Here’s how it may be harming your heart and what you can do about it
Medical experts say that stress about the COVID-19 pandemic and other current events can harm the heart and your overall physical and mental health. Don’t despair, though, because there are things you can do, such as eating healthier, getting a good night’s sleep and talking to your doctor or counselor if you’re feeling overwhelmed, to minimalize the impact.
The stress of living through a global pandemic, an explosive political climate, environmental disasters and everything in between can put serious pressure on your heart.
If left unchecked, chronic stress can cause damage to your body, potentially leading to heart attacks, high blood pressure and other severe conditions.
There’s no cure-all for chronic stress, but experts say it can be improved by focusing on what you can control in your life, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and spending time with loved ones or on calming activities,
“What’s going on now, there’s no respite from it,” said Dr. Cheryl Carmin, director of behavioral cardiology at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center, “It has unfortunately become a way of life and a source of stress.”
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Politics, pandemic have people stressed out
As the world’s problems grow, stress and feelings of helplessness may grow with it.
Carmin said she and other practicing psychologists have noticed the effects of current events on their patient’s mental and physical health.
Politics, the pandemic and the constant struggle for diversity and equality in America have been unavoidable, she said, but these issues affect each person differently.
“I have patients tell me all the time that all of those lovely family dinners that they used to have, have now been infiltrated by politics.” Carmin said.
Current issues, though short-lived in the grand scheme of a person’s life, can still be extremely stressful, she said.
Stress in response to current events has always existed, but the medical community has given the issue more attention in recent years, said Dr. Nahush Mokadam, division director of cardiac surgery at the OSU Wexner Medical Center and board president of the American Heart Association’s central Ohio chapter.
“I don’t think our stressors today are specifically higher than they were 20 years ago, or even, frankly, 100 years ago when we were in the middle of World War I,” Mokadam said. “… I think we’re more aware of it. We acknowledge it more. We look for it more. We try to treat it more aggressively.”
Tim Gaier works out at the gym at OhioHealth's McConnell Heart Health Center on Columbus' Northwest Side. Politics, the pandemic and other world events have a lot of people stressed but getting moving and exercising is one of many good ways to deal with stress.
Tim Gaier works out at the gym at OhioHealth’s McConnell Heart Health Center on Columbus’ Northwest Side. Politics, the pandemic and other world events have a lot of people stressed but getting moving and exercising is one of many good ways to deal with stress.
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Effects of long-term stress on your heart
In small amounts, stress is healthy for the body and the mind, said Dr. Kevin Stiver, an interventional cardiologist with OhioHealth. During these brief periods, the body releases chemicals such as adrenaline and dopamine.
These chemicals are responsible for the fight-or-flight response in the body, Stiver said, where people often experience adrenaline rushes, eye dilation or goosebumps. They also impact your heart.
Long-term or chronic stress can exacerbate the impact, and each person’s body reacts to stress differently, Mokadam said. For example, some people get high blood pressure due to chronic stress, raising the risk of heart attacks or strokes, he said. Others may have problems with high blood sugar, which could result in diabetes.
“It’s really not necessarily, ‘What does high stress cause?’ It’s how your body responds to it,” Mokadam said. “And that’s probably going to determine what the long-term effects of chronic stress are.”
Chronic stress may lead to high blood pressure, putting you at risk for a heart attack or stroke. To help reduce the stress in your life, you can take such easy steps as walking regularly, meditating or spending more time with loved ones and pets.
Chronic stress may lead to high blood pressure, putting you at risk for a heart attack or stroke. To help reduce the stress in your life, you can take such easy steps as walking regularly, meditating or spending more time with loved ones and pets.
Losing sleep, not exercising, forgetting daily medication, picking up smoking or turning to drugs and alcohol as a reaction to stress can put someone at a greater risk for heart and health problems, Stiver said.
Columbus Dispatch