You Won't Believe What Stress Does To Your Heart!
Do your finances keep you up at night?
Do you worry about your kids all the time?
Are you overwhelmed at work?
When you experience stress, what do you notice that happens to your body? Any of these symptoms...Any of these symptoms...Any of these symptoms..Any of these symptoms.Any of these symptomsAny of these symptomAny of these symptoAny of these symptAny of these sympAny of these symAny of these syAny of these sAny of these Any of theseAny of thesAny of theAny of thAny of tAny of Any ofAny oAny AnyAnmmonplace for us to have some sort of constant stress affecting our lives. Typical stressors are money, work, relationships, and children. At some point it starts affecting our health and we start to feel it in our bodies.
"When I first met Stacy my blood pressure was through the roof, my anxiety levels were bordering on debilitating and my self-awareness of well-being was nonexistent. Through detailed, meaningful conversations and exams Stacy developed both an herbal regiment as well as targeted acupuncture treatments. I am relieved to share that my BP is back to healthy, my anxiety is nowhere close to debilitating and my self-awareness is subconsciously omnipresent. I highly recommend Vibrant Life Acupuncture!"
When you experience stress, what do you notice that happens to your body?
Chest tightness, pain
Shortness of breath
Palpitations
Anxiety
Insomnia
Tight, achy neck and shoulders
Headaches
Am I too young to have a heart attack?
I have to admit that Chinese Medical school was by far the hardest thing I have ever done. I was a complete stress ball for years. During my last year of schooling, I had a scary experience and thought I was having a heart attack. As medical students, you do start to feel like you have every symptom in the book, but this was different. I woke from a deep sleep with the sensation of an elephant on my chest or something like that. I was so freaked out. After running some tests at the local clinic, I was diagnosed with costochondritis. It mimics heart attack like symptoms, but it's inflammation of the cartilage around the your ribs. There is no know cause for it, but I have a suspicion that it was stress induced. My blood pressure had been elevated while in school. My sleep was awful and I was exhausted. Then you add the high anxiety, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. The good news that my health returned after graduation and my blood pressure went back to normal, I slept better, and rarely felt anxious.
Clinically when I see patients struggling with severe stress I pay close attention to their hearts. I take blood pressure, assess the cardiovascular pulse, exam the tongue that is related to the cardiovascular, and palpate areas on their body associated with the heart. Clinically, I am amazed at how many patients have heart dysfunctions. I am even talking about young people too. By looking at most of my patients, you wouldn’t guess it. They seem fit and eat a relatively healthy diet. So what is going on here?
I believe we need to stop downplaying stress and start taking it seriously. Sadly, it seems that most of us live in a constant state of stress. Let's explore what stress is doing to our hearts.
Not all stress is bad for us. Stress is a natural defense mechanism to keep us safe and alive. Normally, we are suppose to be in a state of relaxation, which is governed by our parasympathetic nervous system. When there is a threat, it triggers our sympathetic nervous system called the fight or flight response. Our adrenal glands secrete stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline so we can run away from that dangerous tiger that is chasing us. In response to the threat, the body increases blood flow to our muscles, increases our heart rate, and prepares our body to escape the danger. When the threat is gone, we switch back into the parasympathetic response of relaxation.
How Does Stress Affect Your Heart?
The real problem is when we are under a constant state of stress that we aren't getting back into a calm and relaxed state. So the adrenal glands are working overtime and forced to continue pumping these stress hormones into our bloodstream. Now our body is in a constant fight or flight response causing our heart rate and blood pressure to increase and constrict the blood vessels. Stress causes our muscles to tighten up, which puts further constriction on our blood vessels and heart. If you compound this stress over years, you can start to image what happens to our heart over time. It has to continue pumping harder and faster for indefinitely and can lead to hypertension and other heart conditions.
Here are some surprising heart facts: College of American Cardiology, American Heart Association
Heart attacks are the number 1 killer for women
Over 200,000 women die annually from a heart attack
Women dying of heart attacks are five times higher than dying from cancer.
1 out of 3 people have heart disease
34% of Americans have high blood pressure
A Relaxed Heart Is A Healthy Heart.
The good news is you can take control of your stress response and support your heart.
I recommend checking in with yourself and rating your stress level. How high is your stress and is it time to do something about it?
There are a variety of relaxation techniques out there to help you manage your stress and reduce the negative effects of stress has on your heart.
TIPS TO REDUCE STRESS AND FEEL CALM:
Meditation
Stretching
Breathing exercises
Emotional Freedom Tapping
Walking in nature
Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine
Ear Seed Therapy
Massage
If you or someone you know is struggling with too much stress, please reach out and schedule an appointment. I can assess if stress is negatively impacting your heal. Acupuncture, herbal medicine, and even ear seed therapy can provide relaxation by calming your nervous system. Please call the clinic to learn more.
In Good Health,
Stacy
Stacy Spence is an Integrative Medical Practitioner and acupuncturist in Greer, South Carolina specializing in pain relief and women's health.
