Stress Management and Blood Pressure Control

Stress is a normal part of life, but it can significantly affect your health and raise your blood pressure levels. As high blood pressure continues to be a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, it's important to understand and manage stress to stay healthy.

Health coaches at First Stop Health address a few common questions about blood pressure and stress.

Does stress increase blood pressure?

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s important to manage your stress level. Some people deal with stress by overeating, smoking, drinking, or other activities that can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and high blood pressure. Although stress is not a confirmed risk factor for either high blood pressure or heart disease, scientists are still studying its effects on our health. Stress can temporarily raise blood pressure, but it hasn't been proven to cause long-term high blood pressure.

How much stress is healthy?

Stress affects our bodies in many ways. In addition to the emotional discomfort we feel when faced with a stressful situation, our bodies react by releasing stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) into the blood. These hormones prepare the body for the “fight or flight response” by making the heart beat faster and narrowing blood vessels to send more blood to the center of our body. This raises blood pressure temporarily. Once the stress is gone, blood pressure returns to its pre-stress level. This is called situational stress, and its effects are short-lived and disappear when the stressful event is over. Chronic stress, which lasts for days or weeks, keeps our bodies in high gear for longer periods. Scientists are still studying how chronic stress affects blood pressure.

Expert Tips

Find ways to calm your thoughts
Give yourself enough time to get things done
Recognize situations you have control over
Practice gratitude and joy
Learn to say “no” and don’t promise more than you can manage
Learn to take deep breaths and practice meditation in stressful situations

There are several strategies to manage stress and control blood pressure. Work with a virtual care provider at First Stop Health to create a personalized plan tailored to your needs. If needed, your plan might include relaxation techniques, lifestyle changes, and regular monitoring.