Stress is the end result of conflict between the demands of your life and your ability to meet those demands. The most common stressors are family, work and finances.
“At one time or another, we have all let stress influence our health behaviors,” says William L. Fischer, author of How to Fight Heart Disease and Win. For example, when stressed, you may overeat or smoke more than usual.
While researchers aren’t saying stress causes heart disease, they believe that at the very least it aggravates heart conditions, and that people are more likely to have heart attacks during stressful times.
The Texas Heart Institute (THI) outlines examples of how stress can lead to a heart attack
Is there a way you can manage stress and reduce your risk of a heart attack?
Dr. Denton Cooley of the Texas Heart Institute (THI) recommends you manage stress to improve your life, no matter how healthy you are.
”But in order to do this, you must be able to identify when you are feeling overwhelmed. Common symptoms include a racing heart, sudden sweating, sudden anger, an upset stomach, headaches, anxiety, tensing of muscles, and binge eating and drinking, to name a few,” says Dr Cooley.
Once you recognise you’re under stress, try to pinpoint the cause of it.
Dr Cooley recommends you find your personal pattern of stress, write down when you feel that way. Think about ways you could avoid such situations.
Exercising, crying, taking warm baths and breathing deeply are just a few ways to minimise stress. Find a method that works for you and reduce your risk of a heart attack.