| High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a | | | | caused by this. |
| common problem in today's world. In the beginning, it | | | | By learning how to respond to stressful situations, you |
| can be hard to realize that you suffer from | | | | can reduce stress and for a lot of people this means |
| hypertension. Initially, it causes no symptoms but if | | | | lower blood pressure. The best way of dealing with |
| nothing is done it may result in serious health issues | | | | pent-up emotions varies from person to person. But |
| later on in life. A lot of studies indicate that long term | | | | the two extreme solutions, suppressing them |
| stress is one of the main causes of hypertension. | | | | completely or letting the emotions control you must be |
| Emotions such as anger and fear trigger the body's | | | | avoided. If you let a powerful emotion like anger out |
| fight or flight response. The adrenal glands flood the | | | | without control, your blood pressure will increase |
| body with stress hormones. The brain shunts blood | | | | dramatically. And you may do things you will regret |
| away from the gut and towards the muscles, in | | | | later. The other extreme, trying to suppress your |
| preparation for physical exertion. Heart rate, blood | | | | emotions is no long term solution and it is most likely |
| pressure and respiration increase. The fight or flight | | | | one of the main causes of stress. If you never release |
| response has been very important for the survival of | | | | your pent-up emotions, your blood pressure is likely to |
| mankind, a caveman had to quickly make up his mind | | | | keep on increasing. |
| either to stay and fight or try to escape a threat. | | | | In most cases, some kind of physical activity is a good |
| Today, very few real life threatening dangers exist but | | | | way of letting off steam. But it is also important to be |
| the old fight or flight response still gets triggered in a lot | | | | able to manage stressful situations, being able to |
| of situations. | | | | respond rather than reacting is the key. The first step |
| The fight or flight response by itself is not a major | | | | in this process is to understand that life is not easy, |
| health concern. The real problem is that today it is | | | | bad things happen to everyone. Rather than looking at |
| much more difficult to release the emotions. You | | | | a stressful situation as a threat, look at it as a |
| simply can not hit a bad telephone call or run away | | | | challenge. Do not let fear and anger control you, take |
| from a traffic jam. You only do the first half of the | | | | your time before you respond or act. Relaxation and |
| fight or flight cycle. The emotions stay inside you rather | | | | stress reducing exercises are important ways of |
| than getting released when fighting or escaping. If you | | | | controlling stress. Do not forget, when you are too |
| do not release these built-up emotions your health will | | | | busy to relax, that's when you must take the time to |
| suffer. Hypertension is just one of the health issues | | | | relax. |