High blood pressure can lead to a host of health problems. Exceeding the recommended reading can put extra strain on your blood vessels, heart and other organs, such as the brain, kidneys and eyes. Persistent high blood pressure can lead to a number of life-threatening conditions such as heart disease. One major risk factor is high stress levels.
Stress causes physical changes in the body to provide a coping mechanism in response to certain situations.
According to the American Heart Association: “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 constricting blood vessels to get more blood to the core of the body instead of the extremities.
“Constriction of blood vessels and increase in heart rate does raise blood pressure, but only temporarily — when the stress reaction goes away, blood pressure returns to its pre-stress level.
“This is called situational stress, and its effects are generally short-lived and disappear when the stressful event is over.”
The “fight or flight” defence mechanism is a useful way of dealing with imminently threatening situations, but in the modern world people can face stressful events that case our bodies to go into high gear on and off for days or weeks at a time, increasing the risk, it says.
By continuing to learn, you become more emotionally resilient as a person
Professor Cooper
Although you can’t always prevent stress, Professor Cary Cooper, occupational health expert at the University of Lancaster, recommends taking the following steps to alleviate symptoms.
Be active
Exercise won’t make your stress disappear, but it will reduce some of the emotional intensity that you’re feeling, clearing your thoughts and letting you deal with your problems more calmly.
Take control
“If you remain passive, thinking, ‘I can’t do anything about my problem’, your stress will get worse,” said Cooper. “That feeling of loss of control is one of the main causes of stress and lack of wellbeing.”
The act of taking control is in itself empowering, and it’s a crucial part of finding a solution that satisfies you and not someone else.
Connect with people
A good support network of colleagues, friends and family can ease your work troubles and help you see things in a different way.
“If you don’t connect with people, you won’t have support to turn to when you need help,” said Cooper.
The activities done with friends help people to relax. Laughing with them is an excellent stress reliever.
“Talking things through with a friend will also help you find solutions to your problems,” he added.
Have some ‘me time’
Britons work the longest hours in Europe, meaning those in the UK often don’t spend enough time doing things they really enjoy.
“We all need to take some time for socialising, relaxation or exercise,” said Cooper.
He recommends setting aside a couple of nights a week for some quality “me time” away from work.
“By earmarking those two days, it means you won’t be tempted to work overtime,” he said.
Challenge yourself
Setting goals and challenges, whether at work or outside, such as learning a new language or a new sport, helps build confidence. This will help to deal with stress.
“By continuing to learn, you become more emotionally resilient as a person,” said Cooper, “It arms you with knowledge and makes you want to do things rather than be passive, such as watching TV all the time.”
Avoid unhealthy habits
Don’t rely on alcohol, smoking and caffeine as a way of coping. These activities can increase the risk of high blood pressure.
“Men more than women are likely to do this. We call this avoidance behaviour,” he said. “Women are better at seeking support from their social circle.”
In the long term, these crutches won’t solve any problems, they’ll just create new ones.
“It’s like putting your head in the sand,” said Cooper. “It might provide temporary relief, but it won’t make the problems disappear. You need to tackle the cause of your stress.”
Help other people
Cooper said evidence shows that people who help others, through activities such as volunteering or community work, become more resilient.
He explained: ”Helping people who are often in situations worse than yours will help you put your problems into perspective. The more you give, the more resilient and happy you feel.”
Even small everyday gestures can help can to sooth symptoms such as helping someone cross the road or going on a coffee run for colleagues, he said.
Work smarter, not harder
Working smarter means prioritising your work, concentrating on the tasks that’ll make a real difference, he said.
He added: ”Leave the least important tasks to last. Accept that your in-tray will always be full. Don’t expect it to be empty at the end of the day.”
Try to be positive
Look for the positives in life, and things to be grateful for.
“People don’t always appreciate what they have,” said Professor Cooper. “Try to be glass half full instead of glass half empty,” he finished.
Try writing down three things that went well, or for which you’re grateful, at the end of every day, he added.
Accept the things you can’t change
Changing a difficult situation isn’t always possible. Try to concentrate on the things you do have control over.
Cooper said: ”If your company is going under and is making redundancies, for example, there’s nothing you can do about it. In a situation like that, you need to focus on the things that you can control, such as looking for a new job.”
Accept the things you can’t change
Changing a difficult situation isn’t always possible. Try to concentrate on the things you do have control over.
Cooper said: ”If your company is going under and is making redundancies, for example, there’s nothing you can do about it. In a situation like that, you need to focus on the things that you can control, such as looking for a new job.”
Other high blood pressure risks include:
- Age – the risk of developing high blood pressure increases as you get older
- A family history of high blood pressure
- Being of African or Caribbean origin
- A high amount of salt in your food
- Lack of exercise
- Being overweight
- Long-term sleep deprivation
The only way of assessing your risk of high blood pressure is to have a blood pressure test, says the NHS.
All adults over 40 are advised to have their blood pressure checked at least every five years.
Blood pressure tests are carried out at number of places, including:
- At your GP surgery
- At some pharmacies
- As part of your NHS Health Check
- In some workplaces
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