Why Stress causes high blood pressure?

Asked by Anoymous
Answered
05/03/2021

Stress can be defined in various ways, so it is important to be aware of how stress can affect the body in various ways as well. Stress can be considered a strong feeling of emotional and or physical strain and pressure on the body. Excessive amounts of stress can lead to various physical medical conditions, including but not limited to the following: heart attacks, stroke, constipation, diarrhea, ulcers; stress can cause high blood pressure because when you stress out, it can cause an individual’s adrenaline gland to become overworked. Stress is also related to hormones that are on top of your kidneys. The hormones can affect the body with the fight or flight response which can cause the body to feel like it is shutting down due to a metabolic imbalance. With the metabolic imbalance, an individual can experience high blood pressure. Stress can cause an imbalance in potassium, sodium, and calcium, leading to high blood pressure, which can be induced by stress. Stress can sometimes also lead to an increase and or decrease in either potassium, sodium, or calcium, which can cause high blood pressure.

The effects of stress can cause stomach issues, digestion problems, and or high blood pressure. After getting diarrhea, you can lose fluids that the body needs to function, such as potassium which can again lead to an imbalance. Loss of fluids can also cause you to become dehydrated, which can also cause the body to lose necessary fluids to function, which can lead to high blood pressure due to stress-related symptoms of anxiety. 

When an individual experiences stress related to anxiety, their heart can beat faster and harder, which can cause their blood vessels to become narrower, which can ultimately cause an individual to experience high blood pressure. When an individual is experiencing an issue, experience, or situation that increases their stress levels, their blood pressure times can rise for a short or long period of time depending on the intensity of the issue, experience, or situation that caused their blood pressure to manifest in the first place.