Title: How Stress Affects Your Heart and Ways to Manage It
Stress has become a constant part of modern life — work pressure, family responsibilities, financial worries, or even lack of sleep can silently impact your health. While occasional stress is normal, chronic stress can severely affect your heart, warns Dr. Girish Kale, a leading Interventional Cardiologist in Nashik.
How Stress Affects Your Heart
When you’re stressed, your body releases hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, which temporarily increase:
- Heart rate
- Blood pressure
- Oxygen demand of the heart
Over time, these changes can strain the heart and lead to:
1. High Blood Pressure
Chronic stress keeps your blood pressure elevated, increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke, and artery damage.
2. Heart Rhythm Problems
Stress can trigger palpitations, irregular heartbeat, and worsen existing cardiac issues.
3. Artery Inflammation
Stress hormones can cause inflammation in blood vessels, speeding up plaque buildup and blockage formation.
4. Unhealthy Coping Behaviors
People under stress often turn to smoking, overeating, alcohol, or lack of exercise — all major heart disease risk factors.
Healthy Ways to Manage Stress – Tips by Dr. Girish Kale
✔ 1. Practice Mindfulness & Deep Breathing
Spending even 10 minutes a day in meditation or slow breathing exercises reduces blood pressure and relaxes the heart.
✔ 2. Include Yoga or Walking in Your Routine
Physical activity releases endorphins — natural stress fighters. Just 30 minutes of walking or yoga daily can significantly improve heart function.
✔ 3. Maintain a Balanced Diet
- Fruits
- Green vegetables
- Whole grains
- Omega-3 rich foods (walnuts, flaxseeds, fish)
Avoid excess caffeine, oily foods, and sugar that can worsen stress.
Chronic stress doesn’t always show immediate symptoms, but its long-term impact on your heart can be serious. Dr. Kale recommends combining stress management, lifestyle changes, and routine heart screenings to stay protected from the silent effects of stress.
“A calm mind leads to a healthy heart — take small steps every day to prioritize your emotional and heart health.