have a negative effect on the health of the arteries. However, this is not the only effect stress has on the circulatory system. As demonstrated by American scientists, increased activity of the amygdala (even during rest, which researchers associate with a state of permanent stress) is associated with increased bone marrow activity and inflammation. From the research of the team of Dr. Ahmed Tawakoli from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School shows that in people whose condition continues, the consequence is often problems with the heart and circulatory system, such as: heart attacks, angina, failure, strokes or peripheral arterial disease.
The rest of the text is below the video.
According to scientists, under the influence of permanent stress, the human amygdala sends signals to the bone marrow to produce additional white blood cells, which, acting in the arteries, cause inflammation and the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. And atherosclerosis is already a direct cause of strokes and problems with the entire circulatory system.
- See also: How to deal with stress?
“Our research shows how stress can lead to heart disease. This increases the likelihood that reducing stress levels could provide benefits beyond psychological comfort, says research team leader Dr. Ahmed Tawakol.
So let’s do everything possible to minimize everyday stress. How to do it?
Simple ways to discharge the voltage while you work
- Remember about breakfast. Also, make sure you have regular meals throughout the day. According to the researchers, people who regularly provide the body with essential nutrients better withstand the effects of long-term stress.
- Allow yourself to eat energy snacks from time to time, especially those rich in magnesium (magnesium deficiency causes weakness and irritability). It can be chocolate, your favorite yogurt, nuts.
- Plan your day. Don’t leave things to do until the last minute – this will avoid many stressful situations.
- Take breaks. Just a few minutes every 2-3 hours – you will increase your ability to concentrate and the effectiveness of your duties.
- Learn to breathe properly – it’s a really good way to relax and unwind. When you feel tense, calm your breathing. Inhale for 10 seconds – for the first 3 seconds, let it fill the diaphragm, through the next chest, and finally the upper part of the lungs. Repeating this exercise several times improves blood flow in the body, which improves the work of the heart and the entire circulatory system.
- Call a friend. Talking often helps to relieve tension.
- Limit the number of coffees during the day and give up carbonated drinks – these drinks increase the level of adrenaline in the blood, thus increasing stress. Better to brew lemon balm tea – it has calming properties.
- When you feel sleepy, take some fresh air for a while. A few deep breaths will oxygenate your brain and your muscles will energize you.
- Do simple relaxation exercises – they can be done even while sitting at your desk. Relax your wrists and start shaking your fingers as hard as you want to drop them on the floor. Then attach a shaking of your forearm to the elbow. Finally, shake your arms off the shoulders. Feel the tension drop through your fingers.
- Quit smoking. It is not true that cigarettes relieve stress. One of their ingredients, nicotine, has such properties, but it is highly addictive. Carbon monoxide contained in cigarettes combines with hemoglobin, which prevents the delivery of the right amount of oxygen to the tissues. Cigarette breaks provide temporary relief, but rather because of a break from work and fresh air, than due to smoking a cigarette.
Fight stress every day
It is worth learning how to deal with stressful situations not only at work, but also in everyday life.
Here are some ways you can reduce the tension you built up during the day:
- Do simple physical exercises. Remember that exercise releases endorphins, which are responsible for a good mood. They are called happiness hormones because they help the body to stay calm and function under stress.
- Walk, cycle or swim at least twice a week. This will make you feel a surge of energy and strength. Even a quick, half-hour walk helps to relieve tension after a hard day, and also to keep a slim figure, improve the work of the heart and lungs, and lower blood cholesterol.
- Breathing and stretching exercises are also effective.
- Learn to relax. If you can afford it, use massages – they have an extremely beneficial effect on the entire body. Take a bath with the addition of essential oils, listen to relaxing music. Even if you think it doesn’t help much against severe stress, you will quickly find out that it is completely different.
How stress affects your body
In addition to the aforementioned raising of blood pressure, it is worth knowing that stress also affects the body in many other ways:
- causes an increase in the concentration of cholesterol and fatty acids in the blood,
- intensifies inflammation and its symptoms (pain, swelling, redness),
- leads to a higher blood glucose content,
- accelerates the heart rate and respiration,
- causes a decrease in protein production,
- impairs digestion,
- has an adverse effect on the immune system and allergic response,
- causes an increased tendency to blood clots,
- contributes to the increased secretion of acidic gastric juice.
Do you have stress problems? Try the Ashwagandha dietary supplement available at Medonet Market.
Author: Monika Wysocka, Zdrowie.pap.pl
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