Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Stress Affects Blood PressureStress ReductionHow to Find Help
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How Stress Affects Blood Pressure
Stress Reduction
How to Find Help
Stress can raise blood pressure and has been associated with adverse cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) events. Learning to manage stress can make a difference in overall health, and it can potentially lower high blood pressure (hypertension).
Read on to learn more about the relationship between temporary and long-term stress on blood pressure and some tips to manage stress levels.
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Stresscan be either short term (acute) or long term (chronic). Acute stressors include anxiety from a healthcare provider’s visit, nerves before giving a speech, arguments, and driving conditions. Chronic stress, on the other hand, includes long-standing problems like relationship issues, financial troubles, food insecurity, and job-related stress.
Stress and Hormone Levels
The body’sfight-or-flight responsecan affect the entire body, including your blood pressure. This stress response is the body’s reaction to an acute stressor and prepares the body to either face or flee from a threat.
When someone encounters a threat, the sympathetic nervous system stimulates the adrenal glands to release the stress hormonesadrenalineandcortisol. These hormones ready the body to respond to a threat, which causes the following:
Temporary Spikes
Temporary spikes in blood pressure in response to acute stress are normal and expected. The American Heart Association recommends that blood pressure be measured after a person has been sitting quietly for five minutes.
This is because of the effect that even minor acute stress (like driving in traffic and navigating the healthcare provider’s office or clinic), in addition to the physical effect of walking to the exam room, can have on blood pressure.
People withwhite-coat hypertension, high blood pressure from the stress of being at a healthcare provider’s office, can have an increased blood pressure reading at a clinic but normal blood pressure at home.
Chronic Stress and Long-Term Hypertension
The relationship between chronic stress and long-term hypertension has been more complicated to prove. However, studies have shown that chronic stress is not only related to higher blood pressure, but also to other forms of cardiovascular disease, like heart attacks and strokes.
Stress is unavoidable, but how you deal with stress appears to have an important role in the effect it has on your health.
The Link Between Health and StressThere are many reasons for poor health, some of which overlap with or cause chronic stress. They also contribute todisparitiesin health outcomes among populations. For example, financial insecurity, food access problems, and lack of access to a safe space to exercise can contribute to overall stress, as well as high blood pressure, heart disease, and other poor health outcomes.
The Link Between Health and Stress
There are many reasons for poor health, some of which overlap with or cause chronic stress. They also contribute todisparitiesin health outcomes among populations. For example, financial insecurity, food access problems, and lack of access to a safe space to exercise can contribute to overall stress, as well as high blood pressure, heart disease, and other poor health outcomes.
Ways to Reduce Stress
Managing stressis important not just for mental well-being, but for physical health as well.
The following are some ways to help manage stress:
It’s also important to avoid coping mechanisms that can contribute to stress and poor health, like smoking, binge eating, and alcohol or drug use.
Stress Management Techniques and Blood PressureNot all stress management techniques have shown an effect on lowering blood pressure. The greatest benefit comes from regular physical exercise, a healthy diet, and drinking alcohol in moderation. Techniques like yoga, deep breathing, meditation, and biofeedback do not have as strong evidence for their benefit on blood pressure lowering in the long term.However, while the effect of these stress-reduction techniques on blood pressure has been less promising, their benefits on overall health can still make them worthwhile.
Stress Management Techniques and Blood Pressure
Not all stress management techniques have shown an effect on lowering blood pressure. The greatest benefit comes from regular physical exercise, a healthy diet, and drinking alcohol in moderation. Techniques like yoga, deep breathing, meditation, and biofeedback do not have as strong evidence for their benefit on blood pressure lowering in the long term.However, while the effect of these stress-reduction techniques on blood pressure has been less promising, their benefits on overall health can still make them worthwhile.
Not all stress management techniques have shown an effect on lowering blood pressure. The greatest benefit comes from regular physical exercise, a healthy diet, and drinking alcohol in moderation. Techniques like yoga, deep breathing, meditation, and biofeedback do not have as strong evidence for their benefit on blood pressure lowering in the long term.
However, while the effect of these stress-reduction techniques on blood pressure has been less promising, their benefits on overall health can still make them worthwhile.
How to Find Help With Stress
When stress levels are interfering with your well-being and your physical health, it’s time to look for ways to manage stress. Finding a support system within friends, family, or seeing a therapist for talk therapy can help.
There are many resources available to those seeking to manage stress levels. Your healthcare provider can provide referrals. Options exist for both online and in-person counseling and support for stress management. The American Heart Association offersresources on stress management.
Summary
Stress affects mental health, but it also comes with a myriad of physical effects, including increased blood pressure and heart disease risk. There are many ways to help lower stress, which can improve overall health. Some techniques also have proven effects on lowering blood pressure. Support for stress reduction can come from family, friends, or a trusted counselor or therapist.
A Word From Verywell
Stress can take a great toll on both mental and physical health. When facing stressful periods, you can feel overwhelmed regarding what to do to manage stress or where to go for help. It may help to start with small steps, like setting a daily goal for mindfulness or taking a daily walk outside. Your healthcare provider is also available for help and to provide resources for a therapist, counselor, or support group.
4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Stress effects on the body.Whelton PK, Carey RM, Aronow WS, et al.2017 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA guideline for the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in adults: Executive summary: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. 2018 Sep;72(3):e33].Hypertension. 2018;71(6):1269-1324. doi:10.1161/HYP.0000000000000066Osborne MT, Shin LM, Mehta NN, Pitman RK, Fayad ZA, Tawakol A.Disentangling the links between psychosocial stress and cardiovascular disease.Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2020;13(8):e010931. doi:10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.120.010931MedlinePlus.Learn to manage stress.
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Stress effects on the body.Whelton PK, Carey RM, Aronow WS, et al.2017 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA guideline for the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in adults: Executive summary: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. 2018 Sep;72(3):e33].Hypertension. 2018;71(6):1269-1324. doi:10.1161/HYP.0000000000000066Osborne MT, Shin LM, Mehta NN, Pitman RK, Fayad ZA, Tawakol A.Disentangling the links between psychosocial stress and cardiovascular disease.Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2020;13(8):e010931. doi:10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.120.010931MedlinePlus.Learn to manage stress.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Psychological Association.Stress effects on the body.Whelton PK, Carey RM, Aronow WS, et al.2017 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA guideline for the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in adults: Executive summary: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. 2018 Sep;72(3):e33].Hypertension. 2018;71(6):1269-1324. doi:10.1161/HYP.0000000000000066Osborne MT, Shin LM, Mehta NN, Pitman RK, Fayad ZA, Tawakol A.Disentangling the links between psychosocial stress and cardiovascular disease.Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2020;13(8):e010931. doi:10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.120.010931MedlinePlus.Learn to manage stress.
American Psychological Association.Stress effects on the body.
Whelton PK, Carey RM, Aronow WS, et al.2017 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA guideline for the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in adults: Executive summary: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. 2018 Sep;72(3):e33].Hypertension. 2018;71(6):1269-1324. doi:10.1161/HYP.0000000000000066
Osborne MT, Shin LM, Mehta NN, Pitman RK, Fayad ZA, Tawakol A.Disentangling the links between psychosocial stress and cardiovascular disease.Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2020;13(8):e010931. doi:10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.120.010931
MedlinePlus.Learn to manage stress.
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