What is Hypertension?
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a medical condition where blood pressure levels are abnormally high. In medicine and physiology, blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury, or mmHg. Normal blood pressure measures below 120/80. A person is considered to have hypertension when their systolic pressure level is 130mmHg or higher. Systolic blood pressure is created when your heart beats and represents the top number in blood pressure readings. The bottom number, diastolic pressure, measures the pressure inside of your blood vessels. This number can also be elevated. In some cases of hypertension, there is no known medical cause to explain why the blood pressure levels are elevated. In other cases of hypertension, known as persistent hypertension, an underlying medical condition causes increases in blood pressure. Those suffering from persistent hypertension are at an increased risk of having a heart attack, stroke, or renal failure.
Causes and Effects of Stress
Stress is physical or mental strain that affects an individual. It can be caused by factors such as work, school, family, daily challenges and situations, or physical or mental illness. While some stress is good, such as the stress that gives us energy or allows us to respond quickly to a dangerous situation, other stress is bad and can have a damaging effect on a person's overall health. People who are unable to cope with stress may experience physical or mental symptoms such as headaches, anxiety, depression, muscle tension, sleep disturbances, and increase in heart rate. Being overwhelmed by stress can interfere with the ability to function in everyday tasks and affect performance at work, school, home, or social situations. Some people who do not know properly manage their stress may engage in unhealthy behaviors such as increased consumption of alcohol, smoking cigarettes, abusing drugs, and neglecting proper diet and exercise.
Treatment and Prevention
Although medical researchers have not found proof that stress causes hypertension or vice versa, continuous stress can raise normal blood pressure levels. The first thing you need to do is identify your stressors and lifestyle habits that are contributing to your stress and high blood pressure. Some habits that may contribute to both stress and hypertension are unhealthy diet, poor sleeping habits, drinking alcohol, anxiety, mental illness or other health conditions, or being overburdened with work or home activities. Some things you can do to lower both your stress and blood pressure levels are exercising, meditating, enjoying hobbies, practicing relaxation techniques, eating a healthy diet, getting enough rest, taking vacations, and eliminating bad habits such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol, and drug abuse.
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