Tips To Make Your Heart Stress Free
STRESS AND THE HEART
Stress may be defined as the nonspecific response of body to any demand. It can be eustress (being agreeable or healthy) or distress (disagreeable or pathogenic) the way in which, a certain stimulus will be received depends on its intensity and particular receptiveness of the affected persons. This diversity depends primarily on conditioning (production of hormones). Coronary artery (Heart attack) disease is more common in “stress seekers” or the “race horse” type as opposed to the easy going “turtle type” individuals. Type A, personality who is most likely to develop
Coronary disease is characterized by:
- An intense sustained drive to achieve self-selected but usually poorly defined goals
- Profound inclination and eagerness to complete
- Persistent desire for recognition and advancement
- Continuous involvement in multiple and diverse functions constantly subject to time
restrictions - Habitual propensity to accelerate the rate of execution of many physical and mental
functions - Extraordinary mental and physical alertness.
How does emotional stress cause coronary heart disease?
Emotional stress enhances sympathetic activity through brain resulting into liberation of hormones such
as adrenaline and noradrenaline. These hormones result into mobilization of free fatty acids (FFA) from
fatty tissue which ultimately gets converted into triglycerides and cholesterol. Finally triglycerides and
cholesterol are incorporated into atheroma (blockade in coronary artery). Blocked coronary artery
causes reduction in blood supply to the heart.
Emotional stress further causes increase in heart rate and blood pressure thereby increase in myocardial
oxygen demand. An imbalance therefore exists between supply and demand ratio which ultimately
result into angina and heart attack. If untreated death ensues.
Prevention & Management
A holistic treatment approach to stress management and to promote a new model of wellbeing called
“wellness”. Wellness includes – higher level of health, which is derived from spiritual, mental, emotional
growth, education and self-actualization.
Certain ways to reduce stress
- Do not suppress the stress
- Try to diminish distress and facilitate eustress
- Increase general resistance by performing physical exercise to combat strong stressor
- Change in activity – deviation or diversion of efforts
- Self-control over emotional stress by performing Yoga. Yog Nidra and Meditation
- Practice time honored wisdom of the ‘Golden rule’ – Love thy neighbor as thyself
- Precautions to prevent coronary heart disease
- Decrease the total intake of saturated fat content of food to less than 30%
- Take drive to maintain the blood cholesterol level within normal range
- Mass education to create awareness of the need for physical exercise and normal body weight
- Stop smoking
- Effective treatment of diabetes and hypertension
- Reduce stress by avoiding stressors and performing mind relaxing exercise, such as Yoga, Y
- Nidra and Medication.
Regards,
Dr. (Prof.) A. K. Srivastava
MS, M.Ch., FAMS, FIACS
Consultant Heart Surgeon
Chairman & Founder President
Divine Heart & Multispecialty Hospital
Gomti Nagar, Lucknow
