Stress in day to day living can build up to the point it creates anxiety attacks. These attacks can be very serious and can cause not only heart problems, but also stroke and low blood pressure. If you think about it, it’s no wonder stress heart problems are among the leading causes of heart attacks or other cardiovascular problems in the western world.
Since fear is an overwhelming symptom of an attack of anxiety, the brain tells the body that it is in danger. It tells the body, in a sense, that it must be put on full alert. Be ready to fight or flight!
The body organs get the message from the brain to prepare for an emergency. The heart starts pumping blood faster to supply the organs extra energy. Muscles start tensing, eyes dilate and are on alert, hearing is keener.
The body can do this routinely for short periods of time. However, if it is called upon to maintain this high level of alertness, it becomes impossible. With stress induced anxiety, however, there is no let up and the brain continues to sound out danger.
The body works and works. One half of the brain realizes that this is too much work, and so gives the slow down signal. But the anxiety breeds fear and the other half of the brain is yelling to speed up. Everything is racing, slowing down, racing, slowing down. The body will finally just stop.
When you suffer panic and anxiety, here are some of the things that happen:
* Rising and falling blood pressure * Accelerated heart beat * It becomes hard to breathe normally * The body feels cold * Nervousness and shaking
Common heart problems might sometimes be classified as stress heart problems. When you understand the affect that stress induced anxiety has on the body, it is not difficult to understand why.
No wonder stress can cause you heart problems. You have to find a way to reduce anxiety or it will eventually cause your brain to give constant mixed signals to all of your organs — taxing them to the limit.
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