Stress and hypertension are linked together. It has always been pretty much agreed upon in the medical community that being nervous raises blood pressure readings. So, it figures that being in an anxious state a good deal of the time could cause hypertension.
I am not a doctor and I didn’t sleep in any motel last night. However, the link between hypertension and anxiety was explained to me by a person who does work in the medical field and sleeps at motels all the time. So, you can rest assured this man knows what he is talking about. Here’s how he explains it:
When a person has an anxiety attack or maybe even a panic attack, adrenaline flows wildly in the bloodstream. The original effect of heavy adrenaline flowing through our bodies was it made us prepared to survive the perils of the wild; the original cause of our fear, or at least our ancestor’s fears. Other things happen when we are in a state of extreme adrenaline. Having elevated blood pressure is one of these things. In short, this adrenaline supercharges us so we can fight off wild animals and without elevated blood pressure we could not become fully charged up. Actually, this type of elevated blood pressure is not so harmful an event because we are constructed to withstand spells of this nature.
So having this temporary blood pressure elevation does not cause hypertension. If we have a panic attack or two, this is not significant as far as blood pressure is concerned. This is not to say we shouldn’t have our blood pressure taken often because there are many causes of hypertension.
Living in stress, even mild stress if it is constant, will tend to keep our blood pressure readings at an increased level. So, it is the low level consistent stress that will work us to the point of where hypertension could possibly be introduced. The smaller bursts of anxiety or fear are something we have been built for and usually they are medically insignificant.
Any kind of nervousness, short and powerful or low level and constant make for a very unpleasant situation. Practicing relaxation on a daily basis can help you beat either type of anxiety. What is a technique for reaching a state of relaxation? Here is a very basic relaxation technique anybody can use:
? Recline in a chair or lie down in a bed and close your eyes.
? Breathe in through the nose to the count of four.
? Hold the breath for the count of five.
? Exhale through the mouth for the count of six.
? Do these last three steps comfortably. Don’t be too concerned about hitting the count exactly.
? Repeat the breaths four times or five times.
? Imagine your whole body loosening up; think of it as actually becoming limp. (about 5-10 minutes)
? Don’t try to do anything but imagine your body as very relaxed and comfortable.
? Visualize things that make you feel peaceful. Make them up if you have to. (another 15-20 minutes)
When your day becomes stressful or you feel anxiety coming on, recall your peaceful relaxation session. Practicing this technique or a similar one can be a very helpful part to a program geared to help you control hypertension or overcome anxiety.
Jason Falson has lived with hypertension for many years. He has credited the remarkable improvement he has seen in his high blood pressure to a change in attitude and the power of relaxation. This is, of course, along with following his doctor’s orders. He recommends hypertension sufferers visit Symptom of Hypertension. Also, learn more about the connection between hypertension and anxiety and how to control it at Dealing With Anxiety.
