Blood pressure and stress
One of the main causes of high blood pressure is stress. So it makes sense to avoid stress where possible or if you cant avoid it to learn techniques to reduce or relieve it. The better your body gets at handling stress or recovering from it, the smaller the rise in blood pressure under stress will be.
What is stress?
Stress is the bodys reaction to strain. Thats why its important to avoid extreme strain whenever you can.
Stress from exercise
If an untrained body is pushed to its limits, it reacts with stress. Blood pressure rises because the blood vessels are suddenly under unusual strain, and values can reach dangerous levels. Thats why its important to build up exercise slowly. Light aerobic exercise under medical supervision supports drug treatment.
White coat effect
Did you rush to the doctor, maybe walk up a flight of stairs, and feel a bit nervous about the visit? Its only natural that your measured blood pressure can be higher than usual. Doctors often advise patients to sit quietly for a few minutes so the heart rate can settle. Worrying that the next measurement will be high, fear of a blood test, or general nervousness about seeing the doctor again (white coat effect) can make your blood pressure read higher than it would at home in a familiar setting.
How does stress affect the body?
Under stress, not only does blood pressure rise. The rise in blood pressure during stress and all the other body reactions are natural responses. Our ancestors felt stress when they were threatened. To react quickly, the body releases adrenaline your heart rate goes up, breathing becomes faster and deeper, and blood flow to the brain and large muscle groups increases: you are then able to fight or run away. If stress continues or returns quickly, the body cant bring adrenaline back down to normal. The heightened alarm state with higher blood pressure then persists and, with ongoing stress, can become chronic. Besides adrenaline, other hormones such as cortisol (which narrows brain blood vessels so oxygen gets to the brain faster) and growth hormones are released; they stabilize metabolism or suppress certain body functions (like pain sensation or digestion) that arent helpful during acute stress.
Increased release of glucose raises blood sugar to provide energy for the muscles. The higher blood sugar triggers the pancreas to release insulin. Insulin lowers the blood sugar and afterwards you feel hungry. Thats why people often eat too much under stress. At the same time, digestion is suppressed so food isnt properly used. That can disturb the gut bacteria and lead to poor nutrient supply. Constantly high blood sugar can lead to diabetes, which brings further consequences. Increased muscle tension often causes headaches and neck pain. Long-term effects can include digestive problems or even impotence.
Chronic high blood pressure can damage the heart, blood vessels and other organs. Adrenaline, cortisol and growth hormones also disrupt insulin release because the muscles need available sugar. If the muscles arent being used since fighting or fleeing are not part of modern life these hormones remain in the body and block insulin release, which can lead to diabetes. Cardiovascular problems are the most common long-term consequences of ongoing stress. Too much cortisol also has anti-inflammatory effects. If there are no infections, antibody production is reduced. So when common pathogens like cold bacteria or flu viruses appear, a stressed person is much more vulnerable than someone whos balanced.
Even on a low-salt diet (which is recommended to lower blood pressure) some metabolic values can rise to dangerous levels. For example, increases in the stress hormones renin, aldosterone, adrenaline and noradrenaline have been observed. So when reducing salt in the diet, its important to find a sensible middle ground.
Sources:
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This article comes from BloodPressureDB – the leading app since 2011 that helps hundreds of thousands monitor their blood pressure every day.
Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based data and is continuously updated (as of 04/2024).
Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as in outpatient care, and has led BloodPressureDB's specialist editorial team since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as a paramedic, first responder and in various therapy and emergency areas, she provides solid, practical and reliably reviewed information.
Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as in outpatient care, and has led BloodPressureDB's specialist editorial team since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as a paramedic, first responder and in various therapy and emergency areas, she provides solid, practical and reliably reviewed information.
