One of the main causes of high blood pressure is stress. So it makes sense to avoid stress where possible or, if it cannot be avoided, to learn techniques to reduce or relieve stress. The better the body learns to cope with stress or process its effects, the smaller the rise in blood pressure under stress.

What is stress?

Stress is the body's reaction to strain or pressure. That's why it's important to avoid extreme stress whenever you can.

If an untrained body is pushed to its limits, it responds with stress. Blood pressure rises because the blood vessels are put under unfamiliar strain, and values can reach dangerous levels. That's why it's important to build up exercise slowly. Light aerobic exercise under medical supervision can support drug treatment.

Do you arrive at the doctor's office out of breath, maybe after walking up to the second floor, and does the visit itself make you a bit nervous? It's understandable that your measured blood pressure may be higher than usual. That's why doctors often tell patients to sit quietly for a few minutes so the heart rate can settle. Worrying that the reading will be too high again, fear of having blood drawn, or general anxiety about having to go to the doctor again (the white coat effect) can make the blood pressure reading higher than it would be at home in a familiar environment.

Under stress, not only does blood pressure rise. The increase in blood pressure during stress and the other bodily reactions are natural responses. Our ancestors experienced stress when they felt threatened. To react quickly, the body releases adrenaline-this increases heart rate, causes faster and deeper breathing, and increases blood flow to the brain and large muscle groups: now it's possible to fight or flee. If stress continues or recurs soon after, the body can't bring adrenaline levels back down to normal. The heightened alert state with elevated blood pressure can then persist for a prolonged period and, with ongoing stress, become chronic. In addition to adrenaline, other hormones like cortisol (which narrows blood vessels in the brain to get oxygen there faster) and growth hormones are released; these stabilize metabolism or suppress certain body functions (like pain perception or digestion) that aren't helpful in a stressful situation.

An increased release of glucose causes blood sugar to rise in order to supply the muscles with energy. The elevated blood sugar prompts the pancreas to respond, and insulin is released. Insulin lowers the blood sugar, and a feeling of hunger subsequently arises. This is why people eat too much when under stress. At the same time, digestion is inhibited, meaning that food cannot be properly utilized. This, in turn, can disrupt the bacterial flora in the gut and consequently leave the body with an inadequate supply of nutrients. Persistently elevated blood sugar levels can lead to diabetes, which in turn has further consequences. Increased muscle tension often leads to headaches and neck pain. In the long term, impaired digestion or impotence may also result.

Chronically high blood pressure can damage the heart and blood vessels as well as other organs. The hormones adrenaline and cortisol and growth hormones also interfere with proper insulin release, because the muscles need the available sugar. But if the muscles aren't moved, since neither fight nor flight is part of our modern behavioral repertoire, these hormones remain in the body and prevent insulin release, which can lead to diabetes. Cardiovascular problems are the most common long-term effects of ongoing stress. Other side effects of too much cortisol include its anti-inflammatory properties. If there is no inflammation in the body, antibody production is reduced. When common pathogens like cold bacteria or flu viruses appear, a stressed person is much more susceptible than someone who is balanced.

Even with a low-salt diet (which is recommended to lower blood pressure), some metabolic values can dangerously increase. For example, rises in the stress-related hormones renin, aldosterone, adrenaline and noradrenaline have been observed. So when reducing salt in the diet, it's important to find a sensible middle ground.

• https://www.hochdruckliga.at/interessierte/hochdruck-im-alltag/stress/
• https://www.aerzteblatt.de/archiv/25493/Stressbedingte-Hypertonie-Am-Arbeitsplatz-haeufiger-als-erwartet
• https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.122.027374
  

Relaxation for High Blood Pressure

The Relaxation Guide from Tensana

One of the main causes of high blood pressure is stress. So it makes sense to avoid stress, or, if that isn't possible, to learn ways to reduce or relieve it. The better your body learns to cope with stress or process its effects, the less your blood pressure will rise when you're stressed.

That sounds great, but if you're already stressed you probably have hardly any time to deal with it.

So we approached our guide differently. We show simple tools that help you manage stress better in the long run.

• Quickly find out which relaxation style fits you.
• Try the exercises that match your style.
• The many illustrations make it easy and quick.

The "To Go" short relaxation exercises help quickly and effortlessly.

Finally: stress management without stress

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"Relaxation for High Blood Pressure" is now only available as an eBook in PDF format for just 9.90 euros.

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