Dr Mohan Bhargava explains how to manage emotions

Emotion & Heart Health

Since ancient times, the heart has been a symbol of our emotions. But scientists have uncovered a physical link between emotions and heart health.

Science suggests a link between a negative state of mind and heart disease. Several studies strongly suggest that certain psychosocial factors like depression, anxiety, loneliness, anger, and chronic stress contribute to heart attack and cardiac arrest.

A negative state of mind causes a negative chain reaction in your body. If you're angry, anxious, tense, frustrated, frightened, or depressed, your body's natural response is to release stress hormones. These hormones include cortisol and adrenaline. They prepare your body to deal with stress. They cause your heart to beat more rapidly and your blood vessels to narrow to help push blood to the center of the body. The hormones also increase your blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

After your stress subsides, your blood pressure and heart rate should return to normal. If you're continually stressed out though, your body doesn't have a chance to recover. This may lead to heart disease.

Stress may also affect behaviours that increase risk such as smoking, overeating, drinking too much alcohol, and physical inactivity. Managing and treating these conditions is important to reduce your overall health risk.

It is very important to adopt healthy ways to keep your stress under control, which allows you to better protect yourself against heart disease. A few ideas include meditation, exercise, and improving social life.

 

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